In 1976, Topps produced a set of cards featuring the automobiles to be set forth to the public in 1977. The set itself consists of 99 cards including the checklist. The powder blue wax wrapper screams 70's style.
The pack still had the original stick of gum in it. I don't recommend eating gum from more than 40 years ago...
Each pack featured a foil sticker and we grabbed the GREMLIN mascot. It won't be the only time the word "Gremlin" is used in this post!
The first card out of the pack is a Delta 88. The cards themselves feature a black border with the name of the vehicle displayed in a variety of colors. The 88 is a reddish orange. At the bottom, the manufacturer is displayed in an oval which if color-filled and something akin to a "Hollywood" font:
Up next, we see the Plymouth Road Runner.Check out the slatted rear side windows on that bad boy...
If you're more in the mood for a coupe d'boat, how about a Buick Electra:
Maybe big, fancy cars aren't your thing. That's okay. This pack offers up the Toyota Corona, which I believe was the predecessor to the Corolla. I could be wrong. I didn't Google that info.
And, finally, we return to the Gremlin. Not just any Gremlin, however: This is the Gremlin X! That's right...
The backs feature a pair of blue borders, each with a thick headline section. The top border gives the full legal name of the pictured vehicle. There is a paragraph discussing the features, general information, and other tidbits about the vehicle. The lower border introduces a section full of specs.
The back of the sticker explains how stickers work. Evidently, we were morons in the 70's and didn't know how to peel a sticker...
I made a video of the pack opening, if you're interested:
https://youtu.be/rcbznz6_Q-M
I discovered these cards a few years ago; I was 11 when these cards were released, but I don't recall ever seeing a pack anywhere...and as much as I love cards and cars, I have to believe that I would've bought at least one pack if I'd ever run across them.
ReplyDeleteThese days they seem fairly hard to find. I don't know if it's because they're truly rare, or because nobody bothers trying to sell them.
FYI, there *is* a Pacer in this set (it was mentioned in the video) and there is the occasional Porsche, Jaguar, Mercedes and VW Beetle to break up the steady flow of boxy passenger cars which were so common back then.
Solid design. Sweet Gremlin!
ReplyDeleteI can see that Buick Electra on just about any TV drama of the late 1970s.
ReplyDeleteA Corona rookie! Awesome.
ReplyDeleteThose are some cool cards. Never seen those before. Thanks!
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