Random set of the day: Ambulance
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 7890 Ambulance, released in 2006. It's one of 34 City sets produced that year. It contains 118 pieces and 1 minifig, and its retail price was US$7.99/£5.99.
It's owned by 7682 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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30 comments on this article
Controversial opinion, possibly, but part of me has a soft-spot for the World City subtheme, because the sets tended to have a unique, realistic (and sometimes downright gritty) thematic style to them. It wasn't just Town from the 90s (or Town Jr from the late 90s, thank goodness), there was a definite step-up, in terms of the style and design of the city vehicles and buildings.
And while I didn't love all of them, I did appreciate the effort.
Pretty sure 9 year old me bought this set just to get those rad (at the time) fenders.
Weird thing for this set, the grille was on wrong in the booklets showing the sets (like in 7945, book 1)
This was my first Lego set, got it for Christmas in 2006. The set got broken down into my collection, but I rebought it late last year just to have it again. Good memories.
This kind of manages to look like an ambulance and not look like an ambulance at the same time.
It has all the right markings and features but it looks like such a chunky boi.
I used to stare at this set every time I went to the Learning Express toy store. I wanted it so badly, but didn't have money.
Met a friend the other year who just so happened to own this set, its a joy to play with years later.
I remember getting this set at the store on the Air Force base my dad worked at, then getting a second one on my birthday a little while later. Nothing's better than two ambulances.
This was a really good year for City
that's so cheap!
Been on my wishlist since I joined here, as at the time, the 2012 ambulance hadn't been made yet. In my opinion, 4431 (the only LEGO ambulance I have) is closer to being a more proper ambulance as two paramedics are supplied and the ambulance has room for both paramedics. The ambulance included with last year's hospital (a set I waited too long to get, and haven't yet), 60204 is even better. But, you don't get the far superior old-school stretcher with the folding wheels/legs, that do fold in when it's slid in to the ambulance. I need to rebuild the US-style Type IIIs I made from 4431 and 7286 with a large modular 8-wide patient compartment on a 6-wide cab (and rear frame widened to eight studs as well), but with bigger wheels. The smaller wheels (like in 4431 and 7890) just didn't look right. The setup I made had enough room to have a proper layout, carry LEGO versions of most EMS equipment (stretcher, suitcases, monitor/defibrillator, Ambubag, syringes and IVs) and working room. These Type-II (or Type A/B if you're in Europe) don't have room for much more than the stretcher. And I think it's time I built the crash truck as well, building one as a bit bigger version of the fire rescue truck I built some years ago. I know I might get banned for saying this, but the few MEGA parts I didn't throw out were all firefighting and rescue equipment--especially their Jaws of Life hydraulic cutter. Those are impossible to be built with bricks (robot claws for cutters, and antennae for spreaders look awful!). The gas-powered "K12" chopsaw, fire axe, breathing apparatus, and sledgehammer are also better-proportioned and more realistic compared to LEGO. But, MEGA parts are crap.
The fire department changes out its trucks every 15-20 years, the police department 4-5, and EMS 4-5. But, we get police/fire sets every year, but EMS/Medical every 4-5 IF we're lucky. We had a 6 year gap between the three ambulances I mentioned. That isn't fair!
Excellent modern retro ambulance design at 6 wide while managing to feel like the classic 4 wide 6680 Ambulance. This model felt right enough for nostalgia and fits with the current Great Vehicles designs.
First LEGO Set I ever bought for myself with my own money. At Five years old. I loved this thing to death. Wore a decent chunk of the print off the torso and the wheels of the stretcher have long since broken and gotten lost. However, I am so glad that stickers across multiple pieces aren't really done anymore. Those side windows... permanently stuck together. Even now, I still stumble across them when I go through the old bins to find that one specific part I need...
I wonder if in the future we will get fewer police sets and more hospital/medical related sets. Wouldn't surprise me, and I'm sure many of us would enjoy a hiatus from the countless police sets, whatever your thoughts on recent issues. Recent ones have been disappointing anyway, being 5+ and all. And we've certainly been lacking in the LEGO City medical department, although the Hospital set recently was a breath of fresh air.
