This time the phrase is more than metaphorical! Built by previous bloggee Andrea Lattanzio, this is the ‘Outhouse’, a Ford V8-powered toilet-in-a-shed based on a 1924 Ford truck, as constructed by hot rodder Bob Reisner during the bizarre novelty hot rod scene. Wooden handling and the aerodynamics of, well… an outhouse aside, this TLCB Writer is rather enamoured by the practicalities of Bob’s creation – you’d never need to use a highway services restroom again! Take a dump on the interstate via the link above!
Tag Archives: Vintage Car
Genesis
This is where it all began. Supercars, muscle cars, minivans, Tesla, drive-thus, The Fast and the Furious franchise, Magic Tree air fresheners, and the Pontiac Aztek. All trace their existence back to this, the 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen, the world’s first commercially-available motorcar.
Designed by German engineer Carl Benz, and financed by his wealthy wife, around twenty-five Patent-Motorwagens were produced, each powered by a 950cc single-cylinder four-stroke engine making between 2⁄3hp and 1.5hp. The car transported Carl’s wife Bertha and their two sons on the first ever long-distance car journey (66 miles) to raise publicity for the machine, a feat that she undertook without Carl’s knowledge or approval from the authorities. Which makes her excellent.
It worked of course, and began Benz’s journey to becoming one of the most well known companies on earth, ushering in the complete dominance of the internal-combustion-engined motorcar too, with all the planetary consequences that followed.
This lovely recreation of the motorcar’s genesis comes from Simon Pickard, who has built and presented the Benz Patent-Motorwagen beautifully in brick form. Click the link above to take a look at where it all began.
Aaoogha!
We love vintage cars here at The Lego Car Blog. Particularly ones that go ‘aaoogha!‘ Because we’re idiots.
This marvellous Ford Model T would certainly go ‘aaoogha!’ if it were real, and there’s more to see of this beautifully presented vintage motoring icon courtesy of _Tiler. Check it out at his photostream via the link.
Oh go on, one more…
That’s a Doozy
Yes, the title phrase ‘That’s a Doozy’ – used to describe something opulent, enormous or unusual – really did come from society’s reaction to the Duesenberg cars that were built from the 1920s until 1940. Which must make it the world’s first automotive meme. Take that ‘VTEC just kicked in yo’.
The largest, most powerful, and most expensive cars on the market, Duesenberg’s can today sell for over $22 million, which rather prices TLCB out of ownership. Fortunately this delightful brick-built Duesenberg SJ is rather more attainable, having been suggested to us a by a reader.
Flickr’s 1saac W. is the builder and there’s more to see of his Doozy of a build at his photostream via the link.
Anglo-French Relations
The British and French don’t often collaborate. In fact over much of their history it’s been quite the opposite, with the two countries regularly trying to blow one another up.
These days (and post-Brexit) there’s just a simmering dislike that only manifests itself in sport and stealing one another’s scallops, but despite this there have been some notable (and remarkable) collaborations between the two nations.
The longest under-sea tunnel in the world, the world’s first supersonic airliner, and Kristin Scott-Thomas are all worthy partnerships, and back in the 1930s Britain and France worked together on cars too.
This is the Bugatti Type 41 Park Ward, a luxurious grand limousine from the golden era of coach-building.
Park Ward, better known for re-bodying Rolls Royces, created this beautifully opulent vehicle upon Bugatti’s fourth Type 41 (Royale) chassis for Captain Cuthbert W. Foster, a department store heir, in 1933.
Still to this day one of the largest cars ever built, the car now resides in a museum in France, where it’s worth more than all the scallops in the English channel.
Fortunately Flickr’s 1corn has created one that – at 1:25 scale – is rather more attainable, and there’s more to see of his wonderful brick-built Bugatti Type 41 at his photostream; Click the link above to take the Channel Tunnel and fight over some marine molluscs.
Poop-Poop!
Is there any car more worthy of a Toad-of-Toad-Hall-style ‘Poop-Poop!’ exclamation than this one?
The 1928-’32 Mercedes-Benz SSK is the very definition of Gatsby-esque opulence, with this Speed Champions scale recreation by Flickr’s Pixeljunkie capturing its excess brilliantly.
Yellow bodywork, shiny bits, bonnet straps, and an over-sized Mercedes-Benz badge ensure the peasants can’t miss you, and there’s more to see at Pixel’s photostream via the link.
Click the link above for even more Poop-Poopery.
Torpedo!
This interesting grey machine is a 1928 Renault CV Torpedo, which somewhat surprisingly is a car we’ve probably all seen before, as it featured in a convoy scene from ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’. A lot of stuff blew up in that movie though, so we’d forgotten it too. Anyway, this neat Lego version comes from Owen Meschter of Flickr, and you can recreate the vintage chase scene in the desert via the link to his photostream above!
