Tag Archives: Vehicles

LEGO planes, trains, and automobiles! Well, maybe not trains, since they don’t like to play with the other LEGO themes, but here you’ll find all our favorite cars, buses, boats, ships, helicopters, and anything else with an engine (and some without).

DORA and friends explore the post-apocalyptic wastelands

At last year’s Bricks Cascade expo, Martin Hulth shared a post-apoc behemoth on treads cheekily named D.O.R.A. the Explorer (DORA as in Deep Outpost Research and Armament.) This year, with encouragement and collaboration from Mark Cruickshank, Martin returned to Cascade with two new vehicles that expand on this emerging world that rests somewhere between Mad Max and the Mortal Engines. Leading the new pack is BIG BERTHA here. It’s a kid’s dream of a mobile base fused with a monster truck, backed with sophisticated techniques. You might call it a spiritual successor to the Rock Raiders theme. And the use of color, with bold yellow and red paired with muted sand green and blue, is striking.

Explore the wasteland with us and see more of Martin’s epic builds

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Ma.K.ing the most of LEGO’s wildest theme

Sometimes it pays to sit on an idea for a while. Occasional LEGO builder W.F Ikhasi tells us he had the fuselage of this Maschinen Krieger-inspired walker sitting around, unfinished, for no fewer than three years. Happily, it’s complete now – and thanks to… Galidor?! Yes, a piece from LEGO’s weirdest theme provided just the shape Ikhasi was looking for for the hind legs. So much so, in fact, that the front legs are a brick-built riff on the idea, and the end result looks great!

If you’re not familiar with the kitbashing dieselpunk world of Maschinen Krieger, why not get a taster in our archives?

A touch of old-world class with the Citroen B14

It’s easy to take Krzysztof Pusz’s LEGO Citroen B14 at face value. With its old-world charm and understated elegance, this classic European vehicle would have warranted a feature even if it were merely on a plain background. It’s our preferred photographic presentation, after all. But the location and photography elevates this car to something of a more breathtaking status. Krysztof tells us the photo was taken at the courtyard of the Brzeg Castle in Poland. The light colored tan and white stonework of the building contrast nicely against the dark blue and black of the classic Citroen. The tan wheels that match the background is an elegant touch indeed.

Cleave through the air with this clever LEGO speeder bike

Does anyone remember the LSB contests? For the uninitiated, LSB stands for LEGO Speeder Bikes. These days, it’s primarily a group over on Flickr full of wonderful speeder creations. But as Charlie Jones reminds us, there were a handful of contests run through said group, too. Charlie has been busy building a handful of speeders to remember them by – and we’re particularly taken by the Carmine Shard here!

Seeing it in such a dynamic pose is cool, but even members of the Guavian Death Gang need a rest now and then. And this shot gives us an insight into how this build started, too. It seems that a minifigure cleaver can slot through a minifigure’s legs and double as a speeder saddle! An ingenious connection, which is sure to be a boon for LSB builders everywhere. On which note – I’m going to see if I’ve got any cleavers myself…

A Schwimmwagen The Central Scrutinizer would approve of

LEGO builder Martin Spunkt presents a satisfying amphibious Volkswagen Schwimmwagen. It’s rugged features, heightened stance and oars assures us that this little beast can do some serious off-off-off roading right into the water. It’s a far better ride to haul band equipment around than the ’54 with a mashed-up door. He situates the vehicle in a grungy garage setting; a white zone, so to speak, which I presume is for loading and unloading only. My question: Is Martin even aware of the Frank Zappa reference staring us right in the face? Sound off in the comments if you’re in the know.

LEGO motorization from an era of steam mechanisation

I love seeing old ideas for things that never got beyond the prototype stage. That’s particularly true from the early age of mechanisation – crazy ideas like steam cars or balloon ships look more like steampunk fiction than reality. Take this steam tractor, built by LEGO builder Nikolaus Löwe. Nikolaus is no stranger to sci-fi creations, and indeed that’s what I figured this was. It looks very functional, and yet like nothing I’ve ever really seen… And yet, it was real! This is a model of an early Hornsby steam tractor, of which only one was ever made. The model itself was not a commercial success, by all accounts, but early prototypes did result in the tracks being dubbed ‘caterpillar’ tracks on account of their caterpillar-like motion. Indeed, the Hornsby firm would eventually morph into the company we know as Caterpillar today.

