Tag Archives: Antique Cars

Motoring through the ages with Peter Blackert

When LEGO car builders come to mind, Peter Blackert is probably one of the most prolific. Over the past few years, Peter has churned out dozens of high-quality LEGO cars, and it isn’t unusual to see him share four or five new builds in a given week. Peter is well-qualified to be making brick-built cars because he works as an engineer for Ford Motor Company. Last year also witnessed the publication of his book, How to Build Brick Cars. Peter renders his digital models using POV-Ray, and his portfolio of LEGO cars is rich and diverse, consisting of a wide range of makes spanning over 100 years of production. Having looked through his models, we have decided to pick a car for each decade spanning the early 1900s through the 1960s. They look nice individually but, when grouped together, they help tell a story of the motor industry.

1900s – Curved Dash Oldsmobile:

At the turn of the Century, automotive design was still heavily influenced by horse-drawn transportation. This period also represented a mechanical gold rush, with tons of individuals and organizations attempting to make their mark on the industry. One of the most important contributions to the industry during this period was the assembly line, which allowed for cost-cutting mass production. Credit for this development is often given to Henry Ford and the Model T, but the Curved Dash Oldsmobile was America’s first mass production car. Peter’s version of the Curved Dash looks faithful to the original and looks wonderful with its top up or down.

See more of Peter’s amazing vintage automobiles

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These classic hot rods are totally tubular

Throughout America, a trip to the beach can often go hand-in-hand with a classic car show. People love the warm summer sun, the smell of the surf, and feeling the breeze blowing through their hair as they drive down coastal roadways. Taking this as inspiration, Norton74 has created a beautiful beach setting for two equally gorgeous hot rods. Early Fords are popular with hot rod enthusiasts, which is probably why Norton74 went with modified versions of a 1930s Ford V8 (left) and 1920s Model T (right). Thanks to the combination of curves and exposed engine details, the cars look both sophisticated and mean. They’re like the classic bad boy with the soft heart. A sign warns surfers to watch out for sharks, but I would probably be more worried about that sand washing up on the tile-built boardwalk. Scratch attack!

Simply Citroën

Back in 1947, French automaker Citroën debuted its H panel van. At the time, it was one of the wildest looking commercial vehicles on the market thanks to its sharp angle-laden front end. Rendering this detail in LEGO bricks would seem quite daunting, but OutBricks has managed to pulled it off (and in minifigure scale, no less). His version features the iconic corrugated body, and the front end has been cleverly emulated through the use of 4×2 wedge plates positioned in unusual angles. Meanwhile, minifigure ice skates are tilted to form the Citroën emblem.

What makes OutBricks’ build all the more impressive is that he has included working doors. There’s a side-mounted sliding door and tri-folding doors at the rear. Believe it or not, that’s how they open on the real vehicle.

His H1 even sports working suicide doors, a term used for doors hinged at the rear. Opening it reveals an upholstered interior. No expense has been spared!

Birkin’s mean green Bentley machine

When it comes to British antique cars, Sir Henry Birkin’s 1930 4 1/2 litre Bentley is perhaps one of the most iconic. Birkin’s car was known as the Blower, owing its name to that of the supercharged racing engine which was designed with the help of a former Bentley mechanic. The car has been portrayed through countless forms, from scale model kits to Matchbox cars and now, thanks to Bricksonwheels, a beautiful-looking LEGO model. Bricksonwheels has managed to pull off an amazingly accurate representation, with plenty of key details inside and out.

See more of this gorgeous vintage vehicle

Speed through the turns in this beautiful Bugatti

Pixeljunkie is back on the scene, turning once again to the pages of automotive history. You might remember us sharing his 1955 Buick squad car and luxurious 1930s convertible. This time, he brings us a French racing legend in the form of the 1928 Bugatti Type 37A. Back then the competition for consumers was fierce, and touting a car’s racing performance was used as a means of advertising. We have to give Pixeljunkie the Golden Cup for this one because it is every bit as epic as the car it is based on. The lovely blue and white color scheme, the shiny trim, the little windshield…I love it all.

Despite his ongoing thirst for speed, Pixeljunkie has since taken time out of his schedule to recreate a scene from the 1929 Monaco Grand Prix. There’s even a cameraman ready to photograph the fantastic finish!

Now that you are caught up on Bugatti’s heritage, what not race on over to our review of the cutting-edge Chiron?

Weddings and LEGO bricks are a match made in heaven

A marriage signifies two people coming together to build a shared future, and what better metaphor than building that future with LEGO bricks! After the rings and vows have been exchanged, it’s time for the couple to drive off into the sunset. Why not end the momentous occasion by getting behind the wheel of a luxurious antique car made by Pixeljunkie?

Pixeljunkie has made some wonderful cars in the past, but this one is probably my favorite. Elegant curves, custom chromed elements, and the white body feel inspired by a classic Rolls-Royce. For me, the icing on the cake includes the whitewall tires, velvet red interior upholstery, and the bugle elements as car horns. You can almost hear them let out a piercing “Ahoogah!”

In the West, the process of getting married is sometimes known as “getting hitched.” In Pixeljunkie’s case, his minfig couple and car are both getting hitched. In this case, it is the car getting hitched to a cute little trailer. Sounds like the honeymoon consists of some serious camping. Thankfully, the bride’s veil probably also doubles as a mosquito net.

Roar into the “Twenties” with this sporty Hungarian coupe

Thanks to Chris Elliot, the 1927 Csikós Bismuth Sport Coupé comes to life in LEGO-form! What’s that you’re saying? You’ve never heard of a car company called Csikós? There is a reason for that…It never existed! Now that we know Chris’ car was a work of fiction, how did he come to design and name it? Stylistically, Chris drew inspiration from a few real-life automobiles including including a prewar Bugatti (sharing a color scheme with the new LEGO Technic Bugatti Chiron.

See more of this lovely vintage coupe

An Italian classic that isn’t a Ferrari

When it comes to cars, Italy has a well-established pedigree. You may have heard of Fiat and Ferrari, but have you heard of Lancia? If not, let Lukasz Libuszewski educate you with his classy-looking 1922 Lancia Lambda. When it was introduced the Lambda was truly ahead of its time, in part because of its unibody construction and independent front suspension.

Lukasz’s version is a marvel of minifigure-scale engineering, as he has managed to capture elegant curves and angles in such a small model. The stacked wedge plates make for excellent hood louvers (the slotted design that helps ventilate the engine), and the minifig hands make for nice side mirrors. Hop on in and drive away!

1957 Ford Taunus 17M P2 deLuxe by mijasper

Most of the LEGO models by Michael Jasper (mijasper) that we’ve featured here over the years have highlighted minifigs with perfectly scaled tools, furniture, and other brick-built accessories — every one featuring Michael’s brilliant parts usage (far and above merely “nice“). It’s still wonderful to see Michael build something a bit bigger, if only just. This model of a 1957 Ford Taunus certainly doesn’t suffer from immensity, but Michael still manages to pack it full of detail.

The black-and-white color scheme on the car contrasts beautifully with the elderly minifig Michael has included for scale. Of course, no model he builds would be free of NPU — note the brackets in the wheel well and tan windows as seat backs inside the car.

4×4

Michael Jasper (mijasper) has long had a much deserved reputation as the king of all things tiny. These tiny four-wide Chevys are actually bigger than his usual work and are exceptionally good. Proof that you don’t need to build big to build well.