Clearing Up

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We’re back after a short Easter break, celebrating the story of things seemingly irreparably broken, being eternally fixed.

On to today’s creation, and one part of humanity is always working to tidy up the mess of another. From people chucking their litter out of the car window – because they’re scumbags, to those laying mines that maim children decades later – because they’re scumbags (the mine layers, not the children), there is a perpetual subset of society intent on breaking the world. Likely because their souls, too, are broken, and they need the world to reflect it.

Fortunately given enough people, will, and time, things can always be repaired. Cue recent bloggee Tino Poutiainen, and this magnificent ordinance disposal robot, working to remove the mess of generations past.

With classic printed parts, slender arms, and an array of sensors, there’s more of Tino’s fantastic mech to see at his photostream. Take a closer look via the link above, whilst below are some secret links to a few of the heroes who are, right now, tidying up the mess left behind by others.

Land, Sea, Soul

Saving Fuel

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Streamlining is rather de-rigueur at present. In the world of electrification, eking every last mile of range – when recharging is a royal pain in the socket (sorry EVangelists, but it is) – is of the utmost importance.

Proving that fashion is always circular, some seventy years ago streamlining was also the height of vehicular design. The ‘jet age’ of 1950s saw super-smooth almost art-deco like shapes because… well, it was cool.

Cue Andrew Tate (no, not that one) and this gorgeous Octan fuel tanker streamliner, shown paused in the desert as the driver takes a break. 1950s aerodynamics were a bit ropey, so we’re not sure the designs of the time actually generated increased efficiency, but they looked so good.

There’s more to see of Andrew’s streamlined truck on Flickr, and you can make the jump to the cutting-edge aerodynamics of the ’50s via the link above.

Wheeled Propaganda

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Formula 1 today seems to largely be an advert for crypto currency. Which is dodgy. But not as dodgy as it was in the 1930s, when Grand Prix racing was propaganda for naziism.

Yes, much like the Football World Cup, Olympics, and LIV Golf are used by various human-rights trampling regimes today, Hitler distracted the world – with huge success – through the display of Germany’s sporting and technological might. A triumphant 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin were followed by various state-sponsored Grand Prix winners – nicknamed the ‘Silver Arrows’ – from Mercedes-Benz and the company that would eventually become Audi; Auto Union.

Powered by a monstrous and innovatively mid-mounted supercharged V16 engine, the Auto Union Type C won basically everything in 1936, and the Nazis used this success to continue convincing the German people (and the rest of the world) that they were alright really.

Previous bloggee [Maks] has captured Hitler’s ‘sports-washing’ beautifully, with this wonderful scene depicting the Auto Union Type C taking a starring role in one of many expertly-produced Nazi propaganda films.

By the late-’30s of course, the Nazis’ engineering prowess was being used rather differently, and world realised that Hitler may not have been completely honest about his intentions in films such as the one being shot here. Still, at least the world learned, and hasn’t made that mistake since*…

There’s more to see of [Maks] brick-built homage to one of the Nazis finest achievements via his photostream; click the link above above to jump back to Germany in 1936. Just don’t believe everything you see..

*Except here. And here. And here. And all of this.

Retro Racer

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Formula 1 is, these days, quite fantatsically uniform. Restrictive regulations aimed at creating closer racing have stifled the freedom to innovate, and thus nineteen of the world’s best racing drivers – plus Lance Stroll – tend to circulate (albeit closely) in near-identical cars in whatever order they started in.

However in the 1970s thing were rather different. Formula 1 cars looked like this. Or this. Or this. And none were driven by Lance Stroll. Cue Tino Poutiainen‘s ‘Kingston ’73’, which is – technically – not a real 1970s Formula 1 car. But it could be. And for that it’s magnificent.

You can take a look at Tino’s brilliant not-actually-a-Formula-1-car via the link above. It’s much more interesting than watching Max Verstappen having another ‘very lovely’ day at the office, whilst eighteen of the world’s best racing drivers – plus Lance Stroll – finish the race behind him in whatever order they started in.

Easter Egg Hunt

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We’re not sure how The Lego Car Blog Elves recreate (although we have ideas…), but recreate they must do, because despite the loses to dogs, seagulls, and one-another, we always seem to have around the same number. This means there is always a proportion of newer ones that are not yet office-trained, but that’s OK, they’re confined to their cage-room at night.

