Hope, magic, and more than a little ingenuity. The Lego Car Blog staff have built a great many things, but none have deployed antenna ball-joints as fenders. There’s so much going on in 1saac W.‘s Volkswagen Beetle there is genuine bafflement here at TLCB Towers as to how it all holds together. Join us trying in vain to figure it out at 1saac’s photostream via the link above.
It’s time for a truck here at The Lego Car Blog, and today’s is something rather special. Created by previous bloggee Michael Kulakov / Michael217, this gorgeous ZIL 130 captures one of the workhorses of the Soviet Union spectacularly in LEGO bricks. Plus a few items that aren’t strictly LEGO…
Powered by a mix of genuine LEGO motors and third-party electronics, Michael’s model can drive, steer, and change between high and low gear ratios remotely, and also features a working V8 engine under the raising hood, opening cab doors, a mechanically locking trailer hitch, plus all wheel suspension.
Those wheels are non-LEGO parts, beautifully replicating real truck rims from the period via 3D printing, and are shod in RC tyres. The steering arms too are 3D-printed, and include metal inserts, which – along with some metal driveshaft components – toughen the drivetrain to handle the remote control system.
The rest of the build, including that wonderful bodywork, engine bay and interior, is all LEGO, and demonstrates superb attention to detail. Over a dozen perfectly presented images are available to view at Michael’s ‘ZIl 130’ Flickr album, plus you can find full build details, further links, and a video of the model in action at the Eurobricks discussion forum.
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.
After pondering the deliciousness of animals in today’s other post we promised a vehicle for vegans, and they don’t get more vegany than a Volkswagen Camper!
This tremendous Technic example comes from Flickr’s Darren Thew, who has not only recreated the ‘60s exterior beautifully, there’s a fully fitted interior inside the opening doors complete with furniture, a folding bed, and a kitchen for making, um… lentils? We’re not sure what vegans cook, but whatever it is they can do it here!
There’s lots more of Darren’s split-screen VW to see at his photostream, and you can enjoy eat a delicious healthy van-based meal via the link above.
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.
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.
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.
It’s 1969, career criminal Charlie Croker is out of prison, and he’s just learned that his friend has been murdered by the mafia whilst planning a $4 million gold heist. Charlie decides to continue the job left by his departed fellow thief, breaking back into prison to enlist the help of crime lord Mr. Bridger before heading to Italy with a convoy of fast cars, a converted coach, a minibus, a Land Rover, and three Mini Coopers.
What follows is the greatest movie car chase of them all, with the definitive cliff-hanger ending, and the vehicles from which Flickr’s FifthPixel has recreated brilliantly in brick!
His adapted Bedford VAL Harrington Legionnaire coach, Land Rover Series 2A Safari, and – the target of the whole operation – OM Furganato Sicurezza Bullion van beautifully encapsulate the period motors from the movie, plus he’s constructed the Ford Thames 400E minibus, Alfa Romeo Guilia police cars, and construction machinery used by the mafia to dispatch their foes too.
You can find FifthPixel’s entire ‘The Italian Job’ vehicular cast at their photostream; take a look via the link above plus you can click here for a few snippets from the film’s wonderful chase sequence.
The Triumph 2000-series was, like so many British cars of the time, fantastic. Beautifully styled by Michelotti, powered by a range of smooth 6-cylinder engines, and with over 400,000 built in five countries, it was one of the finest mid-sized saloons of its era.
Which of course meant that British Leyland would go on screw it – and all of Triumph – up, as exemplified by the fact that its predecessor was a Standard and its successor a Rover. And if that makes no sense… you’re right, it doesn’t.
But let’s not get bogged down in the collapse of the British automotive industry, because back in the late-’60s and early-’70s it was still riding high, with the Triumph 2000-series a big part of that success.
