52 tonnes into the air!

Not an everyday task, we had to hire a 130-tonne crane to move the old army tank in the front car park.

Even though it only had to be moved 20 metres, getting rid of it was not an option, says Frederik Vlassenbroeck, owner of 't Amerikaantje: "My father bought that tank in the 1990s from an English company that could commercialise all the government's rolling stock. Transferring the tank took a lot of effort. My father insisted that we would never sell the tank, as it has since become iconic, and a signboard for the shop. As a result, it has been there for over 20 years. That is why we are giving it a new place in the renovated car park adjacent to the new shop. Meanwhile, the tank also has an emotional value." source: VRT News

The tank is a 1972 British Chieftain tank and was deployed in the Gulf Wars, hence the sand colour. The tank weighs a whopping 52 tonnes, which is as much as 10 adult African elephants.

Over the years, the tank had become a bit weathered but in the meantime, the rust has been removed and the paint has been renewed. So the Chieftain tank can again be admired in all its glory on the parking lot of 't Amerikaantje in Belsele!