The Moody Hues
Black on black has been the default colour choice of gangsters, politicians, and vigilante crime-fighters for decades. Regular bloggee Jonathan Elliott goes back to the earlier days of moody paint schemes with this deeply black hot rod roadster, which uses just two colours; the image could be black-and-white and it’d look exactly the same. Join the gangsters, politicians and vigilantes in the dark via the link above.
A Very Disney Holiday
A Disney holiday is sure to be filled with wholesome activities, harmless japes, musical numbers, and mild antisemitism. Besides the last one you can count us in!
Suggested by a reader, Bas van Houwelingen‘s delightful creation could be straight from a Disney cartoon, with Mickey and Pluto on a caravan road trip courtesy of Goofy’s jalopy.
Bas has used some wonderfully chosen pieces to capture the cartoon high jinks, and you can join in the fun on Flickr at the link above, or alternatively click here to see how this holiday would unfold in real life. The Disney one would be better…
Packing 8*
This is a 1926 Bugatti Type 41 Packard Prototype, and it reminds us an awful lot of a particular vehicular Family Guy scene. Because we’re children.
The Type 41 was Bugatti’s first rolling chassis, fitted with a modified Packard body and a comically enormous 14.7 litre straight-eight aero engine. Which explains the Bugatti’s unfeasibly long bonnet, because when you’re packing 8 it’s rather hard to hide it.
This beautifully neat Model Team recreation of the Type 41 is the work of 1corn of Flickr, and there’s more to see of his exceedingly long package, sorry Packard-based Bugatti via the link above.
Tudor Taxi
TLCB’s historical accuracy is pretty flakey, but even we know this isn’t what Henry VIII used to get to whichever beheading event was on that week. This stupendous build is Ford Model A, nicknamed the ‘Tudor’ because it had two doors. Lots of cars probably had two doors at the time, but as 90% of all the cars on the roads were Fords, they got the ‘Tudor’ moniker. This one comes from TLCB favourite _Tiler, who has captured the late ’20s sedan wonderfully, constructing it atop a Fabuland old-timey chassis. Hail a ride in 1930’s New York via the link above!
Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby*
This splendid 1935 Austin Ruby was found by one of our Elves today, and it features more ingenious (and somewhat sketchy) building techniques than we think we’ve ever seen on one model before.
A stretched rubber band forms the grille, angles are created via the half-attachment of pieces, and the running board/rear wheel arch is attached with string!
Whilst it wouldn’t exactly pass LEGO’s requirements for robustness, the resulting model looks absolutely lovely, and there’s more to see at the photostream of Owen Meschter, who owns the mind behind it.
Click the link above and try not to knock any pieces off…
*Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-aaah. Today’s title song. Obviously.
My Other Car’s a Mustang
LEGO’s brilliant 10265 Ford Mustang set is not only a great rendition of Ford’s iconic pony car, it has provided parts for more alternate builds than any other set we’ve seen yet. From Karmann Ghias to De Tomasos, Citroens to Cybertrucks, and even other Ford Mustangs, 10265 has spawned all manner of alternative creations.
Cue Jakub Marcisz, whose simply titled ‘Classic Car’ repurposes the ’60s Ford into something rather more vintage. The model includes a detailed interior, opening doors and trunk, plus there’s working steering too, and there’s more to see of Jakub’s excellent alternate at his ‘10265 B-Model – Classic Car’ album via the link above.
Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive and Dodge
The Five ‘D’s of Dodgeball make for an appropriate title today, as this wonderful ’20s Dodge Coupe is built only from the parts found within the official LEGO Technic 42111 Dom’s Dodge Charger set.
Eurobricks’ gyenesvi has included suspension front and rear, working steering, a 6-cylinder engine, plus opening doors, hood and trunk, but hasn’t stopped there.
The real ’20s Dodge Coupe was also available as a soft top, which gyenesvi has duly created via the model’s removable roof and modular A and B-pillars, allowing for a swift conversion to the roadster variant.
We guess that makes it Dodge, Duck, Dodge, Dive and Dodge.
And that’s not all. The 42111 donor set includes some rather tasty ‘modifications’ that Dom’s Dodge Charger sported in the Fast & Furious movies, including a supercharger and nitrous kit. Said modifications can also be applied to gyenesvi’s 42111 alternate, creating an authentic looking Dodge hot rod.
Which makes it Dodge, Duck, Dodge, Dodge and Dodge.
Further details of all versions of gyenesvi’s Dodge are available at the Eurobricks forum, where a link to building instructions can also be found. Dive over via the link above!
Aaaawingadingadingadinga…
TLCB doesn’t care much for old-timey wingadinga type cars. Nor brown cars. This is both.
Despite those drawbacks though, it is wonderful, being a 1915 Saxon Model 14 from previous bloggee _Tyler, who has both built and presented his model superbly.
It’s also a car that featured in ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’ (albeit incorrectly, being as it was set in 1912), hence the moustaches and headgear as equally old-timey as the car.
See more at _Tyler’s photostream via the link above. Aaaaawingadingadingadinga….