Category Archives: Lego

Decking Vietnam

Leave a reply


This is a Vought F-8E Crusader II, one of the first supersonic carrier-based fighters, and it flew from the decks of U.S aircraft carriers from the late-‘50s right up until the mid-‘70s. Which of course meant it served in the Vietnam War, where it earned the nickname ‘MiG Killer’ because it, well… killed MiGs, with an astonishing 19:3 kill ratio.

This exceptional brick-built replica of the F-8E is the work of Flickr’s Juliusz D., and includes working landing gear, the Crusader’s trick variable incidence and folding wings, an opening cockpit, a deployable air-brake, functioning flaps, a full compliment of missiles and bombs, and phenomenally accurate period-correct markings.

It’s one of the finest Lego fighters we’ve ever featured, and you can take flight from a carrier deck somewhere in the South China Sea in 1967 via the link above.

Ridge Racer

Leave a reply

It’s the mid-’90s, and the peak of racing games involved far too few pixels, minimal physics, empty highway tunnels, and an array nondescript Japanese-esque cars. Cars like this one, the ‘F/A Racing Kamata Fiera’ from 1993’s ‘Ridge Racer’.

Wonderfully constructed by Flickr’s StudWorks, this Speed Champions homage to the earliest days of Playstation racing captures the fictional racer brilliantly, including an authentically recreated ‘Namco’ livery on its appropriately blocky exterior.

There’s more to see at StudWorks’ ‘Ridge Racer – F/A Racing Kamata Fiera’ album and you can join us on a pixilated mountain highway in 1993 via the link above. And if you have no idea what racing games were like three decades ago, click here to see just how good you have it now!

A Good Tipper

Leave a reply

Anyone that’s worked in the restaurant industry likes a good tipper. Particularly in America, where in many states the minimum wage can be set below the legal amount so that tips make up the difference. Which means that they aren’t tips at all, but rather subsiding corporate greed. Sigh. Sometimes America sucks.

Still, in Europe tips are tips, paid on top of a minimum wage, and thus today we have a good European tipper; a Mercedes-Benz Arocs 4143 8×4. Constructed by regular bloggee Keko007, the Arocs is very detailed indeed considering the small scale, and it can really tip too.

There’s more to see Keko’s ‘Mercedes Arocs 4143 8×4’ Flickr album, and you can make the waitress’s day / subsidise their wages because your tip in fact goes to the owner via the link above.

Doubull

Leave a reply

We’re ballers at TLCB today, because we have two Lamborghini Aventador Ultimaes. And most actual Lamborghini owners probably have another one. And a helicopter.

Our Lamborghini pairing comes from The G Brix of Flickr, whose brick-built versions of the Aventador Ultimae in coupe and roadster form are constructed from around five-hundred parts apiece, and include transparent opening engine covers and seating for two mini-figures.

There’s lots more to see at G’s photostream, and you can join us pretending we belong with elite financiers, tech bros, and YouTube influencers via the link above.

Virtual Yuk

Leave a reply

The recent assassination of Charlie Kirk – ironically during a speech where he was criticising gun control – continues the descent of America (and many other nations, our own included) into a tribalist, binary, them and us, anyone-who-doesn’t-think-like-me-is-the-enemy hellscape.

Thus today we’re showing some BBC-esque impartiality and featuring a model of a car we dislike immensely will write about objectively.

Digitally created by Peter Blackert (aka lego911), this is an early-’00s GMC Yukon; a full-size SUV based on the Chevrolet Tahoe and powered by an enormous 5.7 V8 that made just 250bhp, similar to the vastly superior Toyota 4Runner’s much smaller V6 some 250bhp. The Yukon/Tahoe also featured side airbags, four-wheel disc brakes, and automatic headlight control, plus many other, um… facts.

Alright, we’re not very good as this factual stuff. But it doesn’t matter if we think that the GMC Yukon is two-tons of early-’00s American automotive malaise and you think it’s the best vehicle ever made. It’s OK to disagree. Even if someone’s opinions are bit unusual. We quite like the Fiat Multipla after all.

You can take a look at Peter’s excellent virtual Yukon at his photostream via the link above, whether you love the real thing, hate it, or have no opinion whatsoever.

Black or White*

Leave a reply

New cars in TLCB’s home nation are a sea of monochrome. Because the British public are a) unimaginative and b) under the mistaken impression that a black SUV is classy. But back in the 1960s monochrome could look so good, as proven by this fantastic Ford Fairlane.

Constructed in white, black, and grey, builder Jonathan Elliott has presented his model on a curving grey background (a neat trick to avoid corner shadows), adding to the monochrome cool. Head to Jonathan’s photostream for more of his work.

*Today’s wonderful (if ironic) title song.

Highline

Leave a reply

It’s time for a truck here at The Lego Car Blog, because we’re not just about cars. This is a Scania Highline and Schmitz Cargobull tipper trailer, as excellently constructed by previous bloggee Keko007. Clever SNOT techniques and a functioning tipper mechanism feature and you can see more at Keko’s ‘Scania Highline 4×2 2020 & Schmitz Cargobull Tipper Semitrailer’ album via the link above.

