The Road to El Dorado

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This is a 1953 Cadillac Eldorado, a humungous (at 5.6 meters long / 2.3 tons) and humungously expensive 2-door luxury convertible, that – in first generation guise – lasted just one year and 500 units.

With unique sheet metal from the Cadillac upon which it was based, the first generation Eldorado was an ultra-exclusive automobile, and included such luxuries as air-conditioning (a $7,000 option at today’s prices), power windows, a heater, and that mark of unrestrained decadence; windscreen washers.

This lovely Lego recreation of Cadillac’s high-watermark comes from previous bloggee SFH_Bricks, who has captured it beautifully in brick form. Ingenious building techniques and top-notch presentation abound, and there’s more to see of SFH’s magnificent ’53 Eldorado via Flickr. Click the link above to take a closer look.

Otto-ly Wonderful

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Sometimes a vehicle needs a name, and this wonderful Volkswagen T25 Westfalia camper, owned by friend of TLCB Nick Barrett, is one such time.

Entitled ‘Otto’, Nick’s fabulous Westfalia is christened after its previous owner, whose name was inside the manual it came with.

Working steering, suspension, opening/sliding doors, and a rear-mounted piston engine all feature, as does a glorious interior, complete with a fold down bed, table, rotating chairs, kitchen, and crapper.

There’s much more of Otto to see at Nick’s album on Flickr, and you can see what makes him tick in our Master MOCers series by clicking this bonus link.

#MorePatriotism

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The misplaced patriotism continues here at The Lego Car Blog, with another American automotive icon. The Ford Bronco first appeared in the 1960s, and now – after a twenty-five year absence – the new sixth-generation model has reignited Ford’s rugged go-anywhere reputation.

Powered by a range of turbocharged engines with up to 400bhp, the 2021 Bronco continues the nameplate’s legacy, with body-on-frame construction, two and four-door variants, a removable roof and doors, and about two hundred different trims named after various outdoorsy-things.

This phenomenal Model Team/Technic replica of Ford’s most sought-after 4×4 comes from previous bloggee DamianPLE, who has recreated the off-road icon brilliantly in brick form.

Underneath the superbly recreated exterior Damian’s model features four-wheel-drive, a high/low gearbox, locking centre and rear differentials, working suspension and steering, a highly detailed V6 engine, folding seats, and – like the real thing – easily removable doors and roof.

A huge gallery of stunning imagery is available to view at Damian’s Bricksafe gallery, which includes close-up photos of the chassis as well as on-location shots, plus you can find the model’s discussion topic and further details at the Eurobricks form, where an excellent video of the Bronco’s working features can also be found.

Take a closer look via the links above, whilst we try to remember our own automotive heritage and post a model of a Morris Marina or something…

#Patriotism

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America is in the news of TLCB home nation rather a lot at the moment. Whilst we’ve quietly called, held, and politely delivered the outcome of an election in six weeks, America’s year-long campaign season continues, and – with perhaps a depressing inevitability – the barrage of political slurs, plus an argument about golf handicaps for some reason, has spilled over into something far worse.

Thus to remember that America isn’t just gun violence and two old men insulting one another, today we have the most American thing we can think of short of chanting ‘Freedom!’ on loop or a Mustang crash; the Chevrolet Corvette C7.

Built by Eurobricks’ mihao, this stunning Technic recreation of the last front-engined Corvette is so realistic we can almost see the retired dentist behind the wheel. Working steering, adjustable suspension, a V8 engine connected to a paddle-shift gearbox, opening doors, hood and trunk, plus a removable targa-roof all feature, and the model can also be fully motorised, with remote control drive, steering, and LED head and tail lights.

Building instructions for both the mechanical and motorised versions of mihao’s model are available, and you can find them and lots more besides at the Eurobricks forum. Click the link above to take a look at mihao’s fantastic American icon, and whichever old man you vote for, neither the other one, nor his supporters, are your foe.

