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Lego Technic 1999

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Category: Technic history 1990s
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The Rise of the Robots
1999 NA Technic catalog
29 new sets were released, a number only exceeded in 2000. The new assortment included several small promotional sets, 9 Throwbot sets, 3 Mindstorm sets as well as several traditional Technic sets, including a new auto chassis, the 8480 Super Street Sensation. The theme received a new, more modern logo and box design starting in the middle of the year.
In addition to a completely new series of Throwbot elements other new pieces included the flexible cross axles, fairing panels, a new pneumatic cylinder as well as several new Mindstorms electronics. For the most part the new elements tended to be either decorative or electronic, mirroring the widening division in the theme.
The Throwbots:The Throwbots, called Slizer in Europe, represent not only a completely new type of construction as but a new philosophy by Lego as well. The small sets, typically containing 30-50 pieces, were simple to build and had only 2 functions: To throw a spinning disc from a flexible arm and fold up via a series of gears. The sets contained only a few traditional Technic elements, such as cross axles and pinion gears, most of the model was constructed using new, decorative elements.
The sets were the first attempt by Lego to create a true action figure where play, not construction, was the key to the toy. The sets were also marketed with randomly packaged discs, encouraging children to collect all of them. Clearly a response to the popularity of toys such as Nintendo's Pokêmon. The Throwbots represent the most extreme example of the growing division in Technic.
Lego Star Wars
The Lucasfilm License: In yet another philosophical leap, Lego entered into it's first ever license agreement. This agreement with Lucasfilm for the rights to market construction toys based on the Star Wars movies would last until 2007 and reportedly cost Lego upward of 20 million USD. Lego began producing sets that ran across all of their current product offerings. In 1999 the first Star Wars Mindstorms set, the 9748 Droid Development Kit, was released. This would be followed by many more Technic sets in the coming years.
US patent D423,061
The Throwbot arm: There was an entirely new class of elements designed for the Throwbots. These elements were highly detailed but also highly figural and less generic than elements to date. The result was an element designed for a specific function.
The Throwbot arm is a good representation of this new design. The arm consisted of a 3-flanged end that could hold a disc and on end and a new large ball joint connector at the other. A molded spring in the center allowed the arm to flex and when sprung back to its original position, release the disc by inertia. The amount of detail molded into the element made it difficult to use for any other purpose.
These new figural elements would form the basis of future robot type figures such as the Roboriders and, finally, Bionicle.
1999 EU catalog
8448 Super Street Sensation: The 5th auto chassis. Although not a technically complex as its predecessor, the 8448, nevertheless included 4 wheel independent suspension, front wheel rack and pinion steering, a 5-speed transmission with a reverse gear and an 8 cylinder engine that could be mounted either in front or back. Several different body styles could be built with one featuring pneumatically dampened gull wing doors.
What the 8448 really represented was a styling exercise. Lego sponsored a design project at Coventry University and used those ideas in creating the model. They used rounded beams and new fairing panels to suggest body panels and the new flexible cross axles and corrugated tubes to create a curves that were simply not possible with older construction techniques. The result was by far the most realistic looking of the auto chassis.
This use of rounded beams, fairing panels and flexible elements for the superstructure would become typical for 4th generation models. The designs, however, were never quite as successful as they were with the 8448.

With 25 total sets released, 1999 is tied with 2000 for the most sets ever.  You'll notice that there are nowhere near that many models in the image above.  The omission is intentional.  At this point, Technic began expanding so far beyond its traditional market than many of the models are arguably not part of the Technic line.  This distinction is subjective.   Pictured are the 4 Micro sets, the 2 Competition sets, the 6 Tech Play sets, and the 4 Tech Build sets.  Not pictured (but included on the list below) are the 9 new Slizer sets.

Slizer was a brand new idea to use Technic parts (and a lot of totally new types of parts) to create anthropomorphic figures with minimal functionality to appeal to younger males.  These had little in common with the existing Technic brand, but would later expand into the wildly popular Bionicle.  I've chosen to include the models badged as Technic on this web site up until the time that Bionicle came into existence in 2001.   Past that, it became a whole other system.

