It’s an interesting question. To be worthwhile in 1955, it would need to be something that was at least vaguely competitive to early Pattons and T-54s. What I’d imagine would be something like people IMAGINE the Ausf F (which if hypothetically development had continued likely would have been in the Panther’s future, but a later Ausf) to be – take the larger turret ring that was developed for the 88L71 and mount the postwar 90mm in it (maintaining compatibility with American ammunition… assuming it was West Germany that was considering this).

I’d also imagine that the final drive would be replaced, either by the Tiger drive or a new design, since they would no longer have been looking to achieve wartime production rates.

Of course, it’s possible that the reason it was looked into was on the basis of understanding that it was obsolete, but that any tank was better than no tank. Either way, the US dumping their surplus M47s across Western Europe would have put paid to it entirely and shifted focus to the next generation (being the Franco-German-Italian collaboration that split into the AMX30 and the Leo 1 after the French withdrew).

Either way, SS, if you have more information on this (and it’s not something you can’t publish due to your arrangement with the Panther Project people) I’d be interested in seeing it!

(I didn’t get Germany… had no idea they’d considered restarting production, and had thought it had pretty much been rendered obsolete by the time either of the Germanies was allowed to rearm. Curious as to whether it was West or East Germany now…)