Random set of the day: Adventurers Car
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 2541 Adventurers Car, released during 1998. It's one of 21 Adventurers sets produced that year. It contains 24 pieces and 1 minifig, and its retail price was US$2.
It's owned by 1,962 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you should find it for sale at BrickLink, where new ones sell for around $9.00, or eBay.
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34 comments on this article
Good luck catching yesterday's car, Baron.
Baron von Barron clearly has telekinetic powers, that's the only explanation for no steering wheel.
I love Adventurers, and I love the Baron most of all, but I cannot lie on this set's behalf: that this is AT LEAST a steering wheel short of being a car.
@MCLegoboy said:
"Baron von Barron clearly has telekinetic powers, that's the only explanation for no steering wheel."
90s Lego cars were on another level.
Once again, someone doesn't know the difference between a plural and a possessive: https://brickset.com/article/117923/random-set-of-the-day-adventurers-plane
@TheOtherMike said:
"Once again, someone doesn't know the difference between a plural and a possessive: https://brickset.com/article/117923/random-set-of-the-day-adventurers-plane"
It's the car for the Adventurers. Only one can use it at a time, though. And without a steering wheel, you'll have an adventure, that's for sure!
@MCLegoboy said:
"Baron von Barron clearly has telekinetic powers, that's the only explanation for no steering wheel."
With a hook hand, I feel like that would be kind of a necessity
@560heliport said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
"Once again, someone doesn't know the difference between a plural and a possessive: https://brickset.com/article/117923/random-set-of-the-day-adventurers-plane "
It's the car for the Adventurers. Only one can use it at a time, though. And without a steering wheel, you'll have an adventure, that's for sure!"
A short adventure, for that. With a painful ending.
I feel like the word "car" is optimistic. This is like a skateboard with a seat, in the desert, rolling uphill, apparently.
@WolfpackBricksStudios said:
" @MCLegoboy said:
"Baron von Barron clearly has telekinetic powers, that's the only explanation for no steering wheel."
With a hook hand, I feel like that would be kind of a necessity"
Nah, just gotta drive with a suicide knob. Get one that's got a little eye ring instead of a knob, and it'll interface perfectly with that hook.
Oh I remember this little thing! I remember I had this as a kid.
Best series. RIP
@Brickerika said:
"Oh I remember this little thing! I remember I had this as a kid."
Did it come with the giant slingshot, or did you have to build that from your collection?
How does it steer? No steering wheel
Part of the October 1997 Shell promo series.
It was funny, how this promo series gave a sneak peek of what was to come in 1998. For the 3 Castle sets this wasn't much of a thing, but Adventurers was the most interesting (especially in regard to the many new pieces in tan). So this alongside it's plane counterpart was among my favorites.
Each set came in a special box featuring yellow borders and the Shell logo, with all 10 sets shown on the back. The instrucitons were single-sided and featured yet again the entire line on the back but additionally it's matching diorama from the 1998 catalogue:
1 - Racing Car: Town Junior Police with green windows
2 - Divers Jet Ski: RES-Q (no new Divers sets in 1998)
3 - X-Treme Team Raft: X-Treme Team
4-6 - Fright Knights: Basil fighting Willa atop some tiny mountain (no new Castle sets in 1998)
7-8 - Desert Car and Plane: Adventurers, showing the Anubis Temple
9 - U.F.O. space craft: Insectoids
10 - Technic Motorbike: Competititon/Cyber Slam (of cause showing the new teal and purple parts)
Also each set contained a little sticker showing it's number within the series on a red circle. I really have no clue what the point of these stickers was - it almost seems like some sort of bonus program that was cancelled last minute...
The sets themselves were all polybag sized and thus relatively simple, however many did contain rare or even unique elements, like Plain black UFO helmet, yellow scuba flippers, printed Divers front and a brown 6x8 plate. Also both the female Diver and X-Treme Team member were unique torso combinations for that time.
Unfortunately the series was plagued by many minifigs missing there usual accessories, like in this case the Baron's epaulettes or Basil's cape.
Way ahead of the curve, this autonomous car back in the 90s!
