The Shell Tanker Truck (set 6695) is a vintage set by LEGO released in 1984. It was released under the LEGOLAND (now Classic) Town theme.
Table of contents
Introduction
With a lot of similarly themed builds (e.g. sets 621, 671, 40196, 60016, etc.), the 1984 LEGO Shell Tanker Truck stands out for its simplicity, bright colours and recognisability. It was released in 1984 (now discontinued) and contains 106 pieces, one Minifigure and stickers.
Back in the day, The LEGO Company collaborated with well-known companies to create familiarity and sell their sets. The bright red and yellow branding of the gas company Shell works well with LEGO bricks and made this good-looking, yet simple set — the Shell Tanker Truck.
Building the Shell Tanker Truck (6695)
LEGO sets were way simpler in the past and the Shell Tanker Truck is no exception. Using the original manual the set can be completed in 13 steps. The box has no indication for age, but there is nothing complex about the build and should take the average builder a couple of minutes.
The set consists of two main parts, the truck and the tanker. They are combined using a turntable piece in the middle.
We have also made our own PDF instructions for the LEGO Shell Tanker Truck using its original vintage pieces. Become a Patron and get the PDF instructions, Blender (.blend) and Studio (.io) files for free.
Shell Tanker Truck (6695) alternate builds
On the back of the original box, various alternate builds are indicated. They include a Shell truck with a trailer, two mini tanker trucks — one with an older-looking truck, a car with a petrol pump, another petrol pump and a Shell bulldozer-like vehicle.
Bricks Nostalgia has also posted a YouTube video about another, nice-looking alternate build using the same pieces.
Playability
Although the Shell Tanker Truck is more valued as a vintage set, it makes a great toy too. It has movable parts, can be separated, has a Minifigure and has a hosepipe and pump piece which can be unwinded.
First of all, the set has wheels — making the truck mobile. As mentioned above, the set is also divided into two main parts, the truck and the tanker. By using a turntable piece, the connection between the parts a flexible, which makes for an enjoyable experience and adds a lot of display positions.
Furthermore, the doors of the truck can open and close and the roof of the truck is hinged to be opened and closed (part names vehicle roof 4213 and vehicle roof holder 4315) allowing Minifigures to go in and out of the driving section.
The value
As mentioned earlier, the Shell Tanker Truck is more valuable as a vintage collectable than a toy today. Being a long discontinued set, new sets are very hard to find these days, but BrickLink still offers second-hand sets for sale.
The price around the time of writing this post, a used LEGO Tanker Truck was around U$D33 (ZAR500).
Related LEGO sets
The early 1980s saw a lot of similarly themed sets with the Shell logo on them. They include the Shell Service Station (set 6378) and Shell Tow Truck (set 6628).
Conclusion
The Shell Tanker Truck is a good-looking vintage LEGO set from 1984. It was memorable for its simplicity, bright colouration and playability. The set is easy to build — if you can get your hands on it and makes a great collectable set representing the early 1980s.
Author Renier DelportPosted on Categories BlogBlog
