Moonbase once featured a self-propelled gun toy from Spain, the Sanchis Cannon. I thought I should know this vehicle, but I can not find an exact match.
It looks rather like the American M40 155mm Gun Motor Carriage (the American term for a self-propelled gun), but the rear is too open, the gun seems to be mounted on a turntable, and the drive sprocket is at the rear, not the front. Another candidate would be the similar, but smaller, M41 Howitzer Motor Carriage, with a 155mm howitzer. It is still not right, it too has a front drive sprocket, and only five road wheels per side.
The French AMX 13 F3 was another self-propelled 155mm gun from the 1950s, and the hull seems to be the best match, and it has a spare road wheel on the front plate, but it too has a front drive sprocket, and five road wheels per side.
The toy looks to be mounted on an American Patton tank hull from the 1950s. Perhaps they just used an existing tank lower hull, and added a new upper body ?
I have an old Hot Wheels toy which I picked up some time ago at a fair, which is very similar. It was originally called Aw Shoot, later re-named Shell Shocker.
According to the Hot Wheels Wiki page for the model it was released in 1976, although mine as a copyright date of 1974 on the underside. Also marked Hong Kong.
Metal hull, plastic upper body and elevating gun. The tracks are solid, with the model running on four small, concealed, black plastic wheels.
What do you think?
Paul Adams from New Zealand
Interesting stuff Paul and a fascinating read. I have a small 1980's Transformer just like the Aw Shoot.
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