Three of the Tech Play sets this year used a unique new part as a modular connector to allow portions of the models to be combined in many different ways.  While intriguing in concept, it didn't really work because none of the alternate connection possibilities made any sense (they didn't learn from 8244).  This part was never used again.

The focus on model appearance was pushed even farther this year.  Previous years saw the use of flex tubing and ribbed hoses as decorative elements.  This year went much farther and added curved panels and flexible axles.  Nowhere was this more evident that in the 8448 Super Street Sensation.  This 5th evolution of the Supercar line attempted to improve on the older 8880 in every way.  Whether or not it succeeded is a subject of much debate, but there is no doubt that this car ushered in a new era of Technic automotive design.

Once again, the number of new parts was very large, and those listed do not even include the new Slizer parts.  Some of the new parts (like panels and flex axles) set a new standard and were used for decades.  Other new parts (like the modular connector and many of the unique 8448 parts) never appeared again.

Parts
Modular Connector
The part shown in transparent yellow is a modular connector used to securely attach disparate parts of a model together and allow them to be connected in various ways.  It didn't work very well and was never used again.

Rotors
A 5L straight rotor and a 3 bladed rotor were introduced.  They each had a central axle hole to drive rotation and studs on the blades.

Gears
To augment the existing bevel gears, a new set of double bevel gears was introduced.  The full thickness gears have 12 and 20 teeth and can be used at a 90 degree angle from either side or can be used as spur gears.  To round out the set, a half thickness traditional 20 tooth bevel gear was also introduced.

Damper
The part that looks like a transparent shock absorber is a damper.  Some early promotional material inaccurately called it hydraulics.  This spring loaded cartridge can be compressed and will then extend at a controlled rate.  There were initial quality problems that lead to high breakage rates, but a redesign solved the problem and many existing parts were replaced (it was my first interaction with LEGO® Customer Service).  This part is quite rare, but did remain in intermittent use for a decade.

Suspension Arm
A new suspension arm was introduced just for 8448 and never appeared in any other set.  The primary advantage is the small size which allowed it to be contained inside the wheel for an accurate turning center.

Miscellaneous
A new 5.5L axle was introduced with an integral stop.  This part saw heavy use as a wheel support axle because the stop prevents it from falling out of a hole.  A 2x4 L-shaped liftarm was introduced.  A double pin with cross axle hole provided for very secure connections, as did a cross block with two axles holes and a perpendicular pin hole (both shown in black).  With the toothed elements gone, a new smooth toggle joint was needed.  When used in pairs, these can be used to connect axles as angles not possible with the 22.5 degree increments of angle connectors, but also not locked.  Finally, an extension was introduced for the driving ring transmission system.  This is discussed further with 8448.

Decorative Parts
Some new parts which were introduced which were purely decorative in nature and had little to no structural or functional utility.

A series of flexible axles was introduced in fixed lengths (11L, 12L, 14L, 16L, and 19L).  These are made of a very soft malleable material and have the same cross section as regular axles.  The designers included multiple features to prevent builders from using them to transmit torque (which would destroy the parts).  Firstly, the ends are round.  This allows them to be inserted into pin or axle holes but remain free to spin.  Even more importantly, the ends of the cross are blocked.  Besides providing an aesthetic accent, the real purpose of these features is to prevent a gear from being attached.

There were a new set of curved panels, released in matched sets of mirrored pairs.  All of these parts had large circular openings which were intended to accept the ribbed hose.  Pin holes at the ends allowed locking to structure.  Like the angle connectors, the panels had molded in numbers to assist in identification.  The numbers released this year were #1-4.

Wheels and Tires
A new wheel and tire set were released for, and are unique to, 8448.  The painted metallic silver wheels have a directional pattern which rotates the wrong direction on one side of the car.  The tires have a unique tread pattern.

A new set of medium (56x30) balloon tires were also introduced.  The wheel was available in metallic silver this year but then reverted to more traditional colors.


1999 sets:

By Isodomus and Technicopedia