TANKFEST 2024 Guest Vehicles

Every year for TANKFEST we work with other collections to bring you a variety of guest vehicles, which will be on display in the arena. Check this page for regular updates on which guest vehicles will be appearing at TANKFEST 2024.

Valentine DD

In the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the world’s last Valentine Duplex Drive will take to the arena. One of Hobart’s funnies, it was used for training in the run up to D-Day and was one of the first tanks to be fitted with a floatation screen.

Marder III

This Marder III Ausf. M, painstakingly restored from a wreck by Jon Phillips, is returning to TANKFEST after its 2018 debut. The Marder III was the name for a series of German tank destroyers used until the end of the Second World War, constructed of a Panzer 38(t) Ausf. M chassis and 7.5cm PaK 40 anti-tank gun.

Whippet Replica

This will be the world debut of the replica of the Whippet “Musical Box”. The build was conducted by Landships CIC and ran from 2019 to 2024 (with a break for COVID). It involved thousands of hours of workshop effort and research, including interviewing descendants of Musical Box’s crew, over 7 tons of steel for the fabrication, 1000 pretend rivets, 14km of welding wire, and 400 cutting and grinding disks. Read the story of Musical Box HERE.

M47 Patton

In its TANKFEST debut, the M47 Patton will be joining in on the arena action following its restoration by Matt Pyle. This iconic American medium tank with its 90mm gun was widely used by the reformed West German Army from 1955 and by Cold War allies in various conflicts, from the Suez Crisis to the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965.

Centurion FV4003 AVRE

Fitted with a 165mm gun, this Centurion FV4003 AVRE joins us from Norfolk Tank Museum and was originally built as a Mk3 Main Battle Tank in the late 1940’s. It was the first centurion to be converted in the 1950’s to AVRE specification. It served during peace time in the U.K. and Germany and saw combat during the 1991 Gulf War.

AMX-13

The AMX-13 is a French light tank, produced from the 1950s to the 1980s and exported to over 25 different nations. This particular AMX-13 was manufactured in France and sports a 105mm rifled main armament. It has been fully restored by FARG Motorpool, serviced and resprayed green, with decals added to represent its French heritage.

Centurion Mark 3

Designed before the end of the Second World War, the Centurion is often believed to be the epitome of the tank and is one the most significant post war tanks. This Centurion (20 pounder) joins us from the Historic Collection of the Royal Netherlands Army.