For over 60 years, LEGO bricks have unlocked children‘s creativity and inspired adults‘ imagination through intricate builds and endless possibilities. Among the most beloved LEGO sets are models of iconic cars from film, history, and pop culture. With such a vast vehicle lineup, choosing the "coolest" LEGO cars is no easy task. We scoured brick building forums, fan sites, and customer reviews to crown our picks for the 5 coolest LEGO cars of all time.
#1: LEGO Ghostbusters ECTO-1
Our choice for the #1 spot goes to none other than the LEGO Ghostbusters ECTO-1. As one of the most iconic movie cars of all time, the 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor from the 1984 supernatural comedy classic Ghostbusters leaves its indelible mark on pop culture. LEGO designers masterfully captured every signature detail in brick form – from the vintage whitewalls and red "ECTO-1" lettering to the transparent green sloshing fluid tanks and rotating satellite dish.
Under the hood, builders will discover a brick-built 390 cubic-inch Cadillac engine with air cleaner, alternator, radiator, and fan belt. The tan and brown interior features working benches and storage nooks for proton packs, Ghost Traps, and the rest of the crew‘s spectral arsenal. Our favorite moving part is the fold-out rear gunner seat, which swings out from the back just like in the film.
With 2,352 pieces, this LEGO set is not for the faint of heart. The build process averages 15 hours. However, Ghostbusters fans agree that every minute spent assembling this highly detailed replica is worth it. It currently ranks as the #1 best-selling LEGO car on Amazon.
Key Details:
- 2,352 pieces
- Ages 18+
- Dimensions: over 8 in. (22 cm) high, 18 in. (48 cm) long and 6 in. (17 cm) wide
Best Unique Car: LEGO Back to the Future DeLorean Time Machine
Great Scott! Our choice for the best unique LEGO car zooms straight from 1985 to 2023 in a twin streak of flaming tire tracks. It‘s the iconic DeLorean DMC-12 Time Machine from Back to the Future! Crafted in meticulous brick detail, this LEGO DeLorean captures the film version in all its oddball glory, from the trademark gullwing doors to Doc Brown‘s flashing Flux Capacitor.
In addition to the stock Back to the Future mode, builders can customize their LEGO DeLorean to either the futuristic Part II version with hover conversion and Mr. Fusion add-ons or the Wild West-ready Part III railroad flair. The set comes with minifigures of Doc Brown and Marty McFly, a hoverboard, and that all-important plutonium canister for added play value. At 1,872 pieces, the LEGO DeLorean ranks as one of the more challenging builds but delivers an incredibly unique, display-worthy brick vehicle unlike anything else in the LEGO lineup.
Key Details:
- 1,872 pieces
- Ages 18+
- Dimensions: over 5 in. (14 cm) high, 14 in. (38 cm) long and 6 in. (16 cm) wide
Best Technic Set: LEGO Fast & Furious 1970 Dodge Charger R/T
When it comes to exciting, motorized LEGO builds, the LEGO Technic series consistently delivers. Our pick for the best LEGO Technic car captures high-octane action straight from the Fast & Furious films: Dominic Toretto’s famed 1970 Dodge Charger R/T. As Dom’s quintessential ride, this iconic matte black American muscle machine had to translate flawlessly from film to bricks. The LEGO Technic designers outdid themselves with Dom’s Charger. Measuring over 12 inches long, the model oozes crisp, elegant lines and flair thanks to specialized pins, connectors, axles and gears instead of standard LEGO studs.
Like all LEGO Technic sets, functionality takes center stage. Turn the rear wheels to watch the ignition switch and 8-cylinder piston engine spring to life. The trunk hides some signature "Fast & Furious" details like nitrous oxide tanks and engine components. Our favorite part? The car includes a stand so builders can pose their 1:13 scale masterpiece "doing a wheelie" just like the film’s epic quarter-mile drag race scene.
