The best LEGO cars you should build right now – Axon's Automotive Anorak

The British Government’s strong recommendation to ‘avoid social contact’ where possible, work from home, avoid unnecessary travel and self-isolate if you or any members of your household feel unwell are now leading to a major nationwide shut down, encouraging us all to remain local and not to leave home if possible. These practical Governmental guidelines have now all led to the understandable cancellation and/or postponement of thousands of UK events beyond of the organisers control, including the Goodwood 78^th Members’ Meeting, as well as countless other major sporting events, concerts, festivals, and so on, plus global gatherings such as Formula 1, Formula E, Euro 2020, etc.

If you are stuck at home and self-isolating, to help prevent boredom you will have the gifted opportunity to thoroughly devour GRR’s comprehensive written and video content (including almost five-years-worth of my regular Automotive Anorak!). You could also go and wash your hands (regularly), gather together a box of plastic bricks, wheels and tyres, and set about building a car.

Scandinavia’s most prolific creator of vehicles (and the world’s largest tyre producer!) springs to mind here in the form of Denmark’s LEGO. Invented pre-war in Britain but later adopted by the Danes, LEGO has been rewarding creative minds and putting smiles on the faces of both children and adults since 1949 with its versatile coloured plastic toy bricks.

Building vehicles out of LEGO plastic bricks has been a popular past time now for more than 70 years, with the Danish firm creating its own range of original and iconic cars in more recent times though its Technic and Creator products. From the charm of a classic Mini Cooper, Volkswagen Beetle and Type 2 camper van, through to the Ghostbusters Ecto-1 Cadillac Miller-Meteor ambulance or the excitement of an exotic Ferrari F40 and Ford GT, there is a car to build for most people and ages to enjoy.

It’s important for us all not to ‘brick it’ but keep calm and carry on in these challenging times, so here are eight suggested LEGO vehicles that you can assemble and enjoy if you have to unexpectedly spend time in isolation at home.

LEGO Aston Martin DB5 James Bond 007

As part of its Creator Expert range, in 2019 LEGO introduced the legendary silver Aston Martin DB5 ‘replica’ of British special agent James Bond, as used in the hit 1964 film Goldfinger. The LEGO 007 Aston Martin is crammed with a wealth of gadgetry and gizmos, as created in Q’s workshop, including the famous (and functioning) ejector seat, as well as revolving number plates, radar tracker, hidden telephone, bulletproof shield, front wing machine guns and wheel-mounted tire scythes.

LEGO’s boxy bricks are at odds with Touring’s smooth curves of the Aston Martin original, making this model look a little goofy, the sloping headlamps proving a real styling challenge. The moulded silver wire wheel rim inserts are more convincing, as is the detailed six-cylinder engine and interior, which includes a radar tracker, as well as a telephone tucked away in the secret door compartment. The 1:8 scale LEGO model has 1,295 pieces, with the DB5’s ‘coachwork’ painted in metallic Silver Birch, just like the Bond original.

The finished LEGO DB5 model measures over 3-inches (10cm) high, 13-inches (34cm) long and 4-inches (12cm) wide, and is priced at £129.99.

LEGO Fiat 500

A brand new large scale LEGO Creator Expert car model is the classic Fiat 500 set, launched on 1^st March 2020. The Fiat follows other popular LEGO classic-themed kit ‘renderings’ of the VW Beetle and T2 Camper, plus the Mini Cooper and Ford Mustang, as highlighted below.

Coloured pale yellow, just like Fiat’s 1957 original 500, this new set consists of 960 pieces and retails for £74.99. To help launch this new Creator Expert set, LEGO built a full size plastic Fiat 500 using 189,032 bricks.

LEGO Caterham Seven 620R

Just as many road-going Caterham Super Sevens are built in self-assembly kit form, so LEGO’s Caterham Seven 620R has to be self-built as well. This charming miniature Caterham features a removable nose cone, motor and engine cover, as well as an opening boot containing four axle stands to display the completed model with the wheels detached.

