AMX - 13 The AMX - 13 was a French light tank produced from 1953 to 1985 . It served with the French Army and was exported to over twenty - five other nations . Named after its initial weight of 13 tonnes , and featuring a tough and reliable chassis , the complete guide to tanks and armoured fighting vehicles , ISBN 978 - 1 - 84681 - 110 - 4 , it was fitted with an unusual and troublesome tilting GIAT turret with revolver type magazines which was also used on the Austrian SK - 105 Kürassier . Including prototypes and export versions there are over a hundred variants including self - propelled gun , anti - aircraft systems , APCs , and ATGM versions . Total production of the AMX - 13 family is approximately 7 , 700 units , around 3 , 400 of which were exported . History . The tank was designed at the Atelier de Construction d ' Issy - les - Moulineaux in 1946 to meet a requirement for an air - portable vehicle to support paratroopers , the first prototype ran from 1948 . The compact chassis had torsion bar suspension with five road - wheels and two return rollers ; the engine runs the length of the tank on the right side with the driver on the left . It features an uncommon two - part ' oscillating ' turret where the gun is fixed to the turret and the entire upper turret changes elevation . The turret is set to the rear of the vehicle and holds the commander and gunner . The original 75 mm gun , allegedly modelled on the German 7 . 5 cm KwK 42 L / 70 gun ( used , among others , in the Panther tank ) but firing very different ammunition from a shorter barrel , was fed with an automatic loading system in two six - round magazines located in the turret ' s bustle . The twelve rounds available in the loaders meant that the crew could engage targets quickly , however once those rounds were expended the vehicle had to retreat to cover and the crew reload them form outside the vehicle . Production began at ARE ( Atelier de Construction Roanne ) from 1952 , with the first tanks delivered the following year . In 1964 production was transferred to Creusot - Loire at Chalon - sur - Saône , as the ARE moved to building the AMX 30 MBT , and the numbers produced declined significantly . From 1966 the 75mm high - velocity gun was replaced by a 90 mm ( the AMX - 13 / 90 ) medium velocity gun firing more effective HEAT ammunition , with the French upgrading all existing base models to this specification . By the early 1970s export models were available with an even more potent 105mm gun . Although there were many variants on the turret the basic chassis was almost unchanged until 1985 when changes including a new diesel engine , fully automatic transmission and new hydropneumatic suspension were introduced . Production halted with the Model 1987 . After sales support and upgrades are still offered through GIAT Industries ( now Nexter ) . The AMX - 13 tank was phased out of service with the French Army in the 1980s . Current French armoured vehicles with a similar role are the ERC 90 Sagaie and the AMX 10 RC . Variants . APC Variants . The AMX - 13 was the basis of a family of APCs beginning with the AMX - VTT and culminating with the AMX - VCI . The APC chassis was itself the basis of a number of variants . Specifications . General Caracteristics . Crew : 4 Length : 6 . 36M ( Including Cannon ) Height : 2 . 3M Width : 2 . 51M Empty Weight : 1300 kg Weight Embattled : 14800 kg Performance . Traction System : Caterpillars Engine : 8cyl Sofam 8Gxb Power : 270 hp Maximum Speed : 6 km / h Speed Over Rough Terrain : 25 km / h Fuel Tank : 410 Liters Armament . Main Weapon : GIAT CN - 50 L - 61 75mm