BRITISH armour fans can enjoy the rare opportunity to see a newly restored Centaur run for the first time at this year’s Tankfest at The Tank Museum. 

Built during World War Two, the Centaur was modified into a Dozer prior to D-Day when the British military required a vehicle that was fast but could bulldoze through rubble of bombed out cities and make a path for other tanks. 

Owned by the Bannister Collection, this Centaur III, has now been fully converted back to a gun tank, utilising the original 400 hp Liberty L-12 MKV engine. 

Having previously appeared on the BBC documentary D-Day to Berlin and the series Band of Brothers, the restored Centaur will be at Tankfest from Friday, June 23 to Sunday, June 25. 

The Tank Museum’s head of marketing Nik Wyness said: “We are pleased to announce that a World War Two Centaur will be making its Tankfest debut after a full restoration.

“We’re all looking forward to seeing this rare British tank in action.” 

With more than 300 tanks from 26 nations, The Tank Museum boasts significant collection of fighting armour in the world, including the world’s first ever tank, Little Willie, through to the British Army’s current tank Challenger 2.