DORSET.- The Tank Museum plans to return a unique Second World War tank to running condition – but will need to raise over £1 million to fund the project.

The Dorset charity is turning to its supporters to fund a project to rebuild and restore the world’s oldest King Tiger tank, which it estimates will take 4 years to complete.

“This is the most ambitious project we have ever attempted,” said the Museum’s Vehicle Collections Manager Chris van Schaardenburgh.

“We’re fundraising so that the project will not interfere with the core activities of the museum – but we will benefit from the opportunities it offers in research, in developing new skills and will help train the next the next generation of heritage engineers.”

The King Tiger tank had been on static display at the Museum since the mid-1950s, until it was sent on a tour of European museums in 2019. In June of this year, a King Tiger visiting from the Musée des Blindés in Saumur, France, proved to be a significant crowd-puller for TANKFEST 2025.

“This is a project we have been considering for some time. It’s something that has been frequently suggested – so we hope our supporters around the world will get behind us to make it happen”, Chris added.

The tank was built in December 1943. As the second off the production line, its known as “V2” - the V being short for “Versuchs” which translates as “trial”. It is a unique vehicle. Not only is it the oldest King Tiger tank, it’s also the only to survive with the pre-production turret.

King Tiger V2 spent the remainder of the war as a test vehicle and never fired a shot in anger – but when it was recovered by the British was robustly tested and dismantled for evaluation. Today, the vehicle is a shell. Some parts are in storage, but others are missing.

The project will be led by The Tank Museum’s workshop team, supported by a range of carefully selected partners from across Europe and guided by external experts when necessary.

“Our aim is to return King Tiger V2 to as close as possible to the condition it was in when the British Army took control of the vehicle. It’s going to be a fascinating and challenging project – and we’re looking forward to sharing every step online,” said Chris.