Spark Plug Wires

Just signed up.  No real background in electronics, but know the smell of a burning Selenium Rectifier and I've been shocked lots of times.

Anyway, when I was a teenager, we used to wrap the bare leads of a small light bulb around a auto plug wire and the light would flash when the plug got it's shot from the distributor.  I know it wasn't a regular incandescent bulb and I though it was a little peanut neon, but I got one at a radio shack and it didn't do anything.  I don't think LEDS were invented then, so either I have the wrong Neon or it's some sort of hallucination from Nam.

Anybody have any idea what I'm talking about?  If not, just ignore me and I'll wander off in time.