YouTube Video

Radar Love

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This fantastic creation is a ZIL 131, a Soviet V8-powered 6×6 off-road truck built from the 1960s right up to 2012, as used by all manner of dodgy dictatorships and communist regimes around the world. And Finland.

It’s also a vehicle that has appeared on this site several times over the years. This one however, is a little different from most…

Fitted to the bed of Samuel Nerpas’ Technic version is an enormous radar system, as was mounted on the real AMU variants of the ZIL 131. Powered by two separate gasoline engines, the P19 radar antenna would raise, unfurl, and rotate, allowing the Soviet Union to deploy radar in even its most inhospitable parts.

Samuel’s incredible recreation of the ZIL 131 AMU includes that P19 radar system, with four Power Functions motors raising and unfolding the antenna, powering a decoupling clutch, and rotating it 360°.

Four more motors drive all six fully-suspended wheels, whilst another powers the steering, and yet another a compressor to deploy the pneumatically-operated stabiliser legs.

There’s loads more to see of Samuel’s astonishing build at both his Flickr photostream and at the Eurobricks forum, where full build details, imagery of the amazing antenna deployed, and videos of the model in action can also be found. Click the links above to get on the radar.

Today’s (excellent) title song.

Just Another Mecha Monday

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It’s Monday! And this is a mech. Hence the title. TLCB, being universally crap with sci-fi, aren’t able to explain much more about Sylvain Daunais‘ ‘TeamExplorer Neo-Ex-U’ than that, but it is a thoroughly excellent build, and you can find out more via the link.

*Today’s lightly butchered title song.

Find My Bike in Lego

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We might be a Lego Car Blog, but it’s not just vehicles of the four-wheeled variety that feature here. From the phattest Harley to the tiniest scooter, motorcycles of all shapes and sizes have been showcased over the years.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your favourite motorbike has been recreated from Danish plastic bricks, our long-suffering interns have braved the Archival Halls to help out. From BMW to Vespa, here are the top motorcycle brands they found…

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Motorcycles

BMW

Vintage bikes, superbikes, cafe racers, and even a few official LEGO sets, every BMW Mottorad in the Archives can be found here.

Ducati

A century-old Italian icon now owned by Volkswagen, Ducatis in the Archive include an official LEGO set, life-size replica, and – of course – some spectacular superbikes. Click here to find them.

Harley-Davidson

Gangs, black leather, and more merchandising than even Ferrari manage, 120-year-old Harley-Davidson have appeared here more than any other bike brand. Choppers, coppers, and customised baggers, you can find them all via the link above.

Honda

There are more people riding Hondas right now than any other form of personal transport, with well over 100 million Super Cubs built to date alone. A few have been made from LEGO too, and they can be found, along with Monkey Bikes, Goldwings, and much more besides, by clicking here.

Kawasaki

Whilst most famous for their superbikes, Japan’s Kawasaki have only appeared here a handful of times to date, with none being their most famous product. Until a recent official LEGO set corrected that…

Yamaha

Famous for their off-road motorcycles in particular, Yamaha have appeared here numerous times with bikes, trikes, and even a few futuristic concepts. An official LEGO set joined the fan-made models in 2023, and you can find them all via the link above.

Vespa

Nothing is more Italian than a pretty girl riding a Vespa, and dozens have appeared here to date (Vespas, not pretty girls). From mini-figure to Model Team scale, plus an official LEGO set, you can find them all in the Archives via the link above.

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There you have it, from BMW to Vespa, all of the motorcycle brands to have been recreated from our favourite plastic blocks! Other bike brands with fewer entries in the Archives have of course featured here too, and you can find them (plus much more besides) via the Search box on every page. And if it’s brick-built cars you’re after, you can take a look at our full A-Z of car manufacturers by clicking here.

