Sherman tank commanded by Brad Pitt in ‘Fury' up for auction

Sherman Tank

More than 50 military vehicles, most from World War II, and spare parts for military vehicles that fill a warehouse of more than 10,000m2 will soon be up for sale online via Troostwijk Auctions. The auction will run from Nov. 20 throughl Jan. 19, 2016 but it is already attracting interest from collectors in more than 26 countries.

The top lot is the M4 Sherman armed with a 105mm Howitzer used on the set of ‘Fury'. The war film starring Brad Pitt tells the story of a tank crew of five Americans who fought the Nazis at the end of WWII.

High-ranking American officer and general staff car

"A while ago, after auctioning more than 150,000 pieces of military paraphernalia from the First and Second World Wars, we were approached by a collector looking to sell his collection," said Frank Adam, auction master at Troostwijk Auctions "In his warehouse we found more than 50 military vehicles, including a Sherman tank. The M4 Sherman is a tank with twin diesel engines that was built at the end of the Second World War. After being transported to Europe as part of the Marshall Plan, the tank gained a second lease of life on the set of ‘Fury', which was filmed in the UK. I don't know if this was the actual tank commanded by Brad Pitt in ‘Fury', but it's a great story and this is one of the most complete Shermans still in existence. Parts and accessories for the tank include steel and rubber tracks, an original Rogers trailer to transport the tank, radio sets and technical documentation among other things. One-hundred fifty-six interested parties in countries such as Poland, Spain, Czech Republic, Romania, Italy, Switzerland, Taiwan, Austria and Hungary are keeping a close eye on the tank. It should be noted that the tank is subject to strict export restrictions."

1943 Harley Davidson

According to Adam, several other items in the collection owned by the late Jaap de Groot include a staff car used by high-ranking American officers and generals, a 47mm anti-tank gun, a 1943 Harley-Davidson, a Zündapp side car engine built in 1944 and a scooter used by the American air force. Troostwijk is auctioning more than 20,000 items in the warehouse.

Items are available for private sale until Nov. 20. After that the auction will be open for bids.