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.

M3 Grant

This M3 Grant was recovered by Colonel John Gillman and Carl Brown, and restored by C&C Military. It’s the world’s oldest running American Medium tank, and was the first Grant to be acquired by the British. During WWII, it was used extensively for gunnery, stowage, and automotive trails, particularly against German anti-tank weapons, on the Pirbright ranges. It has 494 holes. In the 1970s, it was repurposed to aid development of Chobham armour with ATDU, making it the first and last Grant in British service.

T54

The latest addition to the guest vehicle list is the Cold War Soviet tank, the T54. This vehicle was built in Czechoslovakia and imported to UK 1989 and has been on display in the Cobbaton Collection since then. It’s been used for a variety of TV and film productions, hired out it for a shoe advertisement, taken to the Paris motor show for a James Bond event, and, most rewarding of all, used on British Army training exercises. The Cobbaton Collection are also bringing their T34/85 to join the WW2 battle.

Warrior IFV

The Warrior began service in 1988, with variants including anti-tank weaponry, ambulances, and repair vehicles. It had the speed, performance and firepower to keep up with the Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank and to deliver infantry soldiers directly onto the enemy position. Find out more HERE

AJAX

This will be the first time this vehicle will run in front of the public. Ajax is the first British vehicle to be fitted with a cased telescoped 40mm canon, designed to fire a number of different types of ammunition, including APFSDS and marks the next generation of British armoured vehicles. Find out more HERE.

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. The Musical Box will be a static exhibit. 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.

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.