Nights in White Sedan*

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Exquisitely presented, this gorgeous 5-wide ’50s sedan comes from regular bloggee 1saac W., whose inspired parts choice and stunning photography show that you really don’t need a million pieces to build something utterly beautiful. Lipstick tail-lights, an ice-skate hood ornament, and wispy smoke c-pillars are just a few of the brilliant brick decisions that have created this fantastic classic, and there’s much more to see at 1saac’s photostream. Click the link above take a closer look.

*Today’s title song. Nearly.

LEGO Technic 42172 McLaren P1 | Set Preview

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LEGO’s long-standing relationship with McLaren has borne all manner of models over the years, from classic Formula 1 cars to Extreme-E racers, and life-size replicas to Speed Champions miniatures. This though, has instantly become our favourite LEGO McLaren collaboration to date; it’s the brand new 42172 Technic McLaren P1.

Part of LEGO’s flagship Ultimate Collector Series, the new 42172 set recreates McLaren’s iconic P1 supercar in a huge 1:8 scale from a whopping 3,893 pieces, many of which make their debut on this set.

These new parts include never-before-seen curved wheel-arch panels, lovely gunmetal wheels, and the utilisation of flame yellow, with the resulting model looking wonderfully accurate to the mighty 900bhp decade-old supercar.

Underneath that well executed exterior are a V8 engine linked to a 7-speed transmission, all-wheel independent suspension, opening butterfly doors (which required an all-new mechanism), working steering, and deployable rear wing.

There’s also a serious level of attention to detail, both within the engine bay and interior, making 42172 one of the few sets to carry the ’18+’ age stamp that we can well believe.

The brand new LEGO Technic 42172 McLaren P1 set will be available to purchase exclusively from LEGO online/stores from August 1st 2024, carrying a price-tag to match the set’s enormous scale. Expect to pay £389.99 / $449.99 / €449.99, with each set including a unique serial number that unlocks bonus content, and even your non-LEGO-fan friends to want it.

Sécurité Civile

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Despite a simmering disdain for one another, France and TLCB’s home nation are more alike than we’d both like to think.

Separated by just 21 miles of water, each has just undergone a snap election called by an incumbent leader (who has then lost), and both also saw a notable rise in what was once ‘the far right’ – but is now perhaps just ‘the right’, such is its popularity – thwarted by left-wing politics.

Of course that’s where the similarities end, as post-election the British ‘far right’ will have gone to the pub to drink and bemoan the archaic first-past-the-post voting system, whilst their French counterparts will no doubt be setting fire to buses for the rest of the week.

Cue this rather good Airbus EC 145 helicopter by TLCB newcomer Smilt Spartane, constructed in French ‘Sécurité Civile’ livery, and most often used for Search and Rescue and in combatting forest fires.

Smilt’s EC 145 includes a detailed interior, opening doors, and rotating rotors, and there’s more to see – including a link to building instructions – on Flickr. Click the link above to take off over a burning pile of car tyres somewhere in Paris, or here to see LEGO’s own rather larger version.

Great Combination

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This excellent creation is a John Deere S790 combine harvester, and it comes from previous bloggee damjan97PL (aka damianPLE), who has forgone motorised features, instead combining wonderful old-school Technic mechanical functionality with modern System detailing to great effect.

A series of small cogs accessible on the outside of the model operate a variety of Technic functions, including the rotating raising/lowering and removable header, which can also be connected/disconnected from the drive wheels, and working rear-wheel-steering, plus the model features a swinging discharge tube, detailed cabin, and an opening grain hopper constructed from more traditional LEGO System bricks.

There’s much more of Damian’s excellent combination of Technic and System to see at both Bricksafe and Eurobricks, where a link to building instructions can also be found, and you can head there via the links above to bring in the harvest.

Four-in-a-Fiesta

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Ford’s Fiesta might recently have (inexplicably) ceased production, but it remains one of the most popular cars on the World Rally Circuit.

Cue Zerobricks’ fantastic Technic recreation of the Fiesta WRC, based on a real car run by the Slovenian ‘GM’ racing team.

