Comparing: AMX 30 B vs. E 50 Ausf. M

Developed in 1966. The vehicle had maneuverability, engine power, and effective anti-tank engagement distance superior to all other vehicles except the Leopard 1. Great view range allowed the vehicle’s commander to coordinate the actions of the crew and to maintain situational awareness, greatly increasing the vehicle’s effectiveness. The armor of the vehicle was quite thin, but it was decided that technological advances in anti-tank shells had essentially rendered armor obsolete: survivability would depend on mobility and firepower. A total of 2,800 vehicles were manufactured.

The German Army demanded that the E-series tanks had transmissions positioned in the rear. However, the E 50 and E 75 tanks used the Tiger II engine-transmission compartment, which made rear placement of the transmission impossible. The E 50 Ausf. M tank was a redesign of the E 50 project with the transmission placed in the rear.