Andrew Baker Tank Collector Country: Great Britain

1. Andrew Baker: The Tank Collector
2. A Growing Collection
3. A Shared Passion
4. Building a Unique Collection
5. Preserving History

Andrew Baker: The Tank Collector

Toy soldiers, guns, and tanks are present in the lives of most boys. Over time, some of them find other hobbies, while many maintain a lifelong passion for military games and memorabilia. Today, the most comprehensive and expensive collection of military vehicles belongs to English mechanic Andrew Baker, who lives in Dunchurch (Warwickshire, United Kingdom). While Baker's main occupation is repairing cars and forklifts, his lifelong hobby is military vehicles. The mechanic spends the majority of his earnings on acquiring and restoring various tanks. Baker's family lives in their own home, essentially an estate on the outskirts of town, and the surrounding fields serve as an excellent testing ground and show venue for the tanks. Usually, Baker even travels to his workshop, located two kilometers away from his home in a former equestrian arena, on a light tank called the "Simitar."

A Growing Collection

Over the past twenty years, Andrew Baker has dedicated himself to his hobby, resulting in a collection of eighty different tanks and armored vehicles. The majority of the models are modern tanks currently in service with the British Army, with the oldest being a World War II-era anti-aircraft vehicle. Baker's passion for tanks began when he acquired and fully restored a decommissioned light tank called the "Scorpion." This tank remains his favorite model. The British weapons production center, Coventry, is located near Dunchurch, and Baker takes pride in having assembled a complete collection of CVR(T) armored vehicles, both decommissioned and currently in service (service for this series of vehicles ends in 2020).

A Shared Passion

Typically, women rarely share men's interests related to weapons. In this regard, Andrew Baker is fortunate. Sally Baker, his wife, is a loyal assistant to her husband in all matters of business and organization. In her free time, she enjoys driving small armored vehicles. Baker's two children, Lawrence and Christian, have not finished school yet, but they already share their father's passion and are joint owners of a rare tank model called the "Striker."

Building a Unique Collection

One of the conditions for the success of Andrew Baker's business is the significant effort he puts into creating his unique collection. He admits to purchasing tanks that often resemble a pile of scrap metal and assembling them like puzzles. After restoration and maintenance, all the models are in working condition and are used for private tank shows and military battle reenactments. Baker's collection is in demand for film shoots as well. His unique armored vehicles come with a hefty price tag, ranging from £10,000 for a light model to £100,000 for a heavy tank (such as the "Challenger 1," which saw combat action during the Gulf War). However, Andrew Baker has no plans to part with any of his vehicles. On the contrary, he dreams of acquiring more tanks. He says he would gladly expand his collection with heavy tank models and, in addition to the "Challenger," acquire the legendary Soviet T-72, without which his collection of combat vehicles would be incomplete.

Preserving History

Baker explains his passion for tanks and the desire to collect them as a means to preserve a part of history, not only military history but also that of his homeland and the famous Coventry factories.