Petrolhead and LEGO lover? Here are the best classic car-inspired LEGO sets for adults aged 18 and up and where to buy each of them.
LEGO offers an array of LEGO-reimagined classic cars. However, there are only a few that can be regarded as the best. So, if you are a petrolhead, the following vintage car-inspired LEGO sets, most notably from the LEGO Icons range, are the kits to get. You’ll need your adult LEGO license, though, as these sets were designed for petrolheads aged 18 and up.
So, what are the prerequisites for a LEGO-reimagined vintage vehicle to make the list of best LEGO classic cars for adults? Well, for starters, the kit has to offer an immersive building experience that will keep petrolheads preoccupied for hours on end.
But that’s not all. As we all know, grownups are busy with, well, grownup stuff. So, although each kit must spark the imagination during the playing experience (and the models listed here undoubtedly will), the set’s aesthetics are extremely important.
Indeed, when all the bricks have been clicked together, the completed model must look true to the original. In addition, it must look spectacular when displayed, whether it’s in your home, office, or “parked” on a shelf in your garage. It has to be worthy of centerpiece status.
1. LEGO Icons Porsche 911 — 10295
Introduced in 1964, the Porsche 911 is one of the most iconic sports cars to ever grace the road. There is no doubt about it.
However, of the eight generations of Porsche 911, there is one that arguably sits at the top of the 911 food chain. This is the 930-generation 911 Turbo, the first turbocharged Porsche 911. It was a pioneering car for the Stuttgart-based brand.
The original 930 model, which was the fastest German car when it was released, is undoubtedly a collectible. So too is the LEGO replica of the sports car that promised pure motoring nirvana (and scares, for that matter; it wasn’t called the Widowmaker for no reason).
However, with this set, you don’t necessarily have to get behind the wheel of the Widowmaker. Indeed, you have the choice to build one of two Porsche 911 models. There is the Turbo, but, if you fancy some top-down, alfresco driving, there is the Targa, too. Now that’s cool (not only this option, but the prospect of having the wind in your hair as well).
Both models feature authentic details reminiscent of the authentic 911 Turbo and Targa iterations they were inspired by. Dressed in white, both models are equipped with an air-cooled, flat-six engine and feature working steering. What’s more, each build’s brick-built bodywork sits on the German marque’s iconic Fuchs wheels.
In addition, each model has its own distinct design details. The Turbo features the original’s iconic whale-tail rear wing and pronounced rear wheel arches. At the same time, the Targa build features a more slimline appearance. The latter also sports the iconic Targa bar and, of course, a removable roof. A neat feature, the latter fits in the hood of this model.
The set comprises 1458 pieces. It measures four inches tall, six inches wide, and 13.5 inches long.
2. LEGO Icons Chevrolet Camaro Z28 — 10304
The Chevrolet Camaro Z28 is an American classic. It is iconic. There is no doubt about it.
This LEGO replica of one of America’s most renowned muscle cars looks great. The brick-built Camaro Z28 features authentic elements, ranging from classic or hideaway lights, customizable racing stripes, and a bellowing V8. To immerse yourself in the latter, you’ll have to use your imagination, though.
In addition, this LEGO-reimagined classic car’s hood and trunk can be opened. So too can the doors. Doing the latter reveals the LEGO replica’s interior details. The cabin is finished in a dark red hue to provide a beautiful contrast the exterior’s black color scheme.
This detailed kit comprises 1456 bricks. It measures three-and-a-half inches tall, five-and-a-half inches wide, and 14 inches nose to tail.
3. LEGO Icons Land Rover Classic Defender 90 — 10317
The Defender namesake is one of the most renowned when it comes to 4x4s. The classic Land Rover Defender, especially in 90 body guise, is undoubtedly an icon. It’s the authentic British 4×4.
Unfortunately, if you want to get behind the thin-rimmed, large-diameter tiller of the original, you will have to look on the used-car market (and that’s if you can find one that’s still in tip-top shape). Indeed, Land Rover has replaced the authentic Defender with a brand-new, tech-laden version.
However, for fanatics, there is no replacing the original. It is pleasingly analog. It is a classic.
Fortunately, LEGO has an answer for Land Rover lovers wanting to explore the roads less traveled in the original British 4×4. Enter the LEGO Icons Land Rover Classic Defender 90.
Comprising 2336 bricks, the LEGO-reimagined classic Defender 90 contains the most bricks of all the brick-built classic-car replicas on this list. Considering this, this set is sure to provide an immersive and rewarding building experience for Landy lovers aged 18 and up.
Staying faithful to the original, the LEGO Icons replica is endowed with myriad authentic details of the 1984 version it takes inspiration from. Finished in an iconic sand-green body hue, this LEGO Icons model features functional steering, working suspension, and the choice of two engines.
Yup, you can equip it with a gasoline or a diesel motor. Fortunately, as this is a LEGO model, you won’t have to worry about the consumption.