Underneath the remarkably well-replicated bodywork, Zerobrick’s creation packs in a seriously impressive remote control drivetrain, centre of which are four (yes four!) BuWizz motors, one powering each wheel. A LEGO Powered-Up L Motor operates the steering, with twin BuWizz 3.0s controlling all five motors via bluetooth.

Long-travel suspension, a transverse inline-4 engine (powered via the aforementioned BuWizz drive motors), plus opening doors, hood and rear hatch also feature, with the visual realism enhanced by superb 3D-printed wheels and custom graphics.

It’s every bit as impressive as the real Fiesta WRC car, and if you’re interested in seeing what four BuWizz motors and all-wheel-drive can do (a lot!), you can check out Zerobricks’ incredible Technic rally car at the Eurobricks forum and via the video from the official BuWizz YouTube channel below.

Technic 42174 Emirates Team New Zealand AC75 | Set Preview

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It’s new set time here at The Lego Car Blog! And this one… isn’t a car.

Boats have rarely appeared in the Technic line-up over the years, still less those that don’t have an engine. However for 2024 LEGO aren’t just returning Technic to the waves, they’re doing so using only the power of the wind. This is the brand new LEGO Technic 42174 Emirates Team New Zealand AC75!

Authentically replicating the Emirates Team New Zealand racing yacht, the new 42174 set brings the world-famous America’s Cup race to the Technic range for the first time.

Huge sails printed with the accurate sponsors including Omega, Toyota, and Emirates are among a number of never-seen-before parts and colour combinations, with just under 1,000 pieces in all making up the set.

Those sails can be controlled correctly too, thanks to accurately replicated ‘sheets’ (ropes to non-sailing people) and mechanics, plus the AC75’s cleverest trick is also faithfully recreated in Technic form; two deployable hydrofoils that extend via hand-cranked pneumatics.

A display stand, an 18+ black box, and a £105 price-tag make 42174 a set squarely aimed at adults, and if you like the way the wind is blowing you can set sail with Emirates Team New Zealand from August of this year.

In Accordance

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In accordance with the current rule that says all cars must be dreary crossovers, we don’t get the Honda Accord in TLCB’s home nation any more, instead having the choice of four equally bland SUVs. Sigh.

Back in the 2000s we did though, and this writer rather liked it, what with it being considerably more interesting than the U.S version. What the U.S did get that we didn’t however, was the V6 engine. And the Coupe. And this one is the unicorn combination of both.

Constructed by previous bloggee Mihail Rakovskiy, this fantastic Technic replica of the 8th generation Accord Coupe recreates the builder’s own 2008 example, and includes a V6 engine, manual gearbox, front-wheel-drive, working steering, all-wheel independent suspension, opening doors, hood and trunk, and adjustable seats.

It’s also, as you can see here, a rather neat looking model, accurately recreating the mid-’00s Accord Coupe’s handsome-if-anonymous exterior. Kinda like an automotive news reader.

There’s lots more of the model to see Mihail’s ‘Lego Honda Accord Coupe’ album on Flickr, and you can take a closer look at all the images via the link above. And if you’re European and wondering why the U.S gets the fun Hondas, the V6 engine and Coupe body-style have since been dropped there too. Still, at least there are half-a-dozen tedious automatic SUVs to choose from…

Not a Car

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This is our 47th ‘Not a Car’ post. By which we mean it’s the 47th post titled ‘Not a Car’ – there are thousands more posts in the archives that do not, in fact, feature cars. Because we’re crap at sticking to our brief.

Which means this is also another post where we flounder about way out of our depth, but despite our ineptitude with anything that isn’t a car, even we can see this is a spectacular build, coming from Damien Labrousse and based on a brilliant piece of concept art.

Titled ‘Shark Fighter’, Damien’s concept aircraft features some phenomenal build techniques and photo editing, and there’s more to see of his fantastic creation at his photostream, including a link to the art that inspired it. It might not be a car, but it’s one the the most intriguing vehicle designs of the year so far.