- Zinc diecast & plastic parts
- Authentic markings
- Measures approximately: 4.3” L x 1.4” W x 1.3” H
- Box dimensions: 6.4” L x 2.3” W x 2.8” H
- Display model recommended for 14 years and above
The Bundeswehr is the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities. The Bundeswehr is divided into a military part (armed forces or Streitkräfte) and a civil part with the armed forces administration (Wehrverwaltung). The military part of the federal defense force consists of the German Army, the German Navy, the German Air Force, the Joint Support Service, the Joint Medical Service, and the Cyber and Information Domain Service.
The Leopard (or Leopard 1) is a main battle tank designed and produced by Porsche in West Germany that first entered service in 1965. Developed in an era when HEAT warheads were thought to make conventional heavy armour of limited value, the Leopard focused on firepower in the form of the German-built version of the British L7 105-mm gun, and improved cross-country performance that was unmatched by other designs of the era.
The design started as a collaborative project during the 1950s between West Germany and France, and later joined by Italy, but the partnership ended shortly after and the final design was ordered by the Bundeswehr, with full-scale production starting in 1965. In total, 6,485 Leopard tanks have been built, of which 4,744 were battle tanks and 1,741 were utility and anti-aircraft variants, not including 80 prototypes and pre-series vehicles.
After the first batch of Leopard 1s was delivered, the next three batches were the Leopard 1A1 model, which included a new gun stabilization system from Cadillac Gage that allowed the tank to fire effectively on the move. The 1A1 also added the now-famous "skirts" along the sides to protect the upper tracks, and a new thermal jacket on the gun barrel to control heating. A less important change was to use rectangular rubber blocks fastened to the treads with a single pin instead of the earlier two-pin "shaped" versions. The rubber blocks could be easily replaced with metal X-shaped crampons for movement on ice and snow in the winter.
This Schuco 1:87 scale diecast model is a replica of a Leopard 1A1 of the Bundeswehr. Military models come with a metal body and chassis. As is expected of Schuco models, several key features have been reproduced exactly with the greatest attention to detail.
This model makes for a wonderful addition to your diecast military collection or diorama.
