In 1996 LEGO released 7 Freestyle sets. The largest Freestyle set from 1996 was
2146 Sort and Store Suitcase with a piece count of 803.
Freestyle was a LEGO theme that was released in 1995 and ran for four years. It was the successor to the Basic theme and focused on creative building with simple, basic LEGO bricks. Many Freestyle sets were bucket sets. The theme was later succeeded by the Bricks and More theme.
1996 LEGO Sets
In 1996, the LEGO Group continued its legacy of innovation, though it was nearing a challenging period in its history. This year saw the company's ventures into digital media, with the establishment of LEGO Media, marking its initial foray into the world of video games and multimedia. Additionally, the Technic line was rebranded to create a more coherent global brand identity. While traditional brick sets remained popular, the mid-90s marked the beginning of a time when the company recognized the need for diversification and modernization to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving toy market.