Key Details:
- 1,077 pieces
- Ages 10+
- Dimensions: over 4 in. (12 cm) high, 15 in. (40 cm) long and 5 in. (15 cm) wide
Best Muscle Car: LEGO Creator Expert 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback
What list of cool cars could miss an iconic 1960s Ford Mustang Fastback? For the best LEGO muscle car, we nominate the LEGO Creator Expert 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback. More than 1,500 intricately detailed bricks replicate the sleek, racing spirit of Ford’s legendary pony car in Mustang’s most recognizable year. Panel lines, trim, badging, interior gauges and seats all reflect the coupé style in Mustang‘s peak golden era.
While the Dark Azure Blue exterior color may not be stock, it provides a unique, eye-catching profile. But simply building the stock Mustang would be boring. LEGO designers included a wealth of optional customization accessories to make each owner‘s build unique. Options include a supercharger, rear ducktail spoiler, beefy exhaust pipes, an alternate grille, racing slicks and hubcaps. Owners also have an array of license plates and undercarriage details to make their special model stand out.
We love the removable roof section for peeking inside at the detailed V8 engine with battery, air cleaner, wiring and rev-simulating pulleys. From radiator fluid to glovebox contents, LEGO pulled out all the stops on iconic Mustang details. Is it the most advanced LEGO vehicle? No. But as an icon of American automotive culture, this 1968 Mustang muscle car simply looks cool.
Key Details:
- 1,470 pieces
- Ages 18+
- Dimensions: Over 3 in. (9cm) high, 15 in. (40 cm) long and 6 in. (16 cm) wide
Best Truck Build: LEGO Icons Pickup Truck
LEGO makes plenty of commercial trucks for City layouts or as playset accessories. But as an icon of 1950s Americana, we love the LEGO Icons Pickup Truck kit. More display model than play toy, this 1,470-brick build aims squarely for the adult LEGO fan. Its charming light blue and white two-tone color scheme evokes a sun-bleached, weathered patina. The brick design team lavished quintessential pickup details throughout the model like bench seats, a roll bar, opening doors and tailgate, plus a woodgrain truck bed.
Under the enormous 426 cubic inch Power Engine hood beats a LEGO brick 6-cylinder engine complete with fan belt, air cleaner, battery, and custom molded header emblems. In the bed, builders will discover charming accessories like flower pots, a wheelbarrow of produce, milk cans, and a country billboard for added flair. Our favorite detail lives inside though. Spin the steering wheel to watch the straight-6 engine’s brick fan belt and drive shaft spin!
Builders say assembling the hundreds of layered exterior body panels takes patience. But they praise the final model as a centerpiece worthy of any LEGO layout. Beyond trucks, the kit ships with holiday accessories so builders can decorate their all-American pickup for seasonal display all year long.
Key Details:
- 1,470 pieces
- Ages 18+
- Dimensions: Over 4 in. (12cm) high, 13 in. (34 cm) long and 5 in. (14cm) wide
How We Chose the 5 Coolest LEGO Cars Ever
Selecting merely five vehicles stands as an impossible task for any LEGO enthusiast. Iconic cars like James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5, Dom Toretto’s Dodge Charger Daytona, even the iconicVW Beetle number among potential contenders. To narrow down our selection, we focused on finding a diverse mix of unique LEGO masterpieces spanning various decades and vehicle types – from trucks to time machines. Greatest play value didn’t drive our picks; we focused purely on their coolness factor.
Throughout our evaluation process, we analyzed numerous criteria:
- Comparison of LEGO Interior and Exterior Details Against the Real-World Vehicle: The closer a LEGO vehicle mimicked its life-sized counterpart, the higher it scored.
- Performance of Special Features and Functions: Does the LEGO car model include special features like folding gullwing doors, spinning tires, moving parts, or lighting effects?
- Quality of Design and Build: We examined the complexity of the LEGO build, total piece count, and difficulty ratings.
- Overall “Wow!” Factor: Regardless of a vehicle’s size or scale, does it deliver an emotional rush and flood of nostalgia?
