G.I. Joe has been the default choice for any patriotic American boy since the 1960s. This is despite him being, well… a doll, and – we suspect – boyfriend/GBFF to Barbie on the side (we’ve never seen Ken and Joe in the same room at once… just sayin’).
No matter, because when he’s not wearing a hawaiian shirt or driving a pink convertible, Ken G.I. Joe gets access to some pretty awesome stuff. Stuff like this, an articulated tank/rocket launcher device entitled the ‘Cobra Maggot’.
Built by Big Easy Bricks making their TLCB debut, the Maggot is every bit as playable as the real 1987 G.I. Joe toy, with working tracks, an accessible control room, and two rocket launcher/cannon arrangements. There’s more to see of Big Easy’s Cobra Maggot on Flickr – take a look via the link above.
The BMW 5-Series has been the bastion of European executive transport for decades. 520d’s are everywhere, usually in grey, and – despite the ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’ tagline – they could only be less interesting if they were an X5. Which many now are. Sigh.
This though, is our kind of five. The E28 was the second generation of the 5-Series, produced from 1981-’88, and it was the first to feature both a diesel engine (boo) and an ‘M’ version (woo!).
This neat Speed Champions recreation of the E28 5-Series comes from regular bloggee Jonathan Elliott and it’s instantly recognisable. Head to his photostream to see more, plus his huge back catalogue of other brilliant small-scale replicas.
Rallying was big business in the 1980s. With few rules making for wild cars, the WRC attracted as much attention as Formula 1, and Porsche wanted a piece of it, despite the unlikely suitability of their road-going products. Of course Porsche had a plan; their incredible all-wheel-drive 959, which would have been ideally placed for the WRC’s top-tier Group B once it was finished.
Unfortunately for Porsche the banning of Group B meant the 959 never got the chance to properly compete (although this did mean that the car raced in Paris-Dakar instead, becoming one of the most wonderful and weird winners in the event’s history), but before then Porsche still wanted a rally car whilst the 959 was in development. Cue the 911 with a giant wing on the back.
The 911 of the 1980s was of course only rear-wheel-drive though, meaning that the SC/RS version homologated for rallying stood very little chance against the all-wheel-drove competition in the WRC, but it was still a quick car. Switching to the lower-spec European Rally Championship proved smart, where Porsche’s stop-gap rally car was prepared by Prodrive and took several wins.
These two spectacular recreations of the Porsche 911 SC/RS come from TLCB Master MOCer Dennis Glaasker aka Bricksonwheels, who has faithfully recreated the ’80s icon in astounding detail. Each 1:14 scale model replicates a real version of the 911 rally car, with the famous Rothmans and Belga team liveries brought to life in incredible realism thanks to fellow previous bloggee JaapTechnic’s decal-producing wizardry.
Opening doors and engine covers reveal an interior and engine as beautifully recreated as the stunning exteriors, and there’s loads more to see of both 911 SC/RS models at Dennis’ ‘Porsche 911 SC/RS in Lego (1:14)’ album on Flickr. Click the link above to head to a forest in Belgium sometime in the 1980s.
The Honda Acty is not a fast car. In fact, in second generation 35bhp 550cc form, it is a very slow one. We therefore very much appreciate the mildly deranged mind of someone who decides to turn the 1980s kei van into a dragster. Cue Michael217, who has done just that, equipping his Model Team recreation of the Acty with dragster wheels, a wheelie bar, and a LEGO Buggy Motor – which explains the requirement for the first two items. Plus it’s purple.
There’s more to see of Michael’s brilliant remote control Honda Acty dragster at both Eurobricks and Bricksafe, and you can find today’s awesome title song by clicking here.
Britain has many famous TV cars. Ford Capris, Jaguar MkIIs, Volvo P1800s, and, er… the Reliant Regal Supervan. Yes, they really called it that, meaning it held the most ironic name in vehicular history until it was finally surpassed by the Mitsubishi Carisma in the late ’90s.
Flickr’s de-marco has captured the classic three-wheeled delivery van to perfection, and only the addition of ‘Trotters Independent Traders’ to the sides could make it any more cushty.
