A heavy tank fighter based on the 88 mm Pak 43 gun and Panther tank chassis was ordered on 2 October 1942 as design Sd.Kfz. 173. This gun was a particularly effective anti-tank weapon that had the potential to give Germany an edge in the race between armour and firepower; but it was so large that it could not easily be installed in the turret of existing vehicles. A separate tank was to be produced that carried the gun: the Tiger II, but it was too expensive to be manufactured in very large numbers; so the solution was to use mechanised artillery without a rotating turret. The Nashorn used the chassis of the Panzerkampfwagen IV but was too lightly armoured; theElefant was too heavy and complicated. However, the Panther's chassis was ideal. Production began in January 1944; at the same time, Hitler, to whom the prototype had been presented on 16 December, Jagdpanther adopted the name.

Artitec ready-made models are handmade from resin and etched metal parts. Each model is hand-painted and sometimes lightly weathered. Each of these models is a unique collector's item.