Wanted: M1917 6 ton tank/ Renault FT-17

Armor, Military Vehicles, Wanted, For Sale (NO AUCTION or EBAY), and Knowledge Base
Correus
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Re: Wanted: M1917 6 ton tank/ Renault FT-17

Post by Correus » Sun Nov 19, 2017 12:37 pm

Just interested if you had found one yet. I was offered one back in the late '90s for $55K. If I would of had a way to get the money I would of done it.

I recently got an email from Hayes Otoupalik about the remaining Ft-17/M1917 tanks here in the US. Following is what he told me.
There are 19 WW1 US Tanks in the USA and 2 French FT-17 are in the following prviate hands:

Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in NY Acquired by Museum in Museum in NJ in 1932, and then sold by owner in 1950s to Old Rhinebeck.

MC Bradley to Dr Haigler to Jacque Littlefield and now in the hands of Bob collings and his son in Mass. (has recently been on loan to the Museum of American Armor in Long Island, NY

The West Point Museum WW1 tank came out of private party in Pennsylvania in 1973. It had been bought from MC Bradley in 1967.

American Armored Foundation in Danville, Va. Came from MC Bradley to John Furrer in 1967 to Hayes Otoupalik in 1985 and then sold to Karen and Bill Gasser in Danville, Va.

Hayes Otoupalik Tank came from John Furrer's collection who bought it from MC Bradley in 1967. I purchased it in 1985

French FT-17 Tank. Acquired from French Government by Mr. DeYoung in 1919 and transferred to the Society of Military History in California in 1963. Taken back by DeYoung Museum and sold at auction in 1966 to Army Sgt. Surplus. Sold to Brucker and then transferred to Museum of World Wars and then to the Imperial Car Palace in Las Vegas, Nv. Purchased by Hayes Otoupalik in 1984 and sold/gifted to the national WW1 Museum in Kansas City in 2009 where it resides today!

Alexandria, VA WW1 Tank..... Sold in 1980 to Dr. Moody Jacob in Nitro, W.VA. and then sold to Fred Ropkey in Indianapolis, Ind. and then he moved it to Crawfordsville, Ind. After his death it was sold to a private Party. I do not know know the current owner and would like to know.

Kansas city, Missouri. Privately owned by Mark Beveridge. Came from Canada in the late 1980s.

WW1 Tank at Loef's Scrap Yard in Georgia. Sold by Corporation to a private party in Georgia. This tank was then sold to Allen Cors in Nokesville, Va.

French FT-17 Tank was in Upper Michigan. Sold to Brent Mullins in Texas and now fully restored.

US Model 1917 found in Upper Michigan in the 1970s and purchased by Fred Ropkey. Sold to private party in Anderson, Indiana. I think this tank is now displayed at the Knights Armament Museum in Florida.

So this is the list of privately held tanks in the USA. All of the above tanks remain in private hands except the one now in the West Point Museum Collection and the National WW1 Museum Tank.

There were two tanks in private hands in Canada but now both are in public museums.

One is in the Canadian Armored Museum in Camp Borden that came from Dr. Greg's Tank collection.

The other WW1 Tank was in Alberta, and has since been sold to the Canadian National Army Museum where it has been fully restored.
Last Wednesday I got a chance to take a look at the on at the WWI Museum in KCMO.

Larry


prc148
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Re: Wanted: M1917 6 ton tank/ Renault FT-17

Post by prc148 » Wed Nov 22, 2017 5:09 pm

In Nokesville, va. I've worked on it myself.
http://www.nmaw.org/tanks/

Correus
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Re: Wanted: M1917 6 ton tank/ Renault FT-17

Post by Correus » Thu Mar 31, 2022 6:37 am

There is also this one.

https://americangimuseum.org/collection ... 1917-1918/

It is the only fully functional on in North America and restored to 100% accuracy.

The museum doesn't provide the history of this one online, but in a nutshell - the family that owned it acquired it in 1919 and used it as a farm tractor. At some point it broke down and they just left it sitting because the new tractors were better. The family that owned decided to donate it to the museum and they had it restored.

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Austringer
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Re: Wanted: M1917 6 ton tank/ Renault FT-17

Post by Austringer » Fri Apr 01, 2022 8:29 pm

the one I mentioned was this one. it was in Jacksonville GA for a few years in an old school building a few miles north of Jacksonville GA


WW1 Tank at Loef's Scrap Yard in Georgia. Sold by Corporation to a private party in Georgia. This tank was then sold to Allen Cors in Nokesville, Va.
Jason Green
Atlanta, Ga

STILL NOT associated with the Georgia MVPA 15 years and counting as long as that one guy is president of the club....

1963 Willys M151 (under resto)
1969 M706E1
1983 M106A2

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Austringer
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Re: Wanted: M1917 6 ton tank/ Renault FT-17

Post by Austringer » Fri Apr 01, 2022 8:29 pm

the one I mentioned was this one. it was in Jacksonville GA for a few years in an old school building a few miles north of Jacksonville GA If I remember correctly, it was a Male Tank.


WW1 Tank at Loef's Scrap Yard in Georgia. Sold by Corporation to a private party in Georgia. This tank was then sold to Allen Cors in Nokesville, Va.
Jason Green
Atlanta, Ga

STILL NOT associated with the Georgia MVPA 15 years and counting as long as that one guy is president of the club....

1963 Willys M151 (under resto)
1969 M706E1
1983 M106A2

willys
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Re: Wanted: M1917 6 ton tank/ Renault FT-17

Post by willys » Sun Apr 17, 2022 9:45 am

There was another M1917 not listed that belonged to the state of conn was on display at the military museum of southern New England now closed was running till left outside without a tarp vehicle was deteriorating so state took back and put into storage no idea where it is now

Correus
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Re: Wanted: M1917 6 ton tank/ Renault FT-17

Post by Correus » Sun Apr 17, 2022 7:57 pm

willys wrote:
Sun Apr 17, 2022 9:45 am
There was another M1917 not listed that belonged to the state of conn was on display at the military museum of southern New England now closed was running till left outside without a tarp vehicle was deteriorating so state took back and put into storage no idea where it is now
Now THAT sucks... Hopefully it is lost forever in some storage facility.


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