Click the link above to head to Peckham sometime in the 1980s. Lovely jubbly.
(If you have absolutely no idea what we’re on about, click here…)
If you bunk school and steal your Dad’s Ferrari 250 GT California (we’ve all been there), hoping to run the car in reverse later to take the miles off the clock, ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ taught us it doesn’t work. Even less so if you kick the car whilst it’s running so it reverses through a window and down a hillside. Your Dad will definitely notice that.
Thankfully it wasn’t a real GT California (these days a >$20million car), but a modified MGB in the scene in question, but it looked pretty good to us. As does this, x_Speed‘s recreation of both the 1960s Ferrari and the famous movie scene in which it featured. Clever techniques are in evidence throughout the build and there’s more to see of x_Speed’s Ferrari 250 GT California, Ferris Bueller, Cameron Frye, and Cameron Frye’s Dad’s garage on Flickr via the link.
Technic Supercars are not defined by the type of car they would be in the real world. Most would still be super cars of course, but some… some are little more mundane. Like a Fiat 125p for example. And we love them for this.
This heroically humdrum Technic Supercar is the work of Porsche96, who has created Fiat’s 1960s sedan in unbelievable accuracy. In fact Fiat’s regular 125 was too flashy for Porsche96, who decided to built the 125p version; the Polski-Fiat built under license by FSO in Poland until a scarcely believable 1991.
Porsche96’s recreation of the Polish peoples’ car includes all of the prerequisites to be classified as a Technic Supercar, plus a whole lot more besides. Working steering, a functioning four-cylinder engine and four-speed gearbox, and all-wheel suspension tick all the Supercar boxes, whilst remote control for the drive, steering, and even gearbox (thanks to a suite of Power Functions motors and servos, plus an SBrick and BuWizz battery) goes much further indeed.
There are opening and locking doors, an opening bonnet with a working interior release mechanism, adjustable seats, LED head and tail lights, and also fully removable bodywork.
It all adds up to Porcshe96’s Fiat 125p being one of the most accurately engineered (and brilliantly built) Technic Supercars that we’ve ever featured, even if the real world car is about as far from a super car as it is possible to be. Which somehow makes this model all the cooler.
There’s much more to see including a full build description on Eurobricks, the complete and extensive gallery of images can be found on Bricksafe, and building instructions are available via Rebrickable. Plus you watch this amazing Technic Supercar in action via the brilliant video below.
This brilliant little Technic Ferrari F40 was discovered by one of our Elves today, and it continues the run of excellent small-scale supercars being generated by the Eurobricks Small Car contest. Built by previous bloggee paave it features a wealth of functionality that you’d normally expect to find in a model much larger, including a working V8 engine, steering, pop-up headlights, and opening doors, front truck and clamshell engine cover. There’s more to see at the Eurobricks forum and you can make the jump there via the link above.
Gypsy caravans (proper ones at least) and narrow boats are famous for their beautiful paintwork. Trucks less so, with many just a generic white, however occasionally they are painted with as much care as their horse-drawn and canal-navigating counterparts. This is one example, a 1980s Scania 143M built by Bricks_n_Trucks of Flickr. Recreating the livery of Belgian transport company ‘Perditrans’, Bricks_n_Trucks’ Scania also includes remote control drive and steering via a BuWizz bluetooth battery, and there’s more to see on Flickr. Grab a paint brush at the link above.
Get ready for the most 1980s thing you’ve ever seen. OK, this is the most 1980s thing, but aside from that. Mahjqa‘s glorious remote control ’80s Porsche 911 has featured here before, and it now has the (second) most 1980s video ever made to accompany it!
Power Functions motors, LEGO’s new Control+ app, and whole heap of clever cinematography have created very probably the best Lego-related film you’ll see all year. And it has more ’80s effects than The Terminator, Tron, and Slave to the Rhythm combined…
This post’s title can be found on any number of slightly tragic birthday cards for those hitting their forth decade, but who are still drinking like they’re twenty-three. Ferrari’s 40th birthday was far classier. A present to themselves, they created this; the carbon fibre, twin turbo-charged F40, and in doing so produced one of the greatest supercars of all time.
