Tag Archives: Hemi

Little Red Wagon | Picture Special

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It’s 1965, and drag-racers Jim Schaeffer and John Collier have got their hands on a Dodge A100 ‘forward-control’ truck. The pair decided to install a 426 Hemi in the bed, and any non-essential items were removed. The resulting ‘Little Red Wagon’ was the world’s fastest 1/4 mile truck, setting an eleven second time at the first attempt. However, the modifications also tilted the weight bias rearward a bit…

The unintended consequences of this rear-biased weight distribution were a vehicle that proffered to drive only on its back wheels, and in fact the ‘Little Red Wagon’ could complete an entire 1/4 mile race without the front wheels ever touching the ground.

Such crowd-pleasing shenanigans caught the attention of Dodge, who not only used the ‘Little Red Wagon’ in commercials, they all arranged for its purchase by Super Stock Champion Bill Golden to use as the first ‘competition wheelstander’, a class it created single handedly.

Of course having your front wheels in the air limited steering somewhat, and the ‘Little Red Wagon’ crashed in 1969. And 1971. And 1975. That last wreck took the truck out of service, and Golden converted a new truck to continue his wheel standing antics, setting the Guinness World Record for the longest (at nearly 3/4 of a mile!) in 1977 and racing it until his retirement in 2003.

Today a recreation of the ‘Little Red Wagon’ tours alongside the wrecked original, whilst Golden’s own replacement wheel standing truck sold for over $500,000 in 2009.

Flickr’s Brick Flag, who is fast becoming one of our favourite builders here at TLCB, has converted his own Dodge A100 model into a ‘Little Red Wagon’ wheelstander, with his spectacular Model Team version amalgamating the different versions of the real truck that were built over the years.

Superb design, detailing, and decals are evident in abundance and there’s heaps more to see at Brick’s ’60s Dodge Little Red Wagon’ album on Flickr. Click the link above to head down the drag strip on just your back wheels, and here to see the real ‘Little Red Wagon’ in action courtesy of a glorious period video!

Muscle Car Double

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Lego Plymouth Hemi Cuda

Founded in the late 1920s, mis-managed into administration, and then closed down in the last decade or so, Plymouth and Pontiac are best known in recent times as victims of the Big Three’s sorry tale of arrogance, greed and incompetence.

But before all that there were some good times. Really good times. In the late-’60s to early-’70s the muscle car was in a golden age, and both Plymouth and Pontiac were riding the crest of that wave.

Plymouth’s Barracuda (above) launched in the mid-’60s with a range of engines beginning at just 100bhp, yet by 1970 it was making up to 425bhp from an enormous Hemi V8. Unfortunately 425bhp didn’t sit really suit the market once the oil crisis hit in 1973, and production ended shortly afterwards, but if anything that short life has helped the ‘Cuda become one of most sought-after muscle cars in history.

General Motors were also in on the muscle car action in the 1960s, bringing – via their Pontiac brand – the GTO (below) to market in ’64. By the 1970s they too were making over 400bhp, with stock cars delivering 13.4 second 1/4 miles times straight from the forecourt. Like Plymouth the oil crisis put an end to that, but in its hay-day the Pontiac GTO sold almost 100,000 units annually, despite its slow steering and ‘amazingly inadequate’ brakes. The roads must have been a fun (if slightly terrifying) place!

Lego Pontiac GTO

The two superb Speed Champions versions of the Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda and Pontiac GTO pictured here are the work of Thomas Gion, who has faithfully recreated both cars in just 6-studs of width, capturing the styling cues of each brilliantly.

Today both brands are gone, but the legendary cars they created in the 1960s and ’70s mean they won’t be forgotten for some time yet.

Dodge Challenger R/T – Picture Special

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Lego Dodge Challenger R/T

Launched in 1970 the Dodge Challenger was the Chrysler Corporation’s answer to the Ford’s Mustang and General Motors’ Camaro. To compete with the wide variety of models available from Ford the Challenger could be specified in a myriad of engine and trim options, from a 3.4 litre slant-6 making about 4bhp to the monstrous 7 litre and 7.2 litre Hemi and RB V8s. You can guess which end of this scale we have represented here today!

Lego Dodge Challenger R/T

The original Challenger only lasted a few short years, arriving very late to the muscle car party when most people were already passed out or staggering home. The fuel crisis of the 1970s didn’t help much either and the Challenger was gone by 1974. Despite its short lifespan though, original Challengers are seriously sought-after, and the design made enough of a lasting impression for Chrysler to resurrect it with a retro-styled reboot in 2008, a car which is still available today.

Lego Dodge Challenger Hemi V8

This absolutely spectacular 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T (with the big V8) comes from previous bloggee Dave Slater who has captured the real car beautifully in Model Team form. Opening doors reveal a wonderfully detailed interior, whilst the iconic hood can raise to reveal a stunning (and very orange) replica of the 426 Hemi V8 underneath.

There are lots more brilliant images to see at Dave’s Dodge Challenger R/T Flickr album – click the link above, find an empty and dead-straight road, and nail the throttle.

Lego Dodge Challenger R/T