Except when someone [shoots daggers across the office at our intern], doesn’t lock their door. Thus now there are little Easter Eggs laid around the building, and we have to go on the most depressing of Easter Egg Hunts.

Luckily however, one of the older Elves discovered a creation that can help us, this spectacular – and utterly enormous – fully remote controlled Liebherr R964 tracked excavator.

Constructed by Master MOCer Dennis Bosman (aka legotrucks), this gargantuan creation is not only a perfect 1:17 visual replica of the 75 ton machine, it moves like the real thing too, with a suite of Control+ electronics hidden inside to recreate the movement of the tracks, superstructure, and the massive bucket-arm.

Of course being primarily a truck-builder, Dennis’s Liebherr R964C is transported on an equally brilliant Scania T143 truck and a huge low-loader trailer, each wearing the livery of the British transport firm H.C. Wilson.

It’s a monumental combination, measuring 175cm in length, and presented beautifully via nearly thirty stunning photos at Dennis’ ‘Liebherr R964C’ album on Flickr. Click on the link above to take a closer look at one of the most impressive vehicular creations you’ll see this year, whilst we use it to find, and dispose of, some Elven ‘Easter Eggs’…

Insert Midlife Crisis

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This site may have, on occasion, mocked Corvette and muscle car owners. However here in Europe we’re no better, because once a man reaches a certain age – and/or his hairline passes a certain point – he’s almost legally obliged to buy a Porsche Boxster.

This writer is closer to that point than he’d like to admit, but as he has not the funds for Porsche’s entry-level sports car, this will have to do instead.

Built by TLCB Master MOCer Thirdwigg, this brilliant brick-built Boxster (or 718 as they are now called) features a flat-six engine, working steering, opening doors and front/rear trunks, and it includes a working convertible top, for that authentic wind-in-the-thinning-hair experience.

Constructed in an appropriately midlife crisis colour, building instructions are available, and you can join us wondering if buying a Boxster would make us cool again* by clicking here.

*(It won’t. Ed.)

My Other Truck’s Also in Space

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LEGO’s new for 2024 Spacey Technic range is the mash-up we never thought we needed! It also features some superb new parts, which TLCB Master MOCer Nico71 has put to wonderful use though his brilliant 42180 B-Model.

Entitled ‘Space Garbage Truck’, Nico has redeployed the pieces from the official LEGO set to create a vehicle we hope mankind will have surpassed the need for when we’re inhabiting other planets… but seeing as our brightest minds are still creating such catastrophes as the disposable vape, perhaps that hope is misplaced.

Thus should space need clearing of mankind’s crap (It will. Ed.), Nico’s 42180 alternate has the answer. With a clever mechanically operated front-mounted grab, ingenious six-wheel steering, and a winch-based rear compactor mechanism, Nico’s ‘Space Garbage Truck’ is on hand to remove all the space-based detritus that will inevitably follow humanity wherever it goes in the cosmos.

Building instructions are available and there’s much more of Nico’s 42180 B-Model to see via his Brickshelf gallery. Click here to take a closer look, the second link above to check out Nico’s Master MOCer interview here at The Lego Car Blog, and finally you can watch his latest creation in action via the video below.

YouTube Video

Outta My Way, Pencil Neck!

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Benny the Cab may not have been drawn like Jessica Rabbit, but he still got some glorious lines of dialogue!

The 1988 masterpiece ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ remains an icon of cinema, and is fondly remembered by Flickr’s Johan Hendrix, who today makes his TLCB debut having applied his LEGO bricks to the movie’s exceptional pencil-work.

Benny the Cab and Roger Rabbit are wonderfully recreated in brick form, and you can jump into a cartooned 1947 Los Angeles via the link above!

Speeding By

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TLCB Staff may not know much about sci-fi, speeder bikes, or beautifully built trees, but they can still be enthralled by them despite their ignorance. Cue SweStar‘s gorgeous speeder bike vignette, titled simply ‘Tree’, and featuring a wonderfully constructed contraption hovering over the surface of the water. There’s more of the creation to see at SweStar’s photostream, and you can take a look via the link in the text above, even if you know as little about sci-fi as we do.

