LEGO Land Rover Defender 110 “Camel Trophy”

There are colossal LEGO sets you can buy and spend days building, and then there are singular, epic projects LEGO Masterbuilders can only dream of. This Land Rover 110 Camel Trophy was built by Manuel Nascimento, and there’s only one. Made with meticulous craftsmanship and nutty attention to detail, the vintage Defender 110 pays homage to the Camel Trophy expedition that took place from 1980 to 2000. The unique yellowish-beige “sandglow” painted Land Rovers that entered the off-road race were only used one time and returned to the UK with low “Camel Trophy miles” and became instant icons. Although Nascimento’s version could use a bit more yellow, it does a damn fine job of capturing the look and the modifications such as the roll cage, bull bars, winch, tow hitches, snorkel, roof rack, Hella lights, upgraded suspension, fuel canisters, etc. He also added working lights, blinkers, and a deployable rooftop tent. This labor of love won him “Best in Show” at the 2017 Paredes de Coura LEGO Fan Weekend in Portugal and deservedly so.