This one is a 2500S estate, as superbly recreated in digital form by Lego Professional Peter Blackert (aka lego911). Alongside the excellent exterior the doors, tailgate and hood all open and there’s a detailed engine and interior too, with more to see of Peter’s virtual Triumph at his photostream. Take a look via the link whilst we fantasise about buying the real thing…
At the time of writing, everything BMW makes (and it’s a rather long list) is a very expensive, very heavy, overly powerful, visual assault. BMW’s tagline might still be “The Ultimate Driving Machine”, but their cars sure aren’t.
Which is why today we’re travelling back to the late-’60s to early-’70s, when BMW made joyous cars such as this, the fantastic 02-Series.
This one is a two-door 2002, being powered by BMW’s then-new ‘M10’ engine making between 100 and 120bhp. It was a peach of an engine too, becoming one of the first to offer fuel injection and turbocharging, and in production for a quarter of a century. It was also developed into BMW’s 1980s F1 engine, making an unbelievable 1,400bhp in qualifying trim…
But back the 2002, and this lovely Speed Champions scale example comes from The G Brix of Flickr, who’s captured the sporty compact sedan beautifully in brick form. There’s more to see at G’s photostream, and you can jump back to when BMW did indeed make “The Ultimate Driving Machine” (and not whatever this is supposed to be) via the link above.
LEGO have released a wonderful array of Icons vehicles to date. And the Transformers Bumblebee. But this is the coolest. Because it’s a Cobra.
Constructed from 1,241 pieces, the brand new Lego Icons 10357 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C brings one of the most famous Anglo-American collaborations to the Icons range, at it looks excellent.
Opening doors, hood and trunk, working steering, a fully kitted toolbox, and the Shelby’s iconic twin stripes (courtesy of some stickerage) all feature, as does a detailed replica of the huge Ford V8 that Shelby squeezed under the hood of the little AC Ace in the 1960s to create the Cobra.
Priced around £140 / $160, 10357 is surely going to be one of – perhaps the – most popular Icons sets yet, and you’ll be able to get your hands on it from July 1st. Alternatively, if you fancy turning one of your existing sets into Shelby’s monstrous ’60s sports car, take a look here.
LEGO do not make enough types of windscreen. A million types of curved bows, lift-arms, and foliage yes. Windscreens, no.
So regular bloggee _Tiler has flipped a standard 6-wide clear screen 270° to make it fit his wonderful ’64 Chevrolet Impala Convertible.
Ingenious building techniques and/or magic hold it in place, and you can see more of _Tiler’s brilliant solution to LEGO’s chronic windscreen shortage on Flickr via the link above.
It continues to be Star Wars Day, and this time we’re taking it seriously. What? This is a speeder bike. Kinda. Flickr’s Tim Goddard as built this most Italian of scenes, with a gorgeous Vespa scooter parked outside a pretty cafe. Pop in for a cappuccino at the link above.
There aren’t many car we’d trade an Aston Martin DB5 for, but this is one of them. Particularly today, as we’re swapping the DB5 from LEGO’s Creator 10262 ‘Goldfinger’ set, which is gloriously playable, but also slightly tragic to look at…
Built only using the parts from the 10262 set, Flickr’s Nathanael Kuipers (aka NKubate) has recreated the magical Mercedes-Benz 300SL ‘Gullwing’, and it looks, well… quite a lot better than LEGO’s attempt at that iconic Aston Martin.
Admittedly Nathanael’s creation does forgo 10262’s gadgets, but rarely does an alternate look better than its parts source, and that’s certainly the case here.
Building instructions are available and there’s more of the Mercedes to see at Nathanael’s photostream. Click the link above to switch your Goldfinger for a Gullwing, or this bonus link to find out more about the builder behind it.
Reminiscent of the 1960s ’round-bonnet’ Mercedes-Benz trucks still in use all over the developing world, this lovely classic drop-side truck was discovered by one of our Elves today, and it comes from previous bloggee LegoMarat, who has built and photographed it superbly.
Equipped with opening cab doors, front and rear suspension, opening drop-sides, and fully remote controlled drive and steering, Marat’s model is one of our favourites of the year so far, and you can take a look at all of the images on Flickr via the link above.
*Today’s title song. ‘Cause we’re from the hood.