Having had its military industry largely destroyed or disbanded after World War II, the West German Bundeswehr relied entirely on US-supplied tanks (M47 and M48s) during the first two decades of the post-war period. By the 1960s, German industry had recovered sufficiently to design its first modern MBT, the Leopard 1, which began life as a Franco-German-Italian collaboration that fell apart due to national disagreements (the French effort later resulted in the AMX-30). The Leopard 1 featured a conventional tank layout with either cast or welded turrets depending on the variant. Like the AMX-30, the Leopard 1 placed a premium on firepower and mobility, as it was believed that modern HEAT rounds would be able to defeat the heaviest armor of its day. As a result, it was relatively lightly armored compared to the contemporary US M60 which was around 10 tons heavier but also more than 25% slower. The Leopard 1's speed was also aided by its 830-hp MTU 838 engine, which was the most powerful fitted on any second-generation tank. The engine was separated from the crew compartment with an armored bulkhead which improved survivability. As with most contemporary NATO tanks, the Leopard 1 was armed with the British 105-mm L7A3 rifled gun which could fire all similar calibered Western ammunition. It also featured NBC protection system and equipment such as night vision devices, to which were later added laser rangefinders and a gun stabilization system that allowed it to fire on the move and against moving targets. More modern equipment was added in the 1980s to maintain them competitive, with appliqué armor also added to improve protection. The combination of firepower and cost made the Leopard 1 a huge success on the export market, where it served with no less than 13 different countries, including NATO partners Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, and Turkey. Of these, Italy undertook license-production by OTO Melara. Despite its widespread use, it has never been used in combat, and has been replaced by the Leopard 2 in German service although large numbers are still in service with Brazil, Chile, Greece, and Turkey. A large number of Leopard 1s in storage have been pledged by Germany and other NATO allies to Ukraine where it is likely to be used as a fire support vehicle in light of its obsolecense against modern Russian tanks.

Following the end of collaboration with France and Italy on a new MBT design, the Krauss-Maffei prototype vehicles eventually went on be developed as the Leopard 1, which was accepted into service in 1963. The Leopard 1A1 introduced the gun stabilization system and many received further upgrades including bolt-on armor plates to the turret as the Leopard 1A1A1. These were discarded in the Leopard 1A2 in favor of thicker base armor as well as an improved NBC system and night vision equipment. The Leopard 1A3 featured a radically redesigned welded turret with a wedge-shaped mantlet, while further enhancements to the fire control system resulted in the Leopard 1A4. A more recent modification program in the mid-1980s resulted in the Leopard 1A5 which were conversions of older 1A1A1 vehicles. These included a fire control system and thermal imaging system derived from early Leopard 2s. Most remaining German and export Leopard 1s were eventually converted to this standard, and all variants received incremental digital radio and camera upgrades as well. Non-tank variants include the Bergepanzer 2 armored recovery vehicle, Biber armored vehicle-launched bridge, Dachs armored engineering vehicle, and the Gepard anti-aircraft gun platform. Export customers of the Leopard 1 have also adapted it for a variety of roles, notably the UK Hippo beach armored recovery vehicle.