Busch has begun shipping the fourth series of new models to retailers and distributors. Among the new models are the Mercedes-Benz CLK and E-Class T-Model station wagon. The following is a complete list of the new products now being delivered:
40255 BMW 327 Convertible, CMD Collection 41550 Mercedes 170V “Texaco” 41551 Mercedes 170V Monster-Truck “Firebug” 41812 Ford E-350 Ambulance “Mercy Medical Services” (Nevada) 41817 Ford E-350 Ambulance “RAV Ambulance” (Holland) 42052 Opel Commodore A, German Air Force General 42765 VW Beetle Monster Truck “Bluebottle” 44002 Dodge Power Wagon, U.S. Army 46504 Renault 4 CV “Picon” (decorated for a French liquor distributor) 46676 Plymouth Fury, Kansas Highway Patrol 46707 VW Hebmüller Convertible, “Just Married” 46802 Mercedes W 123 T-Model, German Traffic Police 46804 Mercedes W123 T-Model, Nürnberg Fire Brigade (500-piece limited edition) 47624 Chevrolet Caprice, Rosemont (Illinois) Police 47917 Iveco Daily “Döner” Grill Truck 48924 Smart City Coupé “Herz Mobil” (Special rescue service vehicle used by the German Red Cross in Karlsruhe) 48929 Smart City Coupé Hamburg Police II (blue and silver with new graphics) 48930 Smart City Coupé DaimlerChrysler “Partner of the Fire Brigade” series (16 Models, one for each of the German states) 48931 Smart City Coupé “Euroambulance” (Transport vehicle for ambulatory patients used in Hamburg) 48933 Smart City Coupé English Police, yellow-and-blue Battenburg scheme 48934 Smart City Coupé “Cheese Smart” 49082 Ford Crown Victoria, Kentucky State Police 49154 MB C-Class, T-Model, Emergency Doctor 49251 Audi A 4 Avant, Bavarian Police 49256 Audi A 4 Avant, THW (German disaster relief organization) 49405 Mercedes-Benz CLK Convertible, CMD Collection (new tooling) 49455 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, T-Model Station Wagon, CMD Collection (new tooling) 49966 Accessory Set for Monster-Trucks
Oddballs Decals announces three new vehicle decal sets. Set #87-790 is for 1970s Missouri-Kansas-Texas (Katy) railroad 40' piggyback trailers; #87-792 is for 1950s Missouri-Kansas-Texas (Katy) railroad 24' trailers; #87-794 is for Chicago, Rock Island, & Pacific MOW trucks. Check the Oddballs Decals web site for additional offerings.
Promotex announces several new models and detail parts for February delivery:
#460170 - Jeep Dolly
#6328 - Mack CH613 B-Train Combination
#5345 - Drop Deck Trailer Without Toolboxes
#6329 - Peterbilt 362 A-Train Combination
#5344 - Trailer Parts Set
#450370 - International S Garbage Truck
Wiking – Three and a half weeks before the Nuremberg Toy Fair, Wiking announces their February releases. Expect these items at hobby shops in early March. Six items are announced as being totally new, but three of these are more or less heavily modified versions of models we already knew. One of the really, totally new pieces will come without wheels, but makes for quite a sight nonetheless. Here are the details:
032 40 26 – VW New Beetle convertible w/closed top, sunflower yellow. After Volkswagen received the promotional model in eight different colors, Wiking needed to convince collectors to buy yet another drop-top Beetle. The first regular release, offered from October 2003 on, featured a brunette female behind the steering wheel. The model's second color scheme will come with the top up, but without the young lady.
060 03 29 – VW Touareg w/ski box, metallic off road gray. As with the New Beetle, few collectors would take the thirteenth Touareg version if these were almost identical to each other. Hence, after the surfboard-equipped gray-green model of last August, February will see another model with a roof rack, loaded with a ski box this time. Just perfect for the winter season. By the way, the Touareg was one of the two favorites of the judges in Route 1-87's recent Best-of-the-Best comparison.
097 01 40 – VW Touareg w/trailer and boat, metallic silver-blue. Always good for a surprise, Wiking goes back to its roots: Production started with waterline ship models some 64 years ago. Volkswagen of America will love this item as it copies one of their recent magazine ads which stressed the Touareg's 7700-pound towing capabilities. More information on the performance boat will follow. As of now, all that can be said is that power comes from Volkswagen(!) diesel engines, probably two of their 150hp inline-fives, and that it measures around 30 feet in length.
388 02 27 – Joskin fertilizer spreader, yellowish green. This huge agricultural trailer first appeared in N scale with the December releases. Rumor had it at that “large-scale” models would follow, and Wiking did not disappoint collectors and model farmers. The perfect addition to the large farm tractors like the Massey-Ferguson.
