1961 LEGO Sets

1961 marked a significant year for the LEGO Group. International sales, production and distribution were greatly expanded. North America was an important market but its sheer size and distance from Denmark required a sales and distribution network that was too large for LEGO to manage at the time. LEGO reached an agreement to allow Samsonite to begin producing and selling LEGO products in North America. The result was a license for exclusive North American distribution rights and LEGO began marketing sets under the name ‘LEGO by Samsonite’ in the US in 1961. In the same year, LEGO Italy was established.

As far as set production, LEGO saw a great expansion in 1961 and one key new feature was the LEGO wheel. The company was also awarded its US patent for 'Toy Building Brick.' The design called for a hollow rectangular brick with studs on top and a round hollow tube on the bottom. In addition to the continued supplemental sets, sets for airplanes, boats and vehicles continued to be produced along with additional basic building sets and new Town Plan sets.