Tanks may seem an entirely modern invention, but in fact history is flush with prototypes, precursors and failed experiments that led to the modern battlefield machines.

And now these historical designs are set for their own exhibition at Bovington Tank Museum, with a display of scale models that show their creativity and ingenuity - and also why most of them never made it off the drawing board.

The exhibition will be the first UK outing for the models, which were created by experts in the Netherlands for a show at that country's National Military Museum. The aim is to demonstrate that far from being an idea born in the 20th century, usage both actual and hypothetical of armoured contraptions has played a role in military history from the early days of civilisation.

The earliest design featured in the exhibition dates back to the 9th century BC, when the ancient Assyrians pioneered an armoured battering ram equipped with protruding weaponry.

And it should come as no surprise that the Romans, known for their sophisticated military systems, regularly used a number of tank-like inventions, including the horse-drawn carrobalista - a kind of armoured catapult capable of firing arrows 300 metres.

The Renaissance saw a bloom in proto-tank design; German knight Ludwig von Eyb came up with several designs, including one for a 'moving castle' complete with battlements to protect archers, as well as a 'cannon cart' pushed by a horse towards the enemy.

The era's greatest inventor, Leonardo da Vinci, also tried his hand at revolutionising military hardware; his 1485 design, elaborating a tank propelled by eight men and capable of firing in a 360-degree circle, was sadly too heavy and unwieldy to be feasible, and never made it out of the planning stages.

With the great leaps forward in engineering and transport during the Industrial Revolution came a design for a steam-powered military vehicle, created by Joseph Cugnot in 1769. The design included a chassis and wheels powered by a steam engine, but while capable of self-propulsion was too heavy to move anything but itself.

Also featured at the exhibition is a recreation of a design by prolific science-fiction author HG Wells, who anticipated history by some 15 years when he described armoured vehicles in his 1903 short story 'The Land Ironclads'.

Before the first modern-style tanks were designed and introduced separately by the great powers in the latter part of the First World War, a number of designs were proposed without success. These included a 27-foot two-wheeler known as the Tsar Tank, designed by Nikolay Lebedenko, and a US-designed electric circular cage, capable of achieving speeds of 60 kilometres per hour, and which never saw the light of day.

The Tank Museum's head of collections, Chris van Schaardenburgh, said: “Our collection here begins in the First World War when the Mark I was developed and first saw action in September 1916.

“But this model collection shows that the military inventors and designers throughout history have always dreamed of creating tanks.

“The reason is always the same; it’s about protection, mobility and firepower – or inflicting damage on the enemy.

“Some of these designs were actually made and were effective – like the Roman ones – but others never progressed beyond an idea.

“This exhibition is a fascinating journey through some of the might-have-beens and precursors of our amazing collection.”

The exhibition opens on Thursday, March 22.