AnirudhaBeing a kid and having dreams could be the most beautiful memories we have of our childhood days. Some dream of becoming a pilot, doctor, writer, astronaut or scientist. We believed that we could achieve anything and the belief we had inside us made our journey from being a kid to an adult a happy one. We all had someone whom we idolized and wished to be like them. Yes, it is true that not all dreams come true but this guy here made his childhood dream a reality. He bought this tank and later called Todd Chamberlain for the maintaining service of the tank. Todd always had this childhood dream of operating a real tank. He was already brimming with joy until he found out even more exciting thing inside the tank. What could it be? Let us find out and don’t forget to check out the video of this awesome story in the end.
Seriously A Tank?
It could be hard for some readers to believe a guy actually buying a tank. But, this story in all sense is true. At present, M1A2 SEP(USA) is the most expensive tank that costs around $8 million and yes, of course, he didn’t buy this tank but that doesn’t matter because even buying an old tank which comes with the additional cost of maintaining it can put a huge hole on your pockets. He didn’t pay any sum of money but exchanged Abbott self-propelled gun and an army lorry. Both of these items sum up to be worth a whopping $39,000 USD.
Obsession With Tanks
Collector Nick Mead has spent his whole life in collecting tanks. He owns a farm in Helmdon, England, where he runs a business where you can live your childhood dreams if that had anything to do with tanks then this is the place for you. You can have a whole new adventure that you can cut out from your bucket list. Mead has a collection of 150 tanks and that is a lot. If he wants he can have his own museum. He runs Tanks-a-lot website, through which he sells and rent his tanks for movies and TV shows.
If you ever imagine while watching a movie that how did they even manage to get all these tanks? Then there is a possibility that Mead has something to do with it.
The Experience Of Driving And Riding
Imagine yourself sitting on a tank or riding it where you are allowed to crush anything in front of you, wouldn’t that be something amazing to do. The more tanks he included in his collection more popular his Tanks-a-lot business became because of the experience he provided at his farm with the help of his team. People visit this place again and again just to make sure that they have tried all the tanks and with every new drive, they are left with this amazing thrill that is better than the last one. If you think hiking, going on a hunt, skydiving or mountaineering is the most thrill a person can experience then you should definitely try driving these bulky tanks.
Tanks Galore
With the strength of 150 tanks in his collection, you can imagine how dedicated Mead is when it comes to tanks. He has managed to collect tanks from all over the world through an online platform and watching these tanks all lined up makes you wonder about the prowess of the military in the British, U.S, and Russian armies. He is the proud owner of Challenger 1 which is owned by only one collector all over the world. This tank is really special for Mead as it has been used by the British military between 1983 and mid-1990s which he got to know later on but there was another story waiting for him that was about to change his life altogether. Read till the end and do check out the video in the end.
From Russia With Love
He was already a happy owner of Challenger 1 but when he heard about the availability of a Russian T-54 tank, he decided of adding it in his existing collection. In an interview, he was quoted saying, “I saw it advertised and I had this idea of doing a From Russia With Love experience, where people would come and drive three Russian tanks.” The story doesn’t end here because it has just started.
Bringing The Russian Tank Home
Nick Mead bought this tank from Joe Hewes who was just 23 years old. But then Nick didn’t have the money that Joe had asked for the Russian T-54 tank so he suggested the idea of bartering. Nick had the Abbott self-propelled gun and army lorry that Joe was interested in and like this, they made the exchange and after all the effort, Nick was able to add this tank to his collection. If only Hewes had waited a little longer before making the exchange then he would have known that there is something more to this tank than what meets the eye. Even the previous owners never paid enough attention to the maintenance of the tank otherwise it would not have taken this long for somebody to actually see the truth. But as they say, everything happens for a reason and in this case, the reason was Nick Read.