- Fan Community Reviews: We checked enthusiast sites like BrickFan and Reddit‘s r/LEGO group for real customer feedback.
Through this evaluation process, we aimed to highlight vehicles spanning various decades and vehicle classes. Most importantly, these LEGO masterpieces needed to capture the emotion, history and magic that make their life-sized counterparts so universally appealing and “cool.”
The History Behind LEGO Cars
While today’s LEGO lineup contains hundreds of brick-built vehicles, that wasn’t always the case. LEGO didn’t produce its first toy car model until 1962. However after founder Ole Kirk Christiansen crafted a wooden toy vehicle prototype in the 1940s. It was the introduction of towing hitches and rolling wheels in 1961 that enabled early hobbyists to motorize LEGO models.
By 1966, the LEGO system expanded to 700 total pieces. New technical “Expert Builder” sets targeted adolescent builders with early tractor and truck kits like the 400 Farm Tractor. 1977 marked LEGO’s first licensed vehicle – a scale model of the German Post AG’s iconic yellow Deutsche Post delivery van.
The late 1970s saw LEGO expand heavily into vehicles through Town, Castle, and Space themes. Castle factions dueled with wagon catapults while Town residents commuted in Emergency Services vehicles. Hit Space sets like the Galaxy Explorer and Mobile Lab featured sci-fi hovercraft.
In the 1980s, LEGO added race cars, semis and harbor cranes to City sets reflecting modern urban life. Three new lines put LEGO vehicles in children’s hands:
- Fabuland (1979-1989) – Anthropomorphic animal characters and village life
- Scala (1979-1980) – Dollhouses and room themes targeting girls
- Belville (1994-2008)- Fairytale scenes and characters for girls
Licensed vehicles arrived in 1999 through a Star Wars partnership – the first licensed intellectual property for LEGO. Through the decades, LEGO motors have powered trains, monorails, planes, and an entire LEGO City universe.
Today, LEGO churns out around 100 new vehicle sets every year. Licensing partnerships now transport big screen vehicles like Harry Potter’s Flying Ford Anglia and Doctor Who’s TARDIS into brick form alongside modern supercars, construction equipment, and city infrastructure. The LEGO Speed Champions series captures the world‘s highest performance cars in small scale brick sets. Andgesture control, remote control systems, and LEGO Powered Up robotics deliver on Futuron’s 1980s vision of LEGO automation coming to life.
Why LEGO Cars Are So Appealing
LEGO bricks offer a classic, screen-free activity connecting generations. They inspire open-ended creativity. For adult collectors, the nostalgia runs especially deep for iconic pop culture vehicles translated into tiny bricks. We identified core reasons LEGO cars capture hearts and minds:
Interactive History: Iconic cars mark specific eras. Recreating them in LEGO form transports builders through time. The LEGO Ford Mustang or James Bond DB5 provide a hands-on automotive history lesson.
Customization: No LEGO build needs to follow strict factory specs. Some kits like the Ford Mustang actively encourage custom parts swaps. Unique color schemes, engines or interior styles make LEGO cars intensely personal creations.
Relaxation: Watching tiny plastic bricks transform into a detailed Dodge Charger provides stress-relieving zen. The brick-by-brick build process requires singular, mindful focus for hours on end.
Pride: Studying the final constructed replica ignites immense satisfaction and pride. Displaying a completed LEGO car publicly showcases personal skill, taste and automotive passion.
Investment Appreciation: LEGO retains exceptional resale value, especially unique kits retired from production. Unopened boxes typically double in valuation over a decade. Sealed, mint-condition sets from the 1960s command four-figure price tags on the secondary market.
So whether you seek a hands-on history lesson, enjoyable hobby, mental relaxation or long-term financial gain, LEGO cars deliver on all cylinders. Our five coolest kits pay homage to classic cars spanning seven decades of automotive history. Which icon speaks to your inner builder?
