After LEGO announced they're making a new version of safari off-road truck, it was obvious to me that I must find my old version. And so, I'm finally ready to write a review.

Model

It's a classic approach to this topic. Car is very similar to all other versions LEGO has made those years. It is only four stud wide, but still designers manage to put inside everything that is needed. So we have working doors, steering wheel and a place for a driver to seat. Hood also contain every needed part. It has a grill at the front, couple of lights and a bumper. Roof can be open, due to a hinge. On top of it there is a pair of floodlights.

Back section is also tiny. It is a typical pick-up open trunk, with a nice-looking pipe rack. It is big enough to put a second minifig in. On the back wall, between two bigger red lights, there is a pair of holders to put tools in. On the side of the trunk there are some studs, that allow to attach a spare film reel.

The best part of this model, and clearly the most interesting if it comes to playability, is suspension. The model features independent suspension on each axle, which is hardly seen nowadays.

Minifigs and animals

Safari team is very simple, similar to other figs made those days. Driver has plain blue sleeveless shirt and red pants. The best thing is his hat, that I haven't seen in other set since then. Second guy is a cameraman, which wears nice red vest with a zipper, and whit pants. He also has a classic red cap. Both figs have typical smiley face. Their equipment contains big camera with two film reels, shovel and pick axe. There is also a monkey in this set.

Parts

Though there are very few of them (67), some of them are great. It contains a couple printed parts, and great suspension axles. Rest are quite common, mostly white bricks.

Summary

It was always a great set. It shows what was important for children back in the days (30 years ago) and also that the same thing are nicely welcome today. This set could be used by LEGO as a coursebook for young designers, showing how to make a great set with a very few pieces.

At the end, I'll compare this with a new one.

Feature| old | new

size | 4x10 | 8x16+

parts | 67 | 168

figs | 2 | 2

animals| 1 monkey | 2: parrot and lion

equipment| 3+: camera, shovel, pickaxe| 4: camera, cup, binoculars, tree disguise

"zebra" parts| 3 | 11

printed parts| 5 | 0

Verdict: both are great, but old one was much simpler and that makes it better.

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Hope You like it.

Review of the new one: https://brickset.com/reviews/56311

Another set I got off eBay, and the box was near mint, so before I even saw the bricks, I loved this set. And that love just grew and grew the more I built it and studied it and tried out the alternate models.
Because for a set that can't have costed more than £10 (about $16) in it's day, you're getting two nice minifigures, a rare (at the time) monkey, tools, a video camera and three (!) reels of tape. Oh, and one of the best designed vehicles lego have come up with.
The best thing about the jeep is without a doubt the suspension on the wheels, which is absolutely ingenious. Who'd have thought that adding two small springs to a fairly standard axel piece could transform this jeep from a bland catalogue filler to a stand out set that inovates in a way that, strangely, has not been seen since (or not in any set I've seen).
Apart from that, it does look very nice. The zebra striped doors and bonnet piece add just enough to gve it a safari-ish look, but without going over the top, a trend common in many 80's sets (or in this case, early 90's).
Just look at the picture. You can see for yourself that it's a nice looking set, so there's no need for me to descibe any more of it.
My only minor complaint is that the storage space in the back is a bit too small for the cameraman to stand in with all the tools and equipment. It can be done, but I would have appreciated a bit more space.
But that one thing isn't enough to warrant a point deduction, so a solid five stars is what I'm giving it, and I can definately recommend it to anyone who likes lego in general, not just fans of the town theme.

There may be many 4X4 Lego vehicles released today but none compares to this simple set from the 80s. First off, like a real 4X4 it comes with suspension that you can use to pretend that the jeep is rolling to the side as it turns a sharp corner, how it handles rough terrain like a real 4X4 should, how it will bounce as it lands after taking off from a ramp. It is amazing how the addition of a simple suspension system outside of Technics can greatly increase the playability of a toy.

Other features include:
Printed (no stickers!) striped doors and a striped bonnet
A monkey
Lego tools such as shovel and another tool (I'm not sure what it is)
Cowboy hat (like a real safari ranger)
Cameraman with black camera

The suspension wheels are also great pieces if you want to use for other creative vehicles you can think off; which I believe will most likely see some off-roading action!

Definitely a classic from a 80s.

Released in 1990 this set introduced some great pieces for that time.
Cowboy hat, video camera and the monkey are main pieces who make this set very beautiful.
The car it's also a great one, having an elegant look.

I love this set, it is small but have all the element of a great set:
Good minifigures, unique pieces (Black and white doors), extra function (the wheels suspension)
Originally I got this set when it was released in the 90's but I lost it around 4 years ago when somebody stole some Legos of my home, I was devastated, this year I came to live in London and I was able to get another copy of this set using bricklink.
It is a great addition to any Lego town and any town fan should have this set
5 out of 5.