Review: LEGO 75884 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback
March 11, 2018
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Earlier this month, LEGO released the newest wave of Speed Champions sets, featuring a blend of classic and contemporary vehicles from the likes of Ford, Ferrari and Porsche.
The 3 carmakers represent the big 3 traditional car-manufacturing countries – America, Italy and Germany, ensuring that there’s a bit of something for everybody this time around.
LEGO Speed Champions has quietly been one of LEGO’s most consistent performers in recent years, with new sets that continue to captivate old fans and draw in new ones with each release.
To start with this year’s new Speed Champions sets, let’s take a closer look at 75884 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback.
Name: 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback
Set Number: 75884
Price: AU$22.99 | US$ 14.99 | £12.99 (Buy from LEGO.com [AUS] [USA] [UK]) [Amazon]
Exclusive to: N/A
Pieces: 183
Minifigs: 1
Theme: Speed Champions
Year of Release: 2018
Instructions: 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback
I don’t really consider myself a Ford person (I’d never drive a Ford), but I am a pretty huge movie buff and the 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback is undoubtedly one of the most iconic cars in Hollywood history, thanks to Steve McQueen’s Bullit which like the car, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
The green vintage pony car is a clear homage to the iconic vehicle and should prove extremely popular with Ford and Mustang fans.
I find Speed Champions cars to be notoriously difficult to review, as the entire appeal of the models mostly boil down to how closely they resemble their full-sized counterparts.
There isn’t a lot of variance in terms of the actual build process, and although you do encounter new or uncommon parts, you typically don’t buy a Speed Champions set because you want a fun, interesting build.
There’s only one way to truly evaluate a Speed Champions set, and that is purely based on how good the set looks. Thankfully, the 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback is an absolutely gorgeous model – photogenic in so many ways, which made is such a treat to photograph.
I’ll let the photos do most of the talking, which is, IMHO, the only way to truly relay how sublime the car is.
As it customary with Speed Champions sets, here’s the dreaded sticker sheet. The good news is about 80% of the stickers aren’t necessary for the car.
If you want to keep things “stock” or try to recreate the Bullitt Mustang (possible, with a few part swaps), you’re free to do so which is incredibly liberating.
In keeping with the “vintage” theme of the set, the LEGO Ford Mustang Fastback comes with a solitary driver, appropriately attired in a tan vintage racing suit which has neat details such as red and blue trim, and the Ford logo emblazoned on his chest.
The driver is a slightly older gentleman, with a neatly trimmed facial hair, and a confident smirk on him.
Here’s the back printing on the minifigure. I really love the vintage racing suit and the attention to detail that LEGO puts into having great minifigures in sets where minifigures often play the role of supporting character.
On to the car. This is hands down my favourite Speed Champions vehicle yet and I’m not even a hardcore Ford/Mustang fan.
The designers have done an incredible job capturing the essence of the 1968 Mustang Fastback’s design, using new elements such as the Right/Left Plate 1X2, W/ Bow, 45 Deg. Cut (what a mouthful).
And here’s the LEGO 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback constructed in all its glory. The set comes with a Ford-branded timing board which displays the time for a quarter mile drag race.
It’s a neat little accompaniment that uses a minimal number of bricks to give you the context that this muscle car is a beast to be reckoned with on the drag strip.
The decision to paint the 1968 Mustang Fastback green is a brilliant one as it is by far one of the most eye-catching Speed Champions cars I’ve owned. There’s just something unmistakably tough yet classy about the dark green that evokes the spirit of the Bullitt Mustang so powerfully.
The front view is masculine and intimidating, and you can almost hear the roar of the V8 engine. Sadly, the Mustang logo is a sticker applied to a double cheese tile. It’s in your best interest to align it as straight as possible, lest it looks as sloppy as mine.
Here’s how the 1968 Mustang Fastback looks from the side. It’s a little “taller” and “chunkier” than I would’ve liked but given the limitations of LEGO elements, the set still manages to successfully capture the shape and dimensions of the real thing.
One of my favourite features of the car are the period-appropriate gold wheels which contrast so beautifully against the dark green.
I also like the 68 stickers that cover the entire car, they add a lot of character to what was a monumental year for the Ford Motor Company.
I equally like the dual gold racing stripes that stretch across the length of the body, which serve to give it a sense of belonging on the race track and also differentiates it from the Bullitt Mustang.
The stickers are a point of contention for me, and are what holds this set back from being absolutely perfect. I believe this is the first time we get LEGO and Speed Champions-specific sponsor decals… which is a little weird.
I do appreciate how “meta” it is, by using it to promote the Speed Champions line and LEGO branding, as well as some cute references to clutch power, and a Technic pin, but it feels really out of place on a model that is meant to celebrate the heritage of the Ford Mustang.
It’s really jarring to have a car that simultaneously screams 1968, and cover it with modern-day LEGO branding. It’s a little too self-serving and ruins the sense of immersion for me.
The back is where the 1968 Mustang Fastback truly shines – first of all, the presence of the round tile with the printed Mustang logo (reflective!) just lifts up the set in ways that a sticker cannot even come close to achieving.
I really love the sideways build technique that the designers employed to get the look of the brake lights right. The shape of the grey bumper (would’ve been great if this was chrome) is also super accurate and the twin exhaust pipes just tie the entire look together.
What I liked:
- Lovely green and gold colour scheme
- Sleek design and overall attention to detail
- Celebrates the heritage of the 1968 Mustang Fastback in stunning fashion
- Printed Mustang tile
- Vintage racing minifigure
What I didn’t like:
- LEGO Speed Champions branding/stickers ruin the “heritage” factor
Final thoughts: Fans of Speed Champions and the Ford Mustang owe it to themselves to pick this set up. It’s immaculately designed and a delight when put on display.
From the iconic Dark Green colour scheme, to the minifigure in the vintage Ford racing suit, the set almost perfectly celebrates 50 years of the 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback in stunning fashion.
The overall shape and design of the LEGO Fastback is near-flawless, with clever use of new elements and build techniques to innovate on the format of the Speed Champions car. The period-appropriate gold wheels are the most underrated element of the car, and really elevates it to eye-candy status.
The stickers unlike most other Speed Champions sets where they’re mostly mandatory, but the inclusion of the LEGO logo and Speed Champions is a puzzling one for me as it actually detracts from the “vintage” vibe that the set is clearly going for.
My advice is to leave as many of the stickers out as humanly possible. Keep the 68 ones, and the gold racing stripes, but forgo any of the Speed Champions one. Unfortunately, the one with the LEGO logo on the bonnet is mandatory if you want to retain the stripes.
Stickers aside, I highly recommend getting this car even if you’re a casual automotive fan. It’s one of the best Speed Champions cars yet in my opinion, and it’s also quite affordable at the same time so it won’t leave a huge dent in your bank account.
Rating: 4/5
Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed the photos as much as I did taking them! Have you got the LEGO 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback yet? I’d love to know what you thought of the set in the comments, and take the poll below to share how you’d rate the set.
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