These are the LEGOLAND vehicle sets of the 1970s, the cars, lorries, fire engines, ambulances and tow trucks of LEGO town building before the minifigure. Most came without any figure at all. From 1975 a few included the first small LEGO figures, with a bare head and a body without arms, and these led to the minifigure of 1978. Some carried real brand names, Shell above all, as LEGO had a long partnership with the oil company, and 621 Shell Tanker Truck was one of the first. The later years added a hovercraft and a rally car to the usual mix of emergency services, building machines and transport trucks.
1970 LEGO Sets
1970 marked a period of transition and consolidation for LEGO. The company began reclaiming U.S. market rights from Samsonite following founder Jesse Shwayder’s death, leading to full control by 1973. In Italy, LEGO responded to import restrictions by launching Minitalia, a localized line produced from 1970 to 1975. The long-running Town Plan theme was discontinued as LEGO moved toward standardized scale and unified play systems. While largely a structural year, these shifts laid the groundwork for the innovations of the mid-1970s.