1965

1965 was a growth year for LEGO. The number of people employed by LEGO at Billund reached 600. LEGO was also increasing the pace of new development. Continued sales growth for the company also meant continued expansion of its manufacturing capacity. They also developed several new elements specifically for the North American market. Beginning this year, the primary illustration on each set's box would show only models that could be built with that set's contents. Previous sets featured generic models not necessarily possible.

Samsonite began to look for ways to broaden the age range of the System based on the demands of US retailers. The first gears were introduced, manufactured in the United States under license by Samsonite. The gear wheels were a natural extension to the wheels and allowed for the inclusion of mechanical models with rotating parts or geared transmissions. The gears were designed in Billund by Knud Moller Kristiansen and patented in several countries but were only marketed by Samsonite in North America this year.