Centurion Tank (Dinky Supertoys 651)

Past Exhibit
Centurion Tank (Dinky Supertoys 651) (i)
location:
Arch Two , Area 21 Classic Dinky Toys (display)
Shelf 4

1958: Tank Transporter with Tank set, Dinky 698 [image info]

Dinky Toys No. 698 : Google

Meccano Ltd.
1954	–	1970

A mint-condition boxed diecast British Centurion Tank, Dinky Toys 651, made by Meccano Ltd.

The Centurion tank design had a long lifespan, and the corresponding Dinky 651 Centurion model was one of the longest-running Dinky toys, produced from ~1954 to 1970.

1956 catalogue image, Centurion Tank, Dinky 651

Box artwork

The original tank

The Centurion design project started in 1943 to combine everything that had been learnt about tank and anti-tank warfare into a single design for a "universal tank" that would be able to take on the German "Tiger" tanks. However, the first Centurions didn't appear until 1945, too late to participate in WW2 combat.

Late in the design process, the main gun was upgraded and the turret enlarged to carry it, with the final design no longer being quite as general-purpose as originally envisaged, but the design was still considered a classic and was highly successful.

The British Army eventually replaced the Centurion with the Chieftan tank in the 1960s.

See also:

• Tank Transporter (Dinky Toys 660)
• Tank Transporter with Tank (Dinky Toys 698)

External links

The Dinky Centurion:

• 651 1954-1970 Centurion Tank (talkmodeltoys.com)
• Tanks for the memories – Restoration of a Dinky Toys 651 Centurion Tank (thedinkygarage.co.uk)

The Centurion Tank:

• Centurion FV4200 (tanks-encyclopedia.com)
• Britain's Centurion: The Best Cold War Tank? (nationalinterest.org)
• Centurion (A41) Main Battle Tank (MBT) (militaryfactory.com)
• Centurion (tank) (wikipedia.org)

• Norfolk Tank Museum: Centurion Mk 13 FV4017 (norfolktankmuseum.co.uk)