The LEGO Caterham set includes over 770 pieces and offers an age-appropriate building experience for ages 12+. This special edition model measures over 3-inches (10cm) high, 11-inches (28cm) long and 5-inches (14cm) wide but has now been ‘retired’ from LEGO’s product range, with secondhand examples selling for £99 upwards.

LEGO Land Rover Defender

Developed in close partnership with Land Rover, and revealed in unison with the all-new Defender in September 2019, this recent LEGO Technic™ set enjoys realistic features and functions.

LEGO says that “this collectible model of the quintessential 2019 Land Rover Defender really captures the vehicle's level of refinement with its clean, modern lines and sculpted surfaces, making it a great display piece for the home or office.”

This comprehensive brick toy has working steering, four-speed sequential gearbox, all-wheel-drive with three differentials, independent suspension, a detailed in-line six-cylinder engine and working winch. The official retail price is £159.99.

LEGO AEC London Double Decker Bus

LEGO’s interpretation of the celebrated AEC double-decker London bus is one of its more convincing models, helped by the rectangular shape of the public transport classic.

The LEGO double decker features many authentic details, including its familiar bright red colour scheme, panoramic windscreen, specially made standard-tread tyres, destination sign, and an open rear boarding deck with a hand pole, ticket bin, fire extinguisher and a half-spiral staircase that leads to the upper sightseeing deck.

Model functions include an opening bonnet with engine, detailed driver's cab with a sliding door, and a removable roof and upper deck for access to the detailed interior with ‘worn look’ seating and additional amusing details, including a forgotten umbrella, newspaper, empty beverage can and discarded chewing gum. Reversible transit advertising posters are also provided as printed labels with a 1950s or present-day London promotion. This LEGO Creator Expert model has been designed to provide a challenging and rewarding building experience with a touch of nostalgia and charm, priced at £109.99.

LEGO Ford Mustang GT Fastback Coupe

The LEGO Creator Expert Ford Mustang pays homage to the iconic 1960s Detroit muscle car that’s become a symbol of American motoring heritage, thanks largely to its starring film role in Steve McQueen’s Bullitt.

Based on the 1967 fastback-bodied Mustang GT, this LEGO set is coloured Shelby dark blue with stick-on white stripes, created under Ford’s supervision by LEGO designer Mike Psiaki. The model comes with 1,471 pieces, packed in 11 individual bags, along with a variety of customisable transfer options from the much-feared sticker sheet. In all 18 stickers are included in the Mustang set, with many license plate choices, as well as 28 printed pieces overall.

The Mustang has functioning steering, worked via a 40-tooth gear, plus small gear parts to enable the model’s rear suspension to be adjusted for height. A detailed V8 engine is visually pleasing too, though a questionable treat at the set’s high £119.99 retail price.

LEGO Bugatti Chiron

With 3,599 pieces and a hefty £329.99 price tag, this imposing 1:8 scale Bugatti Chiron LEGO Technic set is an inspired piece of creativity, and arguably the Danish toy company’s most famous car model, following the much-publicised creation of a drivable full-size example.

The Bugatti ‘kit’ has numerous intriguing features, such as a ‘top speed’ key to adjust the rear spoiler (as per the actual Chiron) plus a fully functioning eight-speed transmission, detailed W16 engine, an authentic interior and unique serial number to create possibly the ultimate LEGO car set.

LEGO Volvo 740-760

For the moment, LEGO has yet to create an ‘official’ Volvo 700-Series set. However, I choose this one as a light-hearted ‘wild card’, as the ‘boxy but good’ Swede looks as if it was designed by LEGO’s team in Denmark.

In fact, to be more accurate, it was (and remains) the millions of playful children around the world who as imaginative kids built (and still build) random square-ish LEGO cars that resemble the solid but dull Volvo, using just a tub full of random coloured plastic bricks and wheels all pressed together! In all likelihood, most of these back bedroom automotive creations will be far more stylish than the Volvo original!

So, enjoy your LEGO vehicle builds (and GRR indulgence) at home, and keep safe, stay well, wash your hands and be certain to listen to important information updates on the ongoing COVID-19 situation. Hopefully the tough times we are living through now will soon become a distant memory, whilst your finished LEGO model will be a joy to treasure for years to come.