Lego is good and so are remote control cars, so let’s take a look at the history of remote control Lego cars (and trucks, of course)! These are compiled from my memory because I know a lot about these things and do more research than I probably should. To keep this to a reasonable length, I’m only including what I consider to be “landmark” sets (sets that feature new electronic systems/parts or are important to history or Lego RC cars). So without further ado…
Okay, so this first one isn’t technically a car, but Lego Train Set 118, released in 1968, was the first Lego you could consider remotely controlling. The train carried a microphone and you controlled it with a whistle. Whistling once would cause it to move forward, whistling again would cause it to stop, and in later versions, whistling twice would cause it to move backward. In 1968 it was quite advanced technology for a toy, and today this set is a treasured collector’s item.
The first set of remote control cars arrived in 1970 and featured a wire running from the car to the “remote control”. Steering was achieved by means of a generator operated by the remote control steering wheel, sending power to a motor which turned the front wheels, providing proportional steering. The drive motor was the same as the train motor, with only road wheels. You can build a few different vehicles with the scenery pieces, including a sedan, van, or truck.
But while Lego would release several motor vehicles over the next few decades, the next set of remotes would not come until 1993 in the form of the Lego Technic 8082 set. This set featured two motors, and one of the models that you could build was a remote control buggy. . Until now, Lego had developed a new electronic system known as the 9v system, which was a marked improvement over the previous one and is still popular today. This particular set was driven by a 9v micromotor, the smallest motor Lego has ever made, with a footprint of just 2×2 pins.
The next set, 5600, came in 1998 and was not based on the 9v system, or any system before or after. It had its own unique, specialized chassis and was basically just a pre-made RC car (you couldn’t even remove the wheels) that you could build Lego on. Apparently it was popular enough for Lego to re-release it in 2001, although the values didn’t increase much. If you are looking for a cheap Lego RC car, this is a good option.
The 2000s were a difficult period for Lego, on the verge of bankruptcy. Because of this, Lego got very experimental with some of their products in hopes that something would catch on. One good thing that came out of this was that it resulted in more Lego RC cars, the first of which was the 4589 set, released in 2002. Just like the previous one, it had a pre-made chassis, but this time the wheels were regular Lego that you would put. It also featured a very strange antenna.
Also in 2002, Lego released the 8475 set, which is a big deal in the world of Lego RC cars as it came with a number of new parts which are now in high demand by Technic builders. The drive motors it contains (now called “RC buggy motors”) are popular for their power and speed, and the package’s control module had excellent range. Three sets would be released using these parts, and they are all desirable today.
In 2003, Lego RC cars got weird. Lego has created an all-new building system specifically for high-performance RC cars, and two different RC systems have been created to go along with it. The first set was the 8369 Dirt Crusher, and it didn’t even look like Lego. But it was fast. Extremely fast. The fastest and most powerful of all Lego RC cars, in fact. And it also featured fancy bits like an adjustable suspension. You can even buy coin packs to change the color to blue. Unfortunately, however, poor compatibility with regular Legos has caused this system to fall out of favor.
They have also released cheaper and slower RC cars using this system. I actually bought one, the “Sunset Cruiser”, and it’s pretty fun.
It didn’t take long for Lego to release its new Power Functions electronic system and new RC components with it, but it wasn’t until 2010 that Lego released the first RC car with this system, the 8183 chassis, but this time it was criticized for its poor steering, short range (which is a common problem with all infrared controlled Lego RC sets) and clunky proportions which made it difficult to use in custom builds. Still, it’s the most compact RC chassis Lego has ever made, so that’s it.
Then in 2014 we had the 41999 4×4 Crawler. It was the first Power Functions package with a booster and featured all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, premium suspension, and an exclusive fan-designed muscle car body edition. It went very well.
And now we are entering the current era of Lego RC vehicles, with the appearance of app-controlled sets. First was the app-controlled Batmobile, followed by the Technic 42099 set, which featured a version of the new system designed specifically for the Technic.
And there you have it, the story of Lego remote control cars so far. Let me know if I forgot any important or special ones, or if you have already owned one. Or if you suddenly feel like spending a lot of money, although I’m not sure any of us can help you stop.