This incredible replica of Ferrari’s fortieth birthday present is the work of ZetoVince of Flickr, who has recreated the iconic late ’80s supercar in stunning detail. Taking the wheels, but little else, from the official Creator 10248 Ferrari F40 set, Zeto has upped the realism considerably, with a huge array of ingenious building techniques used to accurately recreate the real car.
Further images of ZetoVince’s beautiful Ferrari F40 are available to view at his Flickr photostream – click the link above to make the jump and join the party.
It’s time for something rather special here at The Lego Car Blog; this is Bricksonwheels’ phenomenal Lancia Martini Historic Rally Team, formed of a a ’92 Lancia Delta Integrale Evo, an ’85 Lancia 037, and – proving Martini’s racing livery can make literally anything cool – a Fiat Ducato van, complete with tools, spares, and equipment. And each is amongst the finest examples of Lego model-making that you will ever see.
With expertly recreated liveries courtesy of fellow previous bloggee JaapTechnic, Bricksonwheel‘s creations are near perfect replicas of the stars of Lancia’s greatest era. And a Fiat van, but that’s a near perfect replica too.
Each model is built from around 2,000 pieces and includes fully detailed suspension, engine and interior, with every aspect constructed with mind-bending attention to detail.
There’s much more to see at Bricksonwheels’ Lancia Martini Historic Rally Team album on Flickr by clicking the link above, you can see the Delta Integrale’s individual appearance here at TLCB last year by clicking these words, and you can read Bricksonwheels’ interview as part of the Master Mocer Series by clicking here to learn how he creates amazing models like these.
In these times of social distancing, escaping to a campsite seems pretty tempting. Except it would likely be full of vloggers in Volkswagen Campers eating all-natural-ethnically-sourced-peace-crisps and claiming positive energy can cure Coronavirus whilst never being further than five feet from wifi.
Real wanderers forgo Instagram-friendly VW’s and #vanlife for far more practical vehicles, like this magnificent Ford Transit Mk2 camper, something this TLCB writer hasn’t seen in years but recognised immediately from this brilliant mini-figure recreation by Flickr’s November Juliett.
Hardly any Mk2 Transits have survived, because they were used hard, were never on trend, and were therefore pretty much worthless after a few years. Which makes them infinitely cooler than another $25,000 Volkswagen inhabited by people claiming they’ve given up materialism.
Head into the wilderness for some proper social distancing courtesy of November’s superb Ford Transit Camper via the link above.
Square, slow, and frankly a little odd-looking, your Mom and the Honda Motocompo scooter have much in common. Apart from size that is, as this miniature motorcycle could fit inside even the trunk of Honda’s smallest car.
Built by TLCB regular ianying616, this neat (and wonderfully presented) Model Team recreation of the Motocompo almost perfectly captures the original bike, assisted by accurate decals and a few ingenious building techniques.
Take a closer look at ianying’s ‘Honda Motocompo’ album on Flickr via the link above.
Italy, no stranger to maniacal despots itself, had a nice little business selling its old products to scumbag dictatorships in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. The most famous of these is probably the Polski-Fiat 126, built under license in Poland alongside the Italian made, and actually quite good, Fiat 126.
The two cars were almost identical in the 1970s, with the Polski version using a few lower specified components but otherwise being indistinguishable save for a little ‘p’ on badge.
The Italian-made 126 ceased production in 1980 after an eight year production run, however the Polski-Fiat version, with its Communist standard long waiting list (with Poles largely dependent upon coupons from the Government to buy one), survived for another twenty years, by which point it really was a turd.
This wonderful model of the Polski-Fiat 126 isn’t a turd at all though, being a thoroughly excellent recreation of the humble Polish peoples’ car. Built by previous bloggee Dornbi of Flickr it captures the real 126p beautifully (and is pictured above alongside an equally good communist counterpart Trabant).
Head to Poland (via Italy) sometime in the 1980s at Dornbi’s photostream by clicking on the link above.
