Tag Archives: Martin Redfern

This tug is very uplifting

This McQue-inspired salvage tug by Martin Redfern is a plucky little workhorse on its way back to the yard with a fresh haul of parts. One of the reasons I find the floating boats and other vehicles from Ian McQue’s concept art so interesting is that they seemingly float out of the sea and defy gravity without any explanation. It’s as if these worlds simply don’t have the same laws of physics as our own.

Flying Tug Boat ( Inspired by Ian McQue )

If this theme looks familiar, we recently featured another of Martin’s floating vehicles inspired by the same source.

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A truck that puts the “up” in pickup

This fanciful LEGO creation by Martin Redfern was inspired by the concept art of Ian McQue. I like how the front hook seems to be holding the truck aloft (although the delightful greebles in the back are more likely culprits for the vehicle’s propulsion system). The grays and browns give this build a lived-in vibe, but they are nicely balanced by the vibrant red.

Flying Pick Up ( Inspired by Ian McQue )

Originally built in 2016, this model was one of the inaugural models displayed in the Masterpiece Gallery of the LEGO House. We’re glad to see it back together again after a rough return flight.

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Dispatch rider’s dream ride

When it comes to channeling a chunky 50s-retro vibe in LEGO bricks, nobody does it better than Martin Redfern. His latest creation is a brilliantly beefy-looking dispatch bike, complete with twin seats, leather pannier bags, a chunky engine, and wonderfully-curved fuel tank and mudguard. The large scale employed allows Martin to use the golden angel’s wing as a logo down the side of the fuel tank — a nice touch of detail.

Dispatch Bike

As an added treat, Martin has put together an “Afrika Korps” version, complete with side-car and machine gun. Great stuff.

Afrika Korps version

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Cruise right back in to the 50’s

Lego artist Martin Redfern has a unique signature style to his builds: they always seem to be from a bygone era, and captured beautifully. This police cruiser is loosely based on a 1950’s cruiser like it was straight out of a mobster movie. He even built an engine under the hood and loaded it with full decor on the dashboards. You’ll definitely want to check out all the details on this one.

The Heat

Click to see more under the hood

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Mad for it

We’ve featured Martin Redfern‘s Alice In Wonderland LEGO creations previously, but this latest scene — the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party — is a cracker. The table features a brilliant array of teapot designs (some including fireman’s helmets as lids!), and I like the variety of chair styles on display. The surrounding scenery is great, and gives the model a real sense of place — an impression helped by the tight crop of the photo.

The Mad Hatters Tea Party

As ever, Martin’s work on the characters is excellent. Here’s a closer look at the Tea Party Trio…

The Mad Hatters Tea Party .. ( Alice in Wonderland )

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Exactly three inches high — a very good height indeed

We’ve seen Alice In Wonderland LEGO creations before, but Martin Redfern proves himself a master of quirky character once again with this version of Alice encountering the Caterpillar. Alice herself is fun, and the caterpillar curling over to peer down at her is nicely put-together. However, it’s the little touches which elevate this model out of the ordinary — the funghi-flavoured foliage at Alice’s feet, the shaping of the big mushroom, and that hookah pipe. Don’t miss the white snake used as a curl of smoke — we’ve seen it before, but it’s perfectly placed here.

Alice in Wonderland

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Vroom vroom chugaboom

We’ve covered our fair share of LEGO hot rods, but here’s a refreshing steampunk take on the style from Martin Redfern. The scale used allows Martin to pack loads of smart touches into this delightful dark red automobile. I particularly like the front grille, the horn, and the driver himself — his pith helmet and monocle fixed firmly in place.

V12 Hot Rod

The vehicle’s engine is an obvious highlight, so I was delighted at this view which allows us to take a closer look at all the details Martin has lavished on the model…

V12 Single seater

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To the Bumpmobile! Let’s go!

Hot on the tail lights of a series of Wacky Races-inspired LEGO creations, and a fun version of FAB1 from Thunderbirds, Martin Redfern brings us another wonderfully-retro vehicle — this time a mashup of the classic TV-series Batmobile and a fairground bumper car.

Holy Bumpering Bumper Cars Batman

The chunky styling is fantastic, with lovely colour-blocking and stripes, and a nice fat bumper running all the way round. Don’t miss smart little touches like the use of a whip for the vehicle’s power antenna and the four golden rings down the side. What we need now is a purple bumper car for the Joker as an appropriate opponent in the arena (hint hint Martin)…

Holy Bumpering Bumper Cars Batman

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Thunderbird car is a fab one

I don’t care what anyone else says, FAB1 was the best of the Thunderbird’s vehicles — it’s a bright pink supercar with machine guns and an oil-slick dispenser! What’s not to love? The only thing that could make it better is some chibi LEGO styling — as delivered here by redfern1950s. The bubble cockpit, the stripe, the fun versions of Lady Penelope and Parker, all excellent. But the highlight for me? The stylish rake of that unmistakably Rolls-Royce front grille — utterly FABulous.

FAB 1

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Martin Redfern tells us how Wacky Races and LEGO collided [Interview]

British builder Martin Redfern (redfern1950s on Flickr) recently caught our attention with his recreation of one of the cars from the old cartoon Wacky Races. Once we saw he was creating more cars from the show, we got in touch and interviewed him in preparation for the inevitable completion of the starting grid. With all 11 cars and all their drivers completed, learn how they were made and why Martin made them.

Get up close and personal with the builder and his creations

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