Thousands of spectators witnessed two rare Second World War-era German Tiger tanks running together for the first time ever at a special display as part of TANKFEST 2025, at the Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset.
This morning, 8,000 visitors to the Tank Museum‘s TANKFEST eagerly awaited their first glimpse of the world’s only running King Tiger tank.
What they didn’t know, but would have hoped for (as evidenced by many requests on the museum’s social media channels) was that this iconic tank, on loan from the Musée des Blindés, would be joined in the arena by the Tank Museum’s famous Tiger 131 – the world’s only running Tiger I tank.
This unique event marks the first time the King Tiger from the Musée des Blindés in Saumur, France, has been in the United Kingdom – made possible, thanks to the support of World of Tanks – and the first time a running Tiger I and Tiger II will have been seen in public together in 80 years.
The most feared tank of the Second World War, the German Tiger was heavily armored and difficult to defeat. It struck terror into the hearts of Allied tank crews – notably captured in the 2014 Brad Pitt film, Fury, which featured the Tank Museum’s Tiger 131.
Tiger 131 is the only running Tiger I tank in the world. It was the first Tiger to be captured intact by the Western Allies and was an important price – considered iconic, even then. To preserve this 80-year-old vehicle, it is usually only seen out in the arena at the museum’s twice-yearly Tiger Day events, which attract 4,000 visitors from around the world.
The Musée des Blindés‘ vehicle was assembled from parts of different King Tigers captured by the Allies at the end of World War II. Its turret and part of its mechanics come from a command vehicle that saw action in Normandy in 1944.
Chris Price, director of the Tank Museum, said:
“To have the only running Tiger tanks in the world together in the UK for the first time, and to be able to display these iconic tanks in public for the first time since the Second World War, is a significant historical event.
“Our thanks go to TANKFEST sponsor World of Tanks and to [the] Musée des Blindés in Saumur, France, for making this possible.”
Nick Booth, the head of curatorial services at the Tank Museum, said:
“Bringing the only running King Tiger tank in the world to the UK for the first time is a significant achievement, demonstrating the importance of our partnerships with international museums.
“I’d like to thank our French colleagues and our Vehicle Collections Team for coordinating this important loan.”
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TANKFEST runs for three days: June 27 to June 29. Tickets are now sold out, but you can still enjoy the event from the comfort of your home via livestream this Sunday.