Creator

Fiat 500 - Bright Light Blue Version

The little Italian classic in a baby blue that somehow suits it even better.

Brick Rated Score

4.2/5

Set 77942 · 2021

Pieces960

Minifigsn/a

Year2021

Set number77942

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The verdict

I have a soft spot for the yellow Fiat 500, so when this pale blue version turned up I braced myself to be unmoved by a simple recolor.

Reader, it got me. That powdery Bright Light Blue reads as more authentically period-correct to my eye than the sunny yellow ever did, and the little painting-by-the-Colosseum scene still makes me grin. The catch is real though: it was a UK-only trial run, it is retired, and prices have climbed well past the original tag. If you can find one at a fair number and you love the shape, it is a joy. If you just want a Fiat 500 to build, the standard yellow gives you the same lovely model for less trouble.

Best for: Classic-car lovers and Fiat 500 collectors chasing the rarer color

The full review

What it is

This is the Fiat 500, LEGO's love letter to the tiny Italian city car, done up in a soft Bright Light Blue instead of the original yellow. It is the 10271 model underneath, based on the Fiat 500F from the late 1960s, complete with the luggage rack and suitcase on the back, an opening roof, doors, hood and tailgate, and that sweet little folding easel with a paintbrush, palette and a mini painting of the car parked in front of the Colosseum in Rome. The first time I set the finished model on a shelf I honestly preferred it to the yellow. The blue is gentle and a bit vintage-postcard, and it makes the whole thing look like it just puttered out of a 1960s film.

The catch

I have to be straight with you about the price and the premise. This was a UK-only release, part of a small trial LEGO ran where existing sets got tested in new colors and sizes. It sold through the end of November 2021 and was never coming back, so it is properly retired now and the sealed price has drifted up past the original figure by a good margin. That stings when you remember the actual change here is cosmetic. LEGO swapped the Bright Light Yellow elements for Bright Light Blue and quietly turned some internal structural parts red for build contrast, and that is more or less the whole story. At 960 pieces it is also not a marathon. Three numbered bag stages and you are done in an easygoing afternoon.

Who it's for

So who should chase this one down? If you collect Fiat 500s, or you fell for that blue and want the version most people will never own, it is worth the hunt at a sensible price. It displays beautifully and it has real personality. If you simply want to build and own a Fiat 500, though, I would point you straight at the standard yellow 10271. Same delightful model, same techniques, far easier to buy, and your wallet will thank you. This blue edition is a collector's pick first and a builder's pick second.

The parts story

What the build is actually like, and the pieces worth knowing about.

The build itself is relaxed and rewarding rather than demanding. LEGO leaned on edge-blunting plate techniques instead of elaborate curved pieces to get that rounded 500 silhouette, so it comes together faster than the piece count suggests, and the payoff is watching the cheerful little shape emerge stage by stage. The fabric sun roof is the moment I always enjoy, it folds back and closes with a satisfying snugness, and swapping the license plates in and out is a small nerdy pleasure. It is approachable enough that a newer 16-plus builder will not feel lost, while still having enough technique to keep a veteran smiling.

The headline for parts people is the color itself. Around 59 distinct elements come in the key body color, and just as the yellow version debuted a heap of parts in Bright Light Yellow, many of these arrived in Bright Light Blue for the first time here, which makes them a quiet treasure for custom builders. The interior structure was recolored to red to help you see what you are doing during the build, a thoughtful touch. Little details got updated too: the license plates now read 77942 instead of 10271, the included painting shows a blue car, and a Union Jack badge was added to the suitcase as a nod to the UK release.

Fun facts

01This blue Fiat was part of a small UK and Ireland trial where LEGO tested existing sets in new colors and sizes, and it was never sold anywhere else.
02It is a direct recolor of the 2020 yellow Fiat 500 (10271), with the Bright Light Yellow parts swapped for Bright Light Blue and some internal parts turned red for build contrast.
03The license plates were re-tooled to display the new set number 77942, and the tiny easel painting was repainted to show a blue car instead of a yellow one.
04A Union Jack badge was added to the suitcase, a little wink at the set's UK-exclusive origins.