LEGO 1976 / Universal Building Set / Supplemental Sets

LEGO's Universal Building Sets theme was released as early as 1966 but it was not until 1973 that the Basic LEGO sets became known as Universal Building Sets. These sets were produced in two set version numbers, the first was for sets that were sold in the UK, Europe, Canada and Australia. The other version numbers, but for the same exact set with the same box artwork was released in the United States. Most, but not all sets between 1973 and 1981 were sold in both regions.

1976 LEGO Sets

In 1976, LEGO released several new sets and themes, including the LEGO Police theme, which introduced models of police cars, motorcycles, and police stations. 1976 was also the year that LEGO introduced the LEGO Basic Building Set, which included a selection of basic bricks in various colors and shapes, as well as instruction booklets with ideas for building projects. Other notable sets and themes released by LEGO in 1976 included the LEGO Space theme, which expanded upon the Space sets released in previous years, and the LEGO Trains theme, which introduced new electric train models.