Baron von Barron doesn't need a steering wheel. He needs his only functioning hand to hold the revolver.
Maybe it’s like a roomba and he’s got a pre-programmed route in it. That’s why he’s so keen to get the maps, he needs them to tell this where to go!
Unbothered. Hook-handed and revolver-wielding. No steering wheel. In My Lane. Focused. Flourishing.
I remember encountering this in a store once around 2005-2006. At the time I was missing the head and hook from my Baron Von Baron from my 5928 Bi-Wing Baron, so -me not knowing that Bricklink existed- I considered buying this one to complete that set. Then I noticed te lack of epaulettes and I decided against it. Because I was missing those too!
In hindsight it seems stupid to want to buy a set to complete another. But at the time it was my only Baron minifig and there was no other way I knew that I could ever get those parts.
Man, those first few Bricklink purchases were sooo satisfying.
Anyway the point I wanted to make is that this didn't quite register as a 'OMG this old set is still being sold!' Or as a cool set on its own. It's fine if you want a little something and if you want a tiny car with Baron and a revolver. Anything more (such as a complete Baron) isn't there. That said, it's an Adventurers set so if I could I would definitely have bought it if I was in the same position now!
@brick_beard said:
"Unbothered. Hook-handed and revolver-wielding. No steering wheel. In My Lane. Focused. Flourishing."
What lane? It's a desert...
The good Baron looks so much less important when he hasn't got his epaulettes, I think that's a lot more egregious than his car having no steering wheel.
This set is easy target, but minifigure alone is enough for me to get it. I just didn't see it at the time.
At least you get a full minifigure, unlike those new F1 Collectible sets coming out soon. I love this set, I can still build it from memory.
@Miyakan said:
"At least you get a full minifigure, unlike those new F1 Collectible sets coming out soon. I love this set, I can still build it from memory."
I never had this set, but I'm pretty sure I could build it from the picture alone.
Oh, look, It's Baron Von Barron / Lord Sam Sinister / Mr. Hates! I guess he's off to fight Johnny Thunder / Sam Grant and his friends Gali Storm / Pippin Reed and Dr. Charles Lightning / Doctor Kilroy!
Aren't regional names fun, kids? Now if you'll excuse me, I need an aspirin for my head...
On the other hand, having no epaulettes makes this the version of Baron who appeared in Lego Racers, since in the game no minifigure - except for Batlord only in his brief intro cutscene, because he needed the cape for his dramatic entrance - have their neck accessories, presumably to make it simpler to animate them all the same. This is just a looooooot smaller than the car he used in there.
If it was had been Racers 2, I'd suggest that maybe his car had just had most of its parts blown off, as could happen in that game...
@Murdoch17 said:
"Oh, look, It's Baron Von Barron / Lord Sam Sinister / Mr. Hates! I guess he's off to fight Johnny Thunder / Sam Grant and his friends Gali Storm / Pippin Reed and Dr. Charles Lightning / Doctor Kilroy!
Aren't regional names fun, kids? Now if you'll excuse me, I need an aspirin for my head..."
He just needs to wait to be joined by his henchman / employer, Slyboots / (other) Sam Sinister!
And that's not even getting into the Dino Island arc, where Alexia / Alexis Sinister was either Baron's sister or his daughter (or even just a new design for Pippin Reed with no relation to him at all!), depending on which material you believed...
@alLEGOry_HJB2810 said:
" @brick_beard said:
"Unbothered. Hook-handed and revolver-wielding. No steering wheel. In My Lane. Focused. Flourishing."
What lane? It's a desert..."
Ask Cosmo Kramer. He probably has some ideas.
@Lego_lord:
Of course he’s an easy target. He can’t dodge!
Man, LEGO just don't make sets like they used to!
It's hard to see that MF without thinking of Lindy Beige.
How can he drive that car without a steering wheel?
Every time I see one of these...'vehicles' (want to say/write 'death traps':)) rears its head, I feel TLG forgot the 't' on the end of 'Car'...at least now they're 'embracing' it...(looks at soapbox racers...:D)
Perhaps he steers by leaning. Or by sheer force of will.