The fate of army tank parked on British street for years

A military tank was parked on a British suburban street for years, delighting and amusing residents.

The ‘Didsbury Tank’ was something of a local landmark in Manchester, as it stood out like a sore thumb in the leafy suburb of Didsbury.

However, it was given to a military vehicle restoration company at the end of last year, leaving the area without its most unusual sight.

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A new beginning for the Didsbury tank

Midland Military Vehicles received the military vehicle in November 2023, which they announced on their Facebook page.

Sharing an image of the iconic armored vehicle, they wrote: “The Didsbury FV432 has arrived. This vehicle is very well known as it was sat on a road in Manchester for years!”

Recently, another FV432 was found abandoned on a British farm, where a man picked it up hoping to restore it to its former glory.

The same YouTuber was also able to fire up the fire-breathing Rolls-Royce Meteor V12 engine of a FV4005 for the first time.

Back to Disbusy and, speaking to Supercar Blondie, the company has confirmed that the tank’s parts are being used elsewhere.

It said: ” We have used a lot of the parts of it to build up other vehicles heading East.

“The tracks and wheels have been used on diesel FV432s that have gone to Ukraine.”

Other parts of the tank have been used to supplement another vehicle on the site – a Schützenpanzer Lang HS.30.

This tank was developed in West Germany between 1956 and 1958, seeing service between the 1960s and 1990s.

It ran on a Rolls-Royce engine.

Speaking of the Didsbury tank, Midland Military Vehicles said: “We have also used the B81 engine from it to build up one of our rarer vehicles which was the first produced tank by the Germans after the war. “

As it currently stands, the Didsbury tank is a remnant of its former self, although the company teased that one day, they might rebuild it.

The backstory of an unlikely landmark

The tank originally belonged to a military collector, who had it in his possession for around thirty years.

He approached Midlands Military Vehicles and offered up the tank, which they accepted.

For years before, the tank had been a source of fascination – and controversy – in the northwest city.

In 2019, a councilor in West Didsbury demanded that it be removed.

As reported by the BBC, Councillor David Ellison said: “A number of people have been to me with their concerns over the tank that has been parked for many months now at the corner of Old Lansdowne Road and Lapwing Lane.

“It may sound funny but it is partly parked on the pavement and it is very difficult to walk past it so people are walking into the road.

“Because it is on a corner it would be very easy for someone to run into the back of the vehicle in the dark.”

However, residents rallied in defense of the much-loved landmark, insisting that it was a ‘fun feature’ for the area.

The owner, who has kept a low profile over the years, maintained that he kept it taxed and insured.

This isn’t the first time a dormant vehicle has become a local landmark – one parked car in an Italian village attracted tons of tourism.

To see more of the tanks that Midland Military Vehicles have in their possession, head over to their website.