It’s a new set day here at The Lego Car Blog, because LEGO are flying back in time to the dawn of commercial aviation with this; the brand new Icons 11378 Douglas DC-3 PAN AM Airliner!
Wearing the iconic livery of the now defunct (but curiously still trademarked) Pan American World Airways, 11378 is a fabulous homage to one of the most important aircraft ever produced, the wonderful Douglas DC-3.
First flying in the mid-1930s, the DC-3 transformed commercial aviation, and – somewhat unbeleivably – there are over a hundred still in service today.
Landing in April of this year, the new 11378 Douglas DC-3 PAN AM Airliner set is sure to add many more to that count, coming with over 1,900 pieces, a crew of four bespoke mini-figures (including a stewardess who may well nod to Kelli Garner’s character in the 2010s ‘Pan Am’ TV show), a detailed cockpit with a new printed windshield, working retractable landing gear, a brick-built display stand, and a cabin outfitted with appropriately too-small seats for any passengers to fit in them.
Marketed at ages 18+, the new Icons 11378 Douglas DC-3 PAN AM Airliner is expected to cost £199.99 / €219.99 / $219.99 when it reaches arrivals, and you’ll be able to book your ticket from April 4th.
It’s not just Dennis the Menace and old-timey scallies in the park who were armed with catapults. Because this is an Arado Ar 196, a Second World War German reconnaissance floatplane, powered by a 1,000bhp BMW radial engine, and stationed on every German capital ship during the war – from which it was launched by catapult.
This splendid recreation of the Ar 196 – and the ship-mounted catapult from which they were propelled – is the work of Flickr’s Veynom, who has captured the floatplane brilliantly in brick form. Catapult yourself over to Veynom’s photostream to take a closer look via the link in the text above.
We’ve gone all Toad-of-Toad-Hall today, courtesy of this be-goggled mini-figure and his marvellous 1931 Mercedes-Benz SSKL. Flickr’s SvenJ. owns the hands behind it, which he’s also used to stretch LEGO’s latest tyres over their vintage rims for the perfect wheel/tyre combo. There’s more to see at Sven’s photostream and you can race along the roads in the early-’30s via the link above. Poop-Poop!
Bugatti aren’t just Veyrons and Chirons. A century ago they made some of most luxurious cars in the world, including this, the excellently named Type 50 T Ventoux Coupé Superprofilé. This 7-wide example comes from previous bloggee ER0L and you can jump back to peak 1930s long-named luxury via the link above.
LEGO’s pirate treasure chest piece is normally found with, um… pirates. But not today, because it works perfectly as the boot-mounted chest of this lovely vintage Citroen by Flickr’s K P. Photographed beautifully, there’s more of K P’s model to see on Flickr. Click the link above for more booty shots.
Look at us with our lingo getting home with downies! There really is a goat in this post too, which we didn’t even know LEGO made. Apparently they’re super rare and worth a $million, and Flickr’s K P has casually got one in the back of his vintage truck. Much as we like goats, being a car blog we prefer the truck, and there’s more to see of it, its moulded fenders, meat-cleaver wing-mirrors, and headlights we can’t figure out (as well as the goat) at his photostream. Take a look via the link above.
Almost entirely known for their cars and pickups, Ford also once made aircraft. The 1930s Ford Tri-Motor was much admired, with around 200 built for civilian and military use before the Second World War.
It was also the aircraft of choice for Indiana Jones’ protagonist in ‘The Temple of Doom’ being operated by the evil Lao Che and his air freight business.
This superb render of the Tri-Motor in ‘Lao Che Air Freight’ livery comes from Robson of Flickr, who has captured the real plane and its fictional operator brilliantly.
There’s more of Robson’s wonderful creation to see on Flickr, and you can click the link above to jump back to a time when Ford made more than F-150s.
Poop poop! It’s time for a vintage car here at The Lego Car Blog. Because vintage cars are cool. This one – inspired by the classic LEGO 5920 Island Racer set – uses parts from the Speed Champions 96907 Lotus Evija plus a raft of black hoses and clips beautifully. Entitled simply ‘#50’, there’s more to see courtesy of Flickr’s atp357; click the link above for a vintage race.
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..
We’re back! With the alcohol in our blood gradually being displaced by hazy memories and regret, The Lego Car Blog Elves – imprisoned over the holidays – have been released, and are keen to recommence their hunt for the best Lego vehicles on the ‘net. By which we mean, they’re keen to earn something to eat.
One of their number was super quick off the mark, already returning to TLCB Towers with this gorgeous vintage truck diorama entitled ‘Country Roads, 1933’ by Flickr’s Nicholas Goodman. With beautiful presentation and photography matching the superb construction techniques, it’s an excellent first blog-worthy creation, and you can take the country roads home via the link above, whilst we award an Elf a well-deserved meal.
