1974 / Universal Building Set / Gears

LEGO's Universal Building Sets theme was released as early as 1966 but it was not until 1973 that the Basic LEGO sets became known as Universal Building Sets. These sets were produced in two set version numbers, the first was for sets that were sold in the UK, Europe, Canada and Australia. The other version numbers, but for the same exact set with the same box artwork was released in the United States. Most, but not all sets between 1973 and 1981 were sold in both regions.

1974 LEGO Sets

In 1974, LEGO released several new sets and themes, including the LEGO Universal Building Set, which included a range of new bricks in different shapes and colors. 1974 was also the year that LEGO introduced the LEGO Technic theme, which focused on building complex, mechanically-themed models such as cars, airplanes, and construction equipment. The Technic theme introduced new elements such as gears, levers, and motors, which allowed for more realistic, functional models. Other notable sets and themes released by LEGO in 1974 included the LEGO Space theme, which expanded upon the Space sets released in previous years, and the LEGO Trains theme, which introduced the first LEGO electric trains.