Dirty Photo

Leave a reply

Today’s creation is large, heavy, ponderous, and there are dirty pictures of it on the internet. No it’s not your Mom for once, but this splendid camouflaged bulldozer by Dwelve, who’s photographed it not on a clean white background (although that is still the recommended norm), but rather getting dirty in the forest. Which is where it should be of course. Dwelve has constructed the ‘dozer for third-party set shop Brickmania, there’s more of the model to see on Flickr, and you can see all the dirty photos via the link above.

The Smallest Car in the World

Leave a reply

The British motor industry was weird. At one end of it in the 1960s was the fastest car in the world (the Jaguar E-Type), whilst at the other was the smallest. Because, um… honestly we have no idea why Peel decided to make the smallest production car in the world, but make it they did for a few years in the mid-’60s.

Powered by a 50cc scooter engine the P50 could fit only one moderately-sized human, but – as proven in an iconic episode of Top Gear – it could also fit in a lift with a newsreader. Because, um… we have no idea.

This ingenious brick-built example of the world’s smallest car comes from Michael Jasper of Flickr, who has managed to construct it in mini-figure scale. We’re not sure one will fit in it mind…

There’s more (although not a lot more) to see at Michael’s photostream, and you can head to Britain in the mid-’60s for some very small motoring indeed via the link above.

Just a Jeep

Leave a reply

It’s been a day of decidedly weird vehicles here at The Lego Car Blog, so we’ll round off with something resolutely normal. Splendidly built with Technic gears for wheels, a miniaturised roll cage, and a dismembered mini-figure hand for a winch, 1saac W.‘s Jeep TJ is as good as small scale building gets. Take a look via the link.

The Manliest Thing You Can Do In A Truck

Leave a reply

You. Yes you, the owner of the full-size V8-powered pick-up truck with the MAGA bumper sticker used to carry nothing more than yourself and your handgun. What are you compensating for? If you want to prove yourself a real man you want to get yourself one of these. Because navigating a 170cc Piaggio Ape Pentaro up a winding cobbled Italian street pulling half-a-ton of oranges is the most skilful thing you can do in a vehicle. Unless this happens of course. Dariusz Sedziak is the man behind this one and you can see more here.

Walking a Cyber Skyline

Leave a reply

A classic Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-R, cyberpunk, bosozoku, and Liberty Walk are quite a lot to squeeze into one model. The result could therefore be described as ‘busy’, but heck it works! This cyberpunked, bosozokued, and Liberty Walk bodykitted Skyline 2000 ‘Kenmeri’ comes from Flickr’s Sergio Batista, and is based on the artwork of Kantaro Gashilo. A glorious mash-up of conflicting aesthetics, there’s more to see at Sergio’s photostream, and you can take a walk through a cyberpunk skyline via the link above.

Fabulous Fire Engine

Leave a reply

This fabulous vintage fire truck was discovered by one of our Elves on Flickr today, and it cunningly uses a vintage (in LEGO terms) single-piece Fabuland chassis that is absolutely perfect for the job. A rolled hose, ‘brass’ grab rails, and a bench seat recreate the details of the time, and you can head back a hundred years courtesy of a forty-five year-old piece and 1saac W via the link above.

Two For Tuesday

Leave a reply

It’s a TLCB double today, with a duo of top-notch pieces of construction equipment, each wonderfully detailed, and affording us some ‘Your Mom’ references too.

First up (above) is Ralph Savelsberg‘s fantastic Caterpillar D9T bulldozer. Born in the mid-’50s, the D9 has serviced more construction sites than any other competitor, thanks to its weight, size, and low operating costs. Just like your Mom. Ralph’s Lego version captures the heavy tracked tractor brilliantly in brick, and you can bulldoze your way to it via the link above.

Today’s second constructional creation (below) is Keko007‘s excellent JCB 531-70 telehandler, complete with more varied implements than your Mom’s ‘special chest’. A raising and extending boom means that the model can replicate the reach of the real JCB 531, and you can reach for it yourself at Keko’s photostream via the link above.

Rallye Raid

Leave a reply

France may not be the first nation that springs to mind when thinking about the world’s best off-roaders. British Land Rovers, American Jeeps, Japanese Land Cruisers… sure, but the French? Except they are. By miles.

The originators of expedition rallies, French drivers have won the Dakar more times than any other nation, which makes sense seeing as the race used to start in Paris. This is one of the amazing machines that propelled a Frenchman to a Dakar win, the wild Citroen ZX Rallye Raid.

Based (kinda) on a small French family car, the ZX Rallye Raid won a total of four Dakar Rallies, cementing itself as one of the greatest rally-raid endurance racers of all time. This fantastic Speed Champions recreation of the 1994 Citroen ZX Rallye Raid Evo 4 encapsulates the iconic off-roader brilliantly in brick, and comes from regular bloggee SFH_Bricks.

With removable front and rear clamshells, superbly authentic decals, and mechanicals as detailed as the exterior, SFH’s Citroen ZX Rallye Raid is a winner in brick form too, and there’s more to see on Flickr. Jump to the desert somewhere in North Africa (or an autoroute just south of Paris) circa-1994 via the link above.