I was on a trip recently, when my trusty backpack gave up the ghost. Oh, I wasn’t hiking or camping or anything. I always fly with a suitcase (I might check it if that’s free), and my backpack (carry on with my laptop, magazines, sketchbook, and three small bottles of… toiletries. Yeah, that’s it!) Stuff like that.
As I took off my backpack in preparation for putting it under the seat one strap just let go. It was already frayed, but I was hoping to nurse one last trip out of it. Alas, this was the outbound flight, so I really needed a backup backpack as soon as I got to my hotel.
I happened to go to a thrift shop right off the bat, and lo and behold, there were several used ones for sale cheap. As long as the straps and zippers were better than what I had, it would be fine for now.
So I got one for five bucks. Turns out someone didn’t do a thorough job searching all the pockets, because inside one of the pockets was another pocket, and inside that pocket were a couple of short pencils with hardly any eraser left, a few paperclips, and… this gem.
It’s a Johnny Lightning 1974 AMC Hornet! It was in remarkably good shape for something that may have rattled around in there for years. The paint shows little wear, and the axles are only slightly bent. Neat!
Now, I usually carry a 1/64-scale model car in my backpack along with my art supplies, so if I’m drawing, I can use the car for perspective and angles. So maybe that was the case with the previous owner. Or it belonged to some kid who just carried it around to play with.
The car brought back all kinds of memories. Since I lived in southeast Wisconsin until I was 8, I saw lots of Rambler and AMC products (I may have mentioned my Dad even worked there years and years ago). I can almost hear the rumble of that modest powerplant, not unlike most small-block engines of the era.
It is most likely from their James Bond 60th Anniversary series from The Man With The Golden Gun. It was featured in one of the greatest stunts ever caught on film, so I can also hear this sound…
Stupid slide whistle! There are some things you can’t unhear.
Did you ever find something cool in a used piece of luggage or backpack? Even if it’s not diecast, let us know in the comments!
Ron Ruelle is a cartoonist, writer, and illustrator who also writes about model cars. You can see his work at www.ronruelle.com
