Random set of the day: Whirl and Wheel Super Truck
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 5590 Whirl and Wheel Super Truck, released in 1990. It was the only Model Team set released that year. It contains 1063 pieces, and its retail price was US$80.
It's owned by 2043 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you might find it for sale at BrickLink or eBay.
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28 comments on this article
Wow, it's go big or go home, today. That is one ginormous set.
Awesome!
Bring back model team!
The creator expert vehicles are great but I miss the functionality the model team sets had.
Oh yeah, this one was part of a bunch of sets that I bought in January 1991. It was pouring rain in Los Angeles and I had gone to Target for something or other. I saw a guy pushing a shopping cart full of LEGO sets. I asked him what was going on. "Big clearance!" he said.
I ran to the toy section and couldn't believe my eyes. All the LEGO sets were half off!
I wound up with the featured set above ($30), the Megacore Magnetizer ($30), the Airport Monorail ($60), and a couple of others. I would have gotten more stuff but I didn't have that much spending money.
I came back the next day and there wasn't much left. I did grab the last Airport Monorail, which was marked down again, to $30. O_O
Definitely the best LEGO deal I've ever experienced. :)
I was actually looking at the model team sets earlier remembering when I was a kid wishing I had them. I think these could be a great re release.
Still one of the best LEGO sets of all time! Myself had 2 of these. First one I eventually broke apart for parts, then got another one, ultimately broke that one apart too, for parts... Kind of wish I still had one of them assembled. A random pick couldn't be more perfect in terms of both QUALITY and NOSTALGIA!!
Model Team was so awesome, and I think it could be very successful today, as well. The new Mack Anthem (42078) is Model Team-esque and I'm hoping it's a soft reboot with more similar models to come.
Model team were one of my favorite themes. Especially the trucks I really lover.
I remember saving up for this one as a kid, took me a full year, paid full price for it. While in the store 2 other kids were saying "How does he get to buy that when all we can buy is these small toys?" Building it was great, though the stickers on the doors were clearly different than those pictured on the box, which were obviously printed. About 5 years ago I put it back together and was surprised at how small it is compared to the Technic trucks that are out there today. So much has changed!
I still have this from when I was a kid. Great set!
It was the largest set that I owned as a kid (and the largest to date, for that matter). It was an amazing, unforgettable gift for a 6-year-old. I was so careful with this one that it's still 100% complete up to this day.
Model Team sets appeared on the shelf around the time I was fading into my dark ages. I noticed the early ones back then, but never got any. They looked amazing back then!
Having come back, I bought many of them used by now. Most are good fun to build--with instructions asking you to add 10 to 20 pieces each step, some easily overlooked, as it used to be :) And they still look great today, despite only using 'old' pieces.
I do own this one here as well, but sadly it's still sitting on the large pile of 'sets to build' (I don't even know for sure whether mine is really complete). Maybe I should make it jump the queue...
I was well into dark ages when Model Team was in the shops but I've been collecting them since. This is one of the best themes Lego have done and this is one of the best sets in that theme. Only the Creator Expert sets come close but without steering they lack playability.
By happy coincidence you can buy this set tonight on Catawiki.
As a child I considered Model Team the best LEGO theme for some reason (function, playability and great look at the same time). I still think that these models are very attractive and would have been a better choice to continue this theme instead of inventing Creator sets with no steering.
The first big LEGO set I got as a Christmas gift was Model Team 5580 high way rig in '92. The following year I beg for 5590 and remember seeing it in a store-window with my brother and imagined how well it could expand my little MT collection. Never got it as a child.
As an adult I always wanted to consummate my Model Team collection and 5590 has a special place among these models. It is a fantastic heli carrier and inspired some of my later MOCs.
Always admired these from afar in the catalogues when I was a kid, though I don't think I ever really expected to own any of the big sets back then. I did eventually get Red Fury as an adult, but I think the one pictured is one of the very best Model Team sets.
I always wanted this as a kid. It reminded me so strongly of one of my favorite System sets - Stunt Copter N Truck. Just really cool.
Got this one for a birthday when I was younger. Great set, took me ages to build. Could never bring myself to take it apart and build the alternate model!
Still got all the bits in my collection so may have to re-build at some point in the future...
Ah memories.
@Duq thanks for stealing my thunder lol. I was just going to say what a coincidence it's the featured set for the Catawiki auction :)
I wish I had all the Model team sets, but am missing a couple. Model Team was one of my favorite themes. I recently went back and rebuilt all the ones I have, and these sets were way ahead of their time.
@Zrath I wish they had deals like that in the UK!
Go check out Bricktsar's youtube channel, he recently picked this sets up.
This one is great but even more impressive is the Giant Truck 5571
I wanted this so bad when I was a kid. Still have the Lego catalog with it circled many times over in black ink. I do have the Model Team Race Car and Jeep, but this was the one that got away.
I can assure you that the random set is indeed random and I don't know what it is until I get up in the morning, but when I saw that one was available at Catawiki this week, it made sense to highlight it in the weekly round-up.
OMG, I had this set as a kid, my 2 brothers got different model team sets that same Christmas – I think it was for Christmas I mostly remember that we eventually got 3 different model team sets – I believe:
5580 - https://brickset.com/sets/5580-1/Highway-Rig
5550 https://brickset.com/sets/5550-1/Custom-Rally-Van
It was a good Christmas! :)
This is one of the first sets I can remember getting. Christmas I think. Still have it displayed on a shelf all these years later. One of my favorites and for a long time, the largest set I had until I got 6211 Star Destroyer (which has since been passed by several modulars).
I have also searched far and wide for instructions to build the truck they show on the back of the instruction book. Its a conventional style rig similar to say Giant Truck 5571 or Highway Rig 5580. It showed like a flatbed on the back (not as a trailer).
Makes me want to get those other two sets too. Always wanted them.
I'd be curious to know if any of these random sets of the day experience a significant sales boost as a result of being highlighted. I've been thinking about buying this set, but am now leery to possibly get into a bidding war with somebody.
This was my LAST LEGO set I received at the age of 13 from my parents before going into my Dark Ages. I moved to a different city shortly after and my LEGO days were over. I loved the Model Team series (first 4 sets) but never got Highway Rig. I did get this one though and have built it probably 10 times. My kids enjoy building it now. Still have the box with the window flap! The next set after this for me and my own money was in 2000 after finishing college, 7191 UCS X-wing and 3450 Statue of Liberty. So my Dark Ages lasted 10 years!
I finally got my hands on this set in 2010. Found it on an online classified and paid $150 for both 5590 and 5591.