What’s more, you can fit your LEGO Icons Land Rover Classic Defender 90 with an array of off-road accessories. The kit includes a roof rack, engine snorkel, roll cage, traction plates, jerry cans, a toolbox, and a fire extinguisher. There’s even a working winch.
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The bodywork of this model also remains true to the original, with its boxy design measuring six inches tall and six inches wide. The completed build measures 12.5 inches long.
4. LEGO Icons Back to the Future Time Machine — 10300
When introduced in 1981, the DMC DeLorean elicited much conversation around the globe, with its pencil-sharp design lines and iconic gull-wing doors making it look like it was teleported from the future. As such, it was the perfect car to feature in the 1980’s cult-classic blockbuster Back to the Future.
The LEGO recreation is no different, with its accurate design making it an eye-catching display piece and a sure-fire conversation starter. The brick-built version features every possible design element of the original it is based on and, taking inspiration from Dr. Emmet Brown’s time machine, then some.
However, what makes this kit so neat, is it offers LEGO builders the choice between three builds, all of which equipped with authentic kit, such as a lightning rod, a plutonium chamber, and whitewall tires. There is also a model designed to replicate the hover conversion.
The set comprises 1872 pieces, including minifigures of Doc Brown and Marty McFly. The completed model measures four-and-a-half inches tall, seven-and-a-half inches wide, and 14 inches long.
5. LEGO Icons Ghostbusters ECTO-1 — 10274
Based on the Cadillac’s 1959 Miller-Meteor ambulance, the LEGO Icons Ghostbusters ECTO-1 is not your average classic car. As such, it will bring some extra excitement to your collection comprising LEGO-reimagined classic vehicles.
The LEGO replica of the Ghostbusters’ ride of choice is equipped with an array of authentic details, such as sirens, a proton-charging pack, and ghost traps, which release from the back of the vehicle. A gunner seat, which you can rotate out of the vehicle, is also present, with a ghost-tracking antenna, along with several other neat items, fitted to the model’s roof rack.
In addition, the kit features a detailed, LEGO-reimagined engine. Working steering, allowing you to position the model, is included, too.
The largest ECTO-1 ever created by LEGO, the model measures eight inches tall, six inches wide, and 18 inches in length. It comprises 2352 bricks.
It’s worth noting that this set is one of the LEGO Icons sets retiring in 2024. So, while it’s still in stock, it’s best to grab it sooner rather than later.
6. LEGO Icons Corvette — 10321
A true-blue, all-American icon, the Corvette has turned heads since the namesake’s introduction in the late 1953s. Yes, there have been many generations of Corvette since then. However, it’s arguably the models from the ’50s and early ’60s that are most sought after.
These classic Corvettes are undoubtedly automotive icons. As such, it’s no wonder that LEGO offers a LEGO Icons replica that’s reminiscent of a first-generation example, the C1 from 1961.
Although the LEGO-reimagined Corvette may not comprise the most bricks of the classic-car-inspired LEGO kits featured here, it remains a must-have for fans of American classics. Indeed, LEGO bills it as one of best LEGO classic cars for adults. Yup, you’ll need to be aged 18 and up to enjoy the al fresco driving experience offered by this drop-top V8.
However, once you’ve finished cruising along the coastline or Route 66 (via your imagination, of course), you can display it among your other brick-built classic cars. Like the other models featured here, the LEGO Icons Corvette is a must-have. There’s no doubt about it.
However, if you’re not so keen to get wind in your hair, you can always opt to build a hard-top version of this brick-built Chevy. But no matter which configuration you choose, this LEGO Icons kit is sure to provide you with an immersive building experience. The latter will undoubtedly be nostalgic, too.
In addition, once all the bricks of the LEGO Icons Corvette has been clicked together, you can display it, whether it’s in your home, office, or “parked” on a shelf in your garage. If you are fortunate enough to own a real-life model, it would look even better.
Owning a LEGO replica of the car you own is sure to bring a smile to your face (don’t we all dream of having a brick-built model of the car we own?). Even more so when you consider its authentic detailing.
Opening the LEGO Icons Corvette’s hood reveals a detailed engine bay, replete with a spinning radiator fan (that V8 needs to be kept cool, of course, even if it’s brick-built). There are also working tie-rod steering. Stepping inside reveals a detailed interior.
The set comprises 1210 pieces. The completed build measures four inches tall, five-and-half-inches wide, and 12.5 inches long.
Every one of these LEGO Icons kits are sure to bring a smile to petrolheads’ faces. Not only do each set offer a rewarding building experience, but, when you’re done working, you can immersive yourself (with some imagination, of course) into driving one of these sought-after classics.
But that’s not all. Each of these classic car-inspired LEGO replicas are worthy of centerpiece status. Indeed, they will look great on display no matter where you decide to place them, whether it is in your home, office, or in your garage.
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