The evolution of LEGO vintage cars, mile by mile

The evolution of LEGO vintage cars, mile by mile

LEGO Icons 11376 Ford Model T is the latest brick-built vintage car to hit shelves, but it's far from the first old-school set of wheels in the LEGO system.

The LEGO Group is set to launch one of its most detailed vintage cars yet, with the 1,060-piece 11376 Ford Model T about to hit shelves on March 1. The LEGO Icons set recreates a 1910s automobile, complete with classic features like a fold-back fabric roof, a fold-down split windshield, and a single-opening passenger door.

While this might be the most recent brick-built vintage car, the LEGO Group has long since had a hand in rendering classic vehicles out of LEGO bricks. Let's take a road trip down memory lane to where it all began.

A part of LEGO's heritage

610 1

One of the earliest LEGO vintage cars was 1973's 610 Vintage Car. Although it obviously embodies a much simpler style in line with the techniques and parts of the time, there are some shared features. The staggered black bricks are a recreation of the same folding roof, while the standalone windscreen is reflected using transparent bricks, as well as the inset headlights.

Having a vintage car in the LEGO system so early on in the LEGO Group's history underlines how brick-built cars are a staple of the company's range – as well as a reminder of how far LEGO techniques and parts have come in the past 50 years.

Bring on the licenses

Between 1973 and 1975, three more vintage cars were released, this time based on specific car brands: 390 1913 Cadillac, 391 1926 Renault, and 395 1909 Rolls Royce. Moving towards specific cars is a step closer to the modern recreations of cars we see today, while also affording the sets a greater level of detail.

Being based on precise models demands unique characteristics in each set. You can start to see sculpting come into these designs, creating differences in the bodywork and even in the way that headlights and sidelights are recreated in LEGO form.

Three decades on and LEGO vintage cars make another appearance, once again under a license – but entertainment ones, rather than car brands. 2008's 7622 Race for the Stolen Treasure and 2017's 70911 The Penguin Arctic Roller highlight how much more can be done with modern building techniques, but also how much personality can be conveyed in licensed vintage cars.

Being based on cars from movies, there are unique features that you won't get in builds based on real cars. 11376 Ford Model T isn't going to have a rack for a gun, for example, or specially-modified weapons to suit the Penguin's Arkham needs.

A slice of life

As interest in retro LEGO sets grows, the world of brick-built vintage vibes expands beyond just cars to embody a whole building. 10260 Downtown Diner comes with a brick-built pink car, complete with retro rear wings and a punch American muscle body.

It's perfectly suited to its environment in the modular building, although being a smaller part of a much larger whole means that there's less detail than some of the other vintage cars we've had. Speaking of which...

More pieces, more detail

LEGO Icons 10321 Chevrolet Corvette C1 featured 2 1024x576

The modern era of LEGO cars is all about realism and attention to detail. The best example of this is seen in 10321 Corvette, made up of 1,210 pieces. The vibrant red bodywork hides a detailed engine bay with a spinning radiator fan, working tie-rod steering, and interior detailing to please even the most hardcore of motorheads. What's more, the style of the Corvette's original time on the road is paid tribute to with the choice between hard- or open-top styling, thanks to the a removable roof.

Where some of the earliest vintage cars stuck to the more classic 1910's silhouette, as the LEGO system grows, there's room to also include more recent (yet still classic) examples of motoring history, like 10321 Corvette.

Little and large in 2026

That brings us essentially up to date, with 2026 technically already launching two vintage vehicles. 40913 Vintage Parade Car was available as a GWP, of course, yet it is a prime example of how far LEGO engineering has come. With a similar piece count to some of the brick-built cars from the 1970's, the wider variety of pieces on offer allows for a far greater level of detail.

Come March 1, 11376 Ford Model T will be one of the most detailed vintage cars ever. The black bodywork, golden accents and tall spoked rims with white rubber tyres evoke the elegance of the time when the original car was on the roads, while also including the technical features that Icons cars are known for under the hood.

LEGO Icons 11375 Ford Model T is available to pre-order now, retailing at £119.99 / $129.99 / €129.99 upon its release on March 1.

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