Not the Mazda Demio… Not the Mazda Demio… ‘2015 Mazda Demio’. Damnit!!
A cycle of disappointment familiar to anyone who’s played ‘Gran Turismo Sport’. However today’s ‘gift car’ is not a 2015 Mazda Demio, and is in fact rather good.
Cunningly created by previous bloggee K P and suggested to us by a reader, this neat vintage Dodge Coupe comes packaged inside its own brick-built case, aping the format commonplace with metal scale models.
A clever two-colour ‘ribbon’ wraps around the box encasing the Dodge and there’s more to see of K P’s uniquely presented creation at their photostream via the link above, plus you can click on the following links to check out our reviews of IDisplayIt and BOXXCO‘s cases for rather larger LEGO models…
From one of the most extravagant vintage cars to one of the least. This is the Austin 7, so called because it had seven horsepower, and it was one of the most popular inter-war cars on the British market.
Produced from the early 1920s until 1939, the 7 was less than half the weight of the Ford Model T and proved incredibly popular, being sold under license in France, Germany, and even in Japan (although rather less-licensed) as the first Nissan.
This lovely Town scale recreation of the 7 comes from serial bloggee _Tiler, who’s captured it beautifully. Bicycle wheels, a rubber-band grille, and some cunningly constructed cycle-wings accurately portray the tiny vintage car, and there’s more to see at _Tiler’s photostream via the link above.
We’re pretty sure not every vintage car went ‘Poop poop!’*, but we can’t help but feel all Toad-of-Toad-Hall when we see one.
This lovely Speed Champions scale example comes from previous bloggee K P of Flickr, using only simple pieces and neat presentation to wonderful effect.
Poop poop your way to K P’s photostream for this and other old-timey creations via the link above.
Despite TLCB’s home nation being the only the eightieth largest country by land area, it’s sixth for the number of sheep. Which means the scene above happens a lot.
Well, not with a vintage winga-dingary car so much, more likely with a perplexed urban-dwelling couple in a modern SUV, now questioning their choice of a weekend getaway in the countryside.
This charming scene depicting a more old-timey ruminant-based roadblock comes from Flickr’s k_pusz, and you can join the queue behind him and a heard of LEGO sheep that are resolutely refusing to move via the link above.
Here at The Lego Car Blog we are definitely petrol-heads. And electric-heads perhaps too. We like cars is what we’re trying to say.
Because of this, we prefer our cars with rear-wheel-drive and manual gearboxes, for reasons of steering feel, the ability to go sideways a bit, and other nerdy car things that normal people couldn’t care less about. Which is why front-wheel-drive matters.
Creating safer, more predictable (understeery) handling, greater interior room, and better refinement, front-wheel-drive has been the absolute norm for anything that isn’t sporty for the past four decades.
Even brands famed for their rear-wheel-drive chassis like BMW have switched to front-wheel-drive for their smaller models, after learning their customers had no idea that their 1-Series was rear-wheel-drive, or even what being rear-wheel-drive means. Sigh.
Front-wheel-drive was dabbled with in the early years of motoring, but this is the car that proved the layout, decades before it became mainstream. It is the fabulous Citroen Traction Avant.
Possessing not just front-wheel-drive, but also the first mass-produced monocoque body and early rack-and-pinion steering, the Traction Avant was so advanced it was produced for two decades, something that was needed as its development bankrupted the Citroen company in the mid 1930s.
Today the Traction Avant is seen as the father of front-wheel-drive, and therefore most new cars on sale today (even if your car is all-wheel-drive, it’s still almost always only front-driven).
It’s surprising then that the Traction Avant has only featured here twice in a decade of publishing Lego vehicles. Cue this wonderful and much overdue Technic recreation of one of the world’s most innovative cars, as built by the very talented Nico71.
Beautifully replicating the Traction Avant’s ’30s styling, Nico’s model includes a working four-cylinder engine under the split-folding hood, four opening doors and an opening trunk, working steering, and – of course – front-wheel-drive.
The complexities of front-wheel-drive mean that – much like cars before about 1980 – very few Lego models adopt it, favouring the simplicity of a rear-driven axle. Nico’s model successfully incorporates it however, and he’s released building instructions so you can see how to create front-driven Lego models for yourself.
There’s much more to see at Nico’s Brickshelf gallery, you can watch the model in action via the video below, plus you can find out how Nico creates beautifully engineered models like this one via his Master MOCers interview. Understeer your way to all the additional content via the links above.
