IT WAS the mother of all mysteries - how to build a full-size caravan made of Lego.

But they managed to put the pieces together - in more ways than one - and create one of the most unusual “vehicles” that has ever gone on show in Hampshire.

The grey and green record-breaker is officially “the largest caravan built with interlocking plastic bricks”.

Built by 12 model-makers using 215,158 pieces it does almost everything a real caravan can do. Interior features include electric lights, running water and even seats that fold into a bed.

Closer inspection reveals a range of household items - all made of Lego.

They include eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes in a frying pan on a two-hob burner. The vehicle also boasts a fridge full of food, a vase of flowers and even a complete chess set.

Measuring 3.6metres-long and 2.2metres-tall, the eye-catching exhibit has gone on display at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu.

A museum spokesman said: “Visitors can see up-close how this caravan stacks up. It was designed to mimic a classic T@B 320 teardrop-style caravan and was created two years ago by Lego building specialist Bright Bricks to promote the annual Motorhome & Caravan Show for the National Caravan Council.

“The project took 12 weeks and more than 1,000 man-hours.

“Layers of Lego bricks were built on top of a conventional caravan chassis, proving how strong and versatile the plastic pieces are. Only standard off-the-shelf Lego pieces were used, with no custom-made components.”

The unique caravan is on show next to a Caravan and Motorhome Club display at the award-winning museum.

Other vehicles in the collection include Mr Bean’s Mini, the three-wheel van driven by Del Boy in Only Fools and Horses, and the last Cadillac bought by Elvis Presley.

The original museum was established in the early 1950s by the previous Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, who died in 2015.

Other attractions include historic Palace House, ancestral home of the Montagu family since 1538, and the ruins of Beaulieu Abbey.

A building beside Palace House is home to an exhibition about the Special Operations Executive (SOE), a top-secret organisation established during the Second World War to work with Resistance groups behind enemy lines in Nazi-occupied Europe.

Many of the spies and saboteurs recruited by SOE were trained on the Beaulieu Estate.