A perfectly cromulant ambulance.
I love the parts in this set but I prefer my vehicles 4 stud wide, sorry...
@Zordboy said:
"Controversial opinion, possibly, but part of me has a soft-spot for the World City subtheme, because the sets tended to have a unique, realistic (and sometimes downright gritty) thematic style to them. It wasn't just Town from the 90s (or Town Jr from the late 90s, thank goodness), there was a definite step-up, in terms of the style and design of the city vehicles and buildings.
And while I didn't love all of them, I did appreciate the effort. "
Was there ever a World City hospital or ambulance, though? I thought it was just police, fire, coast guard and trains.
@LegoSonicBoy said: "Was there ever a World City hospital or ambulance, though? I thought it was just police, fire, coast guard and trains."
I must've gotten my years mixed up, I thought the city sets were still branded as World City at this point. World City, as a sub-theme, lasted a lot less time than I thought it did.
I stand by the original point, though. This period in the 00s was where you could see a clear evolution between the 4-wide vehicles of the 90s and the bigger City vehicles of the 10s.
@Zordboy said:
"I must've gotten my years mixed up, I thought the city sets were still branded as World City at this point. World City, as a sub-theme, lasted a lot less time than I thought it did.
I stand by the original point, though. This period in the 00s was where you could see a clear evolution between the 4-wide vehicles of the 90s and the bigger City vehicles of the 10s."
I agree, World City was great. And woefully short-lived :( I guess it was too gritty and action-oriented though.
Blows me away how few ambulances we get. I'd take a dozen of these over another sky police theme.
Bought directly at Lego Shop in Legoland Billund in 2006. Jeez, it's like a yesterday and it's already 14 years. :o
Weirdly there was a hospital set 7982 in the same year built on a mountain top, which had a helicopter, jeep, stretcher but no ambulance, so you needed to buy this set to make complete? As mentioned this was the transition from 4 stud to 6 stud wide vehicles, but what was annoying at the time was you could no longer lift the sun roof or open the doors to put the driver in, although moving the front lights from horizontal to vertical was fantastic? It was also a tight squeeze in the back for the patient on the stretcher, who had to stay motionless throughout the whole journey.
Damn, one of my first sets! I think I got it in a multipack of sorts with the 2005 fire engine as well. Looking back now, that is an extremely good price; you get a fairly functional vehicle with opening back doors and room for an included stretcher, plus an appropriate minifigure included. I mean, the later ambulance in 2012 was obviously bigger and more detailed, plus it came with 2 paramedics, a patient & an accident scene, but am I right in thinking that was £14.99? A good price indeed, but for a kid that just needed a Lego ambulance and isn't going to pay too much attention to the specifics, £5.99 is better than anything you'll see nowadays, even with inflation in mind.
Some comments made me look back through my 'owned' list to see what kind of city sets I was buying back in the day, and it's making me really nostalgic! As a MOC builder, I've probably destroyed upwards of 80% of all the sets I've ever owned, and I'm not going to start rebuilding sets because that would use up my parts collection, but at the same time... I owned some really nice little sets a few years ago! I actually owned a lot of the forest police sets that I won after a competition in a comic when I was 9, and that was one of the best ever police subthemes in my opinion. Definitely better than sky police, at the very least!
I remember seeing this in the instructions for the Doctors car released at the same time. It’s not bad, but I think the 2012 version is much superior.
I miss this time, I wish I could go back and get more sets from this era.
Part of the new emergency collection from Lego City.
Hey, I have this set! I bought it used at a used LEGO sale
@Norikins said:
"Part of the new emergency collection from Lego City."
Each set sold separately!
Random set of the day should have gone to the soon to be released new City Square set..
My first six stud wide ambulance. Sparse inside, but it did the job it needed to! It gets rebuilt from time to time when I get nostalgic about the sets I started collecting again once I came out of my dark ages....