Micro #853 Auto Chassis

Here is my homage to one of the very first and innovative Technic sets. #853 was the set I always wanted when it came out in 1977 - one of my school friends had one and I was very jealous! It was many years later before I could afford to buy my own. I loved the size and was amazed by the functionality - moving engine pistons, steering, gearbox, and adjustable seats! I conveniently overlooked the lack of weather protection!

I've never tried designing at micro-scale before, and it was a lot of fun. The big chunky tyres were a challenge, but I discovered a 1x1 Liftarm spacer fits nicely into the old thick-style tyre (from eg Set #6440) - combining with a Technic Pin to enable the wheels to spin freely.

The first image shows the design where the front wheels can be "steered", but it is not true steering as they are independent. The other three images therefore show the alternative design where all four wheels are fixed to run straight - allowing full zooming potential!