608 05 28 – VW Transporter (T5) panel-van, fire brigade (red/white). The first time the commercial version of VW's fifth generation Transporter appears as part of the Wiking range – even before Volkswagen got their promotional pieces. Amazingly enough, this piece of fire-equipment does not wear Wiking's common red-and-yellow scheme. Even more amazingly, Wiking calls it a command car, although it is the window-less van.
877 40 18 – Fortuna agricultural trailer, ca. 1960, dark green. Similar to the Fortuna spreader (887 01 20) Wiking delivered in 2003, but with a conventional tailgate.
059 03 28 – VW Phaeton, metallic nocturne aubergine – or rather a very dark metallic red. Volkswagen's luxury sedan still is one of Wiking's finest models. 131 05 28 – Audi TT roadster w/driver, metallic Misano red. Not a new idea, as the beautiful TT roadster already came with a driver figure in August, but still a means to make life easier for diorama builders – and quite in line with Wiking's tradition.
059 03 28 – VW Phaeton, metallic nocturne aubergine – or rather a very dark metallic red. Volkswagen's luxury sedan still is one of Wiking's finest models.
131 05 28 – Audi TT roadster w/driver, metallic Misano red. Not a new idea, as the beautiful TT roadster already came with a driver figure in August, but still a means to make life easier for diorama builders – and quite in line with Wiking's tradition.
385 03 32 – Massey-Ferguson MF 8280 w/driver, red. The factory-colored farm tractor finally gets the same treatment as its silver twin: It comes with a farmer on the driver seat. Wiking tells us to take a closer look at the miniature figure, which apparently wears a wristwatch. In 1/87 th scale! 529 02 43 – Mercedes-Benz Actros (facelift) tractor-trailer w/high-cube semi, Schober Logistics/2Win. These semi-trailers are most common for food logistics for use with small, standardized, low-weight roll-containers. This must be the fourth Actros with Schober decorations Wiking made. There are more Schober rigs from Albedo. 608 04 29 – Iveco Daily panel-van, fire brigade (red/yellow). Another small equipment-carrier, matching Wiking's red-yellow scheme this time. 611 03 37 – Iveco EuroFire LF 16/12 pumper (red/yellow). This colorfully decorated Löschfahrzeug is part of Iveco-Magirus' factory fleet and only operates as a demonstration vehicle. 807 06 22 – 1957 Citröen ID 19, light turquoise. Another color scheme for the budget version of Citröen's French goddess – la déesse , as the series' DS designation was commonly read. 836 04 24 – 1951 Mercedes 300, umbra gray. It was called W186 internally, but was always referred to as the Adenauer as it was German chancellor Konrad Adenauer‘s means of traveling. 115hp meant a top-speed of 97mph on always-empty stretches of the German Autobahn. The 3.0 inline-six would make a career and propel the 300 SL gullwing three years later. 886 06 40 –1952 Büssing 8000 box truck w/full trailer, Rama (low-fat butter). It must have been the King of the Road in its day, but the engine below the dramatically shaped hood made just 180hp.
385 03 32 – Massey-Ferguson MF 8280 w/driver, red. The factory-colored farm tractor finally gets the same treatment as its silver twin: It comes with a farmer on the driver seat. Wiking tells us to take a closer look at the miniature figure, which apparently wears a wristwatch. In 1/87 th scale!
529 02 43 – Mercedes-Benz Actros (facelift) tractor-trailer w/high-cube semi, Schober Logistics/2Win. These semi-trailers are most common for food logistics for use with small, standardized, low-weight roll-containers. This must be the fourth Actros with Schober decorations Wiking made. There are more Schober rigs from Albedo.
608 04 29 – Iveco Daily panel-van, fire brigade (red/yellow). Another small equipment-carrier, matching Wiking's red-yellow scheme this time.
611 03 37 – Iveco EuroFire LF 16/12 pumper (red/yellow). This colorfully decorated Löschfahrzeug is part of Iveco-Magirus' factory fleet and only operates as a demonstration vehicle.
807 06 22 – 1957 Citröen ID 19, light turquoise. Another color scheme for the budget version of Citröen's French goddess – la déesse , as the series' DS designation was commonly read.
836 04 24 – 1951 Mercedes 300, umbra gray. It was called W186 internally, but was always referred to as the Adenauer as it was German chancellor Konrad Adenauer‘s means of traveling. 115hp meant a top-speed of 97mph on always-empty stretches of the German Autobahn. The 3.0 inline-six would make a career and propel the 300 SL gullwing three years later.
886 06 40 –1952 Büssing 8000 box truck w/full trailer, Rama (low-fat butter). It must have been the King of the Road in its day, but the engine below the dramatically shaped hood made just 180hp.
We do not yet have information on U.S. pricing. Reported by Marc Schmidt; Wiking catalog scans courtesy of Mark Matichek