Oh, and speaking of motion – see all those functional-looking gears and Technic axles? They’re not just for show, you know! There’s a great video showing off all the tractor’s functions, including an impressive differential steering mechanism – check it out!

Warning: speed hump ahead

Camel crossing ahead. One hump means we’re in dromedary country, specifically a dustry stretch of desert highway en route to Pakistan. Dessis Bosman has built a LEGO truck that’s up for this rigorous road — a Scania LB141 in the livery of Dutch hauler Rynart. Bult at 1:13 scale, the truck is a beast. And at ~160 studs long, it also qualifies as a SHIP. Around 1000 2×4 tiles went into the tarpaulin alone.

Dennis had previously built a Scania LB141 in the yellow livery of British shipper Astran, and used the chasis as hte foundation for this new build. The truck takes advantage of an incrased range of parts in dark azure to match the Rynart livery.

Drive on for more pics of Dennis’ desert-ready truck

With great trucks come little vans

In many countries, trucks with oversize loads, like the transformer transport I built several weeks ago, are commonly accompanied by escort vehicles. They warn other road users and their drivers can help the trucks’ drivers to navigate tight curves or narrow streets.

In the UK, such escort vehicles are usually vans. Obviously, these tend to have high-visibility markings, which, to me, makes them attractive as Lego builds. My latest two models represent two rather different examples: a Ford Transit and a Mercedes Sprinter.
Continue reading →

A slithering throwback to a simpler time

This LEGO creation by Djokson is called Mamba Marauder Snake; three words I’d love to get on my resumé but alas my job experience is mostly Excel spreadsheet related. I’m seeing a lot of tasty parts from the DreamZzz Action Race Car set. I’m particularly loving the watchband and green canopy. The builder’s inspiration though comes from this little racer from back when Donnie Darko was seeing creepy bunnies. Darko, creepy, and bunnies are three more words I’d love to see on my resumé but my work mostly involves boring meetings.

Versteinert’s LEGO Campervan is packed with cozy comfort and clever LEGO tricks

Every new classic car design from Genman builder Versteinert is a masterclass in NPU (“Nice Parts Usage”), and this 7-stud wide Ford Transit Mk1 Campervan is no exception. Fitting for a vehicle ready for a summer beach picnic, hot dogs, forks, and a sizzling grille feature prominently in the build, but not where you might think. Using rollerskates for door handles is a tried-and-true technique, but I’ve never seen them used like Versteinert does on the grille, where stacks of skates wrapped in a rubber band fit so perfectly you won’t believe it’s not a pre-molded part.

This vacation wagon follows two utilitarian versions of the Transit Mk1 that Versteinert built last year, this repair service truck and a firetruck version.

In a Twilight world of Team Jacob or Team Edward, be Team Bella’s Truck

Twihards may already be aware that the official LEGO 21354 Cullen’s Home set is coming out soon. It certainly got onto the radar of Sseven Bricks but not necessarily for reasons of buff, shirtless werewolves or brooding, sparkly vampires. While both factions aren’t without their charms, Sseven took special notice of one feature included in the set: Bella’s 1963 Chevy C10 Pickup. Not only that, but Sseven saw the unmistakable fingerprint of LEGO Designer Adam Grabowski and decided to preemptively build their own version of the pickup before the set came out and without instructions. Being a car guy and a fan of Adam, I would have done the same — all the while reveling in the truck’s classic design and also reveling in the fact that I’m a Jacob Girl all the way. You heard me, glittery vampires; get your sparkly asses the hell off my lawn!

Transformer, roll out!

Having grown up in the eighties, the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of a Transformer is a vehicle that changes into a giant robot. In the real world, though, a transformer is less exciting. It is a device that changes the voltage of an electric current. Transformers can range from small enough to fit on printed circuit boards to massive industrial units weighing hundreds of tons. My latest LEGO model represents a mid-size example, of about 50 tons.

I’ve been building minifigure-scale vehicles lately, and a transformer seemed to be a suitable load for a nice heavy-haulage truck. The Mercedes Arocs truck is a model that I have been planning (and buying parts for) for quite a while. It should pair nicely with a Goldhofer modular trailer.

Let’s shift gears and see how this truck came together!