Five Things: the best classic cars (you can build from Lego)

Monday, 19 April 2021

Lego might be an all-time classic toy, but did you know it is also a great time-waster for the classic car enthusiast?

There are some absolutely brilliant classic car Lego sets around, and today we look at the five of our favourites.

Ford Mustang

This brilliant brick version of a 1967 Mustang GT is fantastic for two reasons: firstly, not having much in the way of rounded curves means it translates awesomely well into Lego form and, secondly, you can build it in either stock standard form or modify it into mad muscle car form with side pipes, a jacked rear end, a spoiler kit and a big blower poking through the bonnet.

**READ MORE:

* Iconic Mustang GT gets blocky with Lego

* Five Things: significant EVs over the course of history

* Two reasons why a two-wheel drive Porsche 911 is everything you need

* Think the new Mini is too big? You're wrong.

**

The detail is superb, with a fittingly beige interior, a big 390 hi-performance V8 under the bonnet and, if you go the modded route, a nitrous tank in the boot!

Fiat 500

Rounded off classics rarely translate well into the squarer lines afforded by plastic bricks, but Lego has done a masterful job of recreating the adorable Fiat 500’s curvy charm here.

Lego has gone the full top-spec Euro touring mode with its 500, which comes complete with a folding canvas roof and a suitcase mounted on the rear engine cover, complete with painting supplies and a tiny painting of the 500 in front of the Colosseum on an easel.

Of course, there is also a spare wheel in the frunk (an integral part of the 500’s crash protection…) and a tiny two-cylinder engine in the rear.

Mini Cooper

Another small classic that translates brilliantly well into Lego form, this particular Mini is a later model MkVII – the last of the original Minis that was built between 1996 and 2000 under BMW ownership.

As such, the Lego Mini features that fatter wheel arches and plusher interior of the later Minis, as well as a tiny version of the 1275cc engine under the bonnet. The interior looks about as cramped as a full-size Mini, but there is a complete picnic set in the boot, including a hamper, blanket and what we assume is a bottle of gin, because the door pockets in the original were designed by Alec Issigonis to accommodate a bottle of Gordon’s gin, after all…

Porsche 911 Turbo/Targa

The latest classic offering from the Danish company, the Porsche 911 is a curvy car that works surprisingly well in Lego form.

As far as features go it has pretty much the standard lego stuff of a moveable steering wheel, gear shifter and hand brake, as well as adjustable seats and a nicely detailed flat-six boxer engine tucked in the rear.

But the absolute best feature of the Lego 911 is the fact that you can build it in either 930 Turbo form (complete with a huge whale tail and fat rear guards) or Targa form (complete with the big glass rear window, flat guards and removable roof panel). Which obviously means you need to buy two…

Cadillac Miller Meteor

This is easily the biggest and most detailed kit on this list, but it is also the only one that is a movie car – the kit is actually of Ecto-1, the Ghostbusters’ car from the forthcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife movie.

As such, it is a rusted up version of the original, but if you leave the rust decals off and don’t put all the ghost busting gear inside or on the roof, you will have a thoroughly wonderful Lego version of the classic 1959 Cadillac fitted with the custom Miller Meteor ambulance/hearse body.

Again, you know this just demands you buy two of them…