Something a little bit different in this post!  I’ve many happy memories of countless hours messing around with LEGO Technic as a child, and I think this was certainly a huge inspiration for developing GearBlocks.  So, seeing as it’s the 40th anniversary of LEGO Technic this year, I thought I’d pay tribute a little bit.

In 1977 the first Technic sets came out, although Lego hadn’t coined the term yet, they were known as “technical sets” (or “expert builder” in North America).  There were only four sets in that first year, a forklift, tractor, helicopter, and car chassis.  Only a basic selection of technical parts were available, but they set the foundation for everything that was to come, and many of those original parts are still used today.

853 car chassis

This was the largest and most complex model at the time, and featured functional steering, gearbox, and 4 cylinder engine.  It was the first in a long line of car chassis flagship Technic sets that would come in later years.

I wasn’t lucky enough to own one of these sets back in the day, but I did manage to pick one up on ebay a few years ago.  It’s very basic by today’s standards, but definitely has a charm all of its own.

So happy anniversary LEGO Technic!  OK, diversion over, time to get back to GearBlocks…