Sweet Truck

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This delightful DAF FAS 2600 truck was found by one of our Elves today, and it comes complete with an equally satisfying drawbar trailer. The work of serial-bloggee Arian Janssens, this beautifully detailed classic combo was used to transport sugar beet, and there’s more to see of his confectionary carrying creation on Flickr. Click the link above for a taste, whilst we award the Elf that found it with an appropriately sweet treat.

Stow-on-the-Wold Avoiding Chipping Norton

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Running from Burford to near Worcester, the A424 is a main north/south road in the Cotswolds, passing through the pretty Norman town of Stow-on-the-Wold whilst avoiding the busy conurbation of Chipping Norton. It’s also a 2024 Le Mans endurance racer. But back to road, an… Oh, you’d prefer the car? Um, ok… bit weird, but alright.

This is the Alpine A424. Which is not a road. It is instead rebranded-Renault’s 2024 offensive into the burgeoning Le Mans Hypercar class, using an Oreca chassis and Mecachrome V6 engine from Formula 2, but featuring lots of ‘Alpine’ decals.

This superb Speed Champions replica of the road between Burford and Worcester 2024 Le Mans Hypercar comes from SFH_Bricks, who adds it to his ever-growing list of endurance racers. Building instructions are available (as are the excellent custom stickers), and you can drive to Worcester via Stow-on-the-Wold via the link above.

Black Box

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Previous bloggee 3D supercarBricks doesn’t just build, well… supercars. No, he also builds mediocre European hatchbacks, such as this 2010s Opel/Vauxhall Corsa. The model includes a detailed engine, opening everything, and is enhanced by his trademark 3D-printed parts (in this case the door window frames and wheels). Take a look at 3D’s photostream via the link above, where more exotic vehicles are also available.

Pew! Pew! Kablamo!

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Or alternatively – because this is taking place in the vacuum of space – silence… But we suspect even there you’ll still be able to hear appalling George Lucas movie dialogue.

Anyway, this nerdiest-of-all-scenes comes from Flickr’s Tim Goddard, and there’s more to see of his delightfully explody TIE Fighter and the X-Wing wot did it at his photostream. Nerd-out via the link above.

Steamy Erection

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A long time ago it wasn’t diesel, electricity, or gasoline that powered humanity’s vehicles, but steam. Very heavy, with minimal range and requiring regular impractical refuelling, steam-powered vehicles were nevertheless immensely powerful – far more so than those powered by other fuels – and thus they were the engines of choice for heavy duty applications, even as all other vehicle types moved on.

This is one such steam vehicle, Nikolaus Löwe‘s fabulous Fowler traction engine, here outfitted with a working crane. Connected to the tractor-part via a wonderfully complicated-looking arrangement of ratchets and gears, Nikolaus’ creation harks back to an era of coal, soot, noise, and perhaps a little magic.

Get steamy at Nikolaus’ photostream via the link above, whilst we ponder if today’s electric fuel of choice – being very heavy, with minimal range and requiring regular impractical refuelling, but nevertheless immensely powerful – really marks a century’s worth of progress from when this was trundling down the roads.

Russian Winter

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It’s the day after the conclusion of the Russian Presidential Election, in which the highest voter turn-out in history awarded incumbent Vladimir Putin an amazing 204% of the vote, securing him a record-breaking fifth consecutive term in office.

But as bad as Russia is at elections, it’s as good at off-road trucks.

State-backed Kamaz – previously part-owned by Daimler (before the Ukrainian unpleasantness), and also part-owned by a close personal friend of the newly re-elected president – produce arguably the best off-road trucks in the world, and today’s is awesome even by Kamaz’s lofty standards.

Built by previous bloggee mpj, this spectacularly cool Kamaz 8×8 Arctic Truck is roughly mini-figure* scale replica of the real eight-wheel-drive, centre-articulated behemoth.

Featuring that 8×8 drive system and articulated steering, plus pendular suspension, a tipping bed, and a working folding crane, it’s a fantastic Technic creation, and you can check it out in full at the Eurobricks forum, where an image of the real Kamaz Arctic Truck can also be found.

Click the link above to jump into the Russian Winter, as the country celebrates another six years.

*Yes, the real truck is that big!