Note: This month's new products announcements are primarily from the 2000 Chicago Hobby Show; special thanks to Dan Goins, Vito Larucci, Todd Terpstra, and Jan Scholten for providing information. For photos of all these new items, check our Chicago Hobby Show Report photo page.

Athearn displayed their new Monon 53' domestic containers in J.B. Hunt livery and introduced an all-new model of a Jindo built 53' domestic container used by APL and Pacer StackTrain.

Boley displayed a variety of trucks based on their Navistar International 4900 cab. Included were dump trucks, concrete mixers, roll-back bed vehicle recovery trucks, fire trucks, lumber delivery trucks, etc. Many will be available as two or four door cab versions. The previously announced Navistar 9400 Eagle 3 axle tractor is still in the works but has been postponed due to work on other projects.

Busch displayed a fire truck version of their 1950 Chevrolet pickup truck at the E-R Models booth. Also prominently displayed was a 1/87 scale (exact scale according to Jorg Vallen of Busch) of a UFO!

Classic Metal Works has expanded their diecast lineup for 1/87 scale to include:

1953 White 3000 truck tractor

1953 White 3000 straight truck with dump body

1953 White 3000 straight truck with "Wonder Bread" van body

1953 White 3000 straight truck with tank body

1957 Chrysler 300C

1958 Chevrolet Impala

In addition, the 1961 Chevrolet Impala, and 1953 Ford Victoria are being issued in black and white police colors.

Also, their previously issued models are being released in two new color schemes each

1953 Ford Victoria

1970 Chevy Chevelle

1961 Chevy Impala

1950 Ford Pickup

1948 Ford Woody Panel

1941 Plymouth

1948 Ford Convertible

1955 Chevy Belair

Features include rubber tires, two color paint schemes per model, plated parts where appropriate, and opening hoods with engine detail. The models are fully assembled. [Note: We have posted photos from the Chicago Hobby Show; click here to view]

IMEX Models displayed their initial model trucks to be released this fall. This is a new entrant into 1/87 with a line of very nice diecast period trucks. Look for IMEX to produce trucks from the 1930 through the 1960 eras.

Model Power had samples in Chicago of their upcoming Shell Oil tank trucks; the graphics are excellent. They also had a version of their HD wrecker painted for the U.S. Army. Shown in brochures were a variety of additional bodies styles to be released using their Kenworth T600B cab.

Overland Models displayed a large D-8 sized bulldozer in brass used for clearing train wrecks on the Union Pacific railroad.

Resin Unlimited had several of their recent projects on display. The Don Mills Models Mack LJ truck tractor and On-Trak 28' van trailer were prominently displayed. There were also pre-production samples of the three axle lowboy that features a laser cut deck with photo-etched outriggers and excellent spring and brake details. This kit will be utilizing Lonestar Models spoke wheels and Trucks 'N Stuff tires and axles. A massive 1/87 model of the Great Lakes iron ore vessel, Edmund Fitzgerald, was on display. Also new are photo-etched "slam locks" used on emergency equipment doors and cabinets.

Wiking - Leading off Wiking's last new models of the Millennium is the new Mercedes-Benz Unimog U400. The new 'Mog made its debut in April, 2000 and is the first Unimog to at least give a nod to esthetics (it's a very slight nod, but it's there). The new model, order no. 372 01 33, comes in yellow and looks to be nicely-detailed. The Unimog is of particular interest to American collectors as the prototype is sold in the United States. Though not offered though Mercedes' U.S. distribution network, Unimogs are imported by distributors like Ultimate All-Wheel Drive in Arizona and Lehigh Concrete Technologies in Pennsylvania.

The only other totally new model is the 286 01 27 Iveco Daily cargo van in blue with the high roof. The Daily completes Wiking's models of the Iveco line (there are already models of the larger EuroCargo and EuroStar). Leading off the new color schemes is the 864 03 29 Jagaur Mk II in what Wiking claims is typical British police livery. The car is done in LAPD-style black and white, with a large "POLICE" covering the front and rear doors and a roof-mounted blue warning light. The old 1960s-era DKW Munga model has been re-released in German Army colors as model 696 11 22. The jeep-like Munga was the last vehicle built by DKW under its own name and went out of production in 1968. The last civilian vehicle designed by DKW was actually introduced by VW as the first postwar Audi. Wiking's Mercedes-Benz A-Class model undergoes another transformation, this time coming out in red as model 601 04 29, a model of a car used by a volunteer fire brigade in Berlin. Wiking is showing off the capabilities of their new paint shop with model 780 04 40, an older-style Mercedes single-axle tractor with tank trailer. The "Alles Super" model features a wide blue band that extends from one side of the tanker body, over the top, to the other side. The Büssing 8000 double-bottom from the Classic Series also gets a new color scheme with markings for "Jacob's Coffee". The part no. is 886 05 39. The Mercedes-Benz Actros tractor-trailer model is also one of the December releases. Model no. 538 04 43 carries the markings of Boysen, a German auto parts supplier. December's focus for the Euro-Wiking line is Austria. Wiking has redecorated four of their models, three of them for the Austrian Army. Model 697 03 27 is a Volkswagen Golf III Station Wagon in white with military police markings and a newly-designed light bar. Model 697 01 28 is a VW 181 in NATO olive. Wiking calls it a "jagdwagen" which literally means "hunting" or "pursuit" car, but this is how the German and Austrian armies refer to their MPs. Model 697 02 25 is a VW Golf II in NATO olive with white stripe and MP markings. Wiking's last new product for December is a red MAN NL City Bus decorated as an Austrian "Bahnbus." Order number is 706 39 36. For those of you comfortable with German, Wiking has also released WIKING-MAGAZIN 2000 with a number of articles of interest to Wiking fans and collectors. This issue's focus is 50 years of the VW Bulli, which we know as the Micro-bus, in all its many variations. Order number is 006 07 00. These products will be available in Germany beginning in December. Availability in the U.S. will probably not happen until sometime in January, 2001, because of the heavy holiday shipping traffic. Wiking's next new product announcement will come in time for the Nürnberg Toy Fair in February, 2001.

To see these new models, go to Wiking's web site (www.wiking.de) and select "Neuheiten" from the menu. [Special thanks to Bill Cawthon for this WIking update!]