When I was a kid, I enjoyed LEGO sets much like any other youngster does today. I constructed a number of the Legoland pirate and medieval arrays, sometimes placing the knights in with the pirates for a gag. As I got older, I found the Technic series a bit more challenging with the helicopter ones being my favorite. However, my Duplo days as a tot stand out. I would try and recreate the cars and trucks I saw with those bigger Duplo blocks. At the time, we lived in a two bedroom apartment – a bigger unit as I recall – but my signature was leaving a LEGO in every room.
My father could walk our hallway and not even look down, he was so accustomed to stepping over them.
Days Gone By
As I blaze the trail through my late thirties and into that uncertain vortex known as “your forties,” I am naturally inclined toward anything that even slightly reminds me of my childhood. I’ve made it a habit to wander through the toy section on my trips to Meijer in hopes to find a new Hot Wheels or Matchbox car. In my quest to declutter and disconnect, I am ever more drawn to things that are wholesome and fun, yet still really cool. One such thing is the 1968 Ford Mustang fastback race car, the latest entry into the LEGO Speed Champions lineup.
Photo: Ford Motor Company.
Small & Sharp
When assembled, the 183-piece kit yields a sharp green performance car, complete with gold stripes, racing graphics, and a removable windscreen. The set even includes a Ford-branded timing board and a little racing figurine, that I would place in the pirate ship while Captain Red Beard has a go in the Mustang.
“The new Ford Mustang LEGO Speed Champions set gives parents and children the chance to share their passions – generations of fans have grown up building LEGO sets and spending time together behind the wheel,” explained Myra Lind, LEGO Speed Champions Marketing Manager. “This partnership of iconic brands allows kids of all ages to enjoy the latest products from two great companies.”
“We worked closely with LEGO to design a vintage Mustang, personalizing the fastback with stripes and decals that harken back to Ford’s racing heritage,” added Matt Monroe, Ford Licensing Manager.
Photo: Ford Motor Company.
Big Kid At Heart
I don’t know why I love this little thing so much. Maybe it’s because I want kids of my own someday, or maybe it’s because – like I said above – as I get older, I find remarkable value in things that are wholesome and fun. Career-wise, I’m picking up the pace, which is what any man my age should be doing, but the faster we move on that trajectory, the more likely we are to forget the innocence of our childhood. It’s been so long since I last sat down and put a LEGO set together – probably twenty some years.
That’s simply too long.
We at this publication will consider ourselves kids (just slightly taller) on March 1st when the LEGO Mustang goes on sale. I’m going to get one, put it together, and set it next to my Lava Lamp on my desk. This forthcoming 1968 Mustang joins the GT40, F-150 Raptor, Fiesta WRC, and a handful of other blue oval heroes in the LEGO Speed Champions Ford collection.
So if I want more opportunities to be a kid, I have them.
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan. He studies mechanical engineering at Wayne State University, serves on the Board of Directors for the Ally Jolie Baldwin Foundation, and is a loyal Detroit Lions fan.
Photos & Source: Ford Motor Company.
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