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The hull resembles, quite closely, that of a Soviet T34 or T34/85, which would be appropriate if Borduria is a Stalinist Eastern European dictatorship. Those who know about the T34 series will note the large oblong driver's viewing port and the absence of a separate driver's entry hatch. Those who have seen the interior of one of those tanks will also notice internal layout similarities.

However, the small turret with its single hatch and flat sides is completely unlike any T34 series turret I've ever seen. Also, the three man crew (this was the era before autoloaders, remember) argues for a light tank.

So, was this a tank born out of Herge's imagination, or is there a real tank like that?

I believe the tank is either a T-54 or T-55 main battle tank which was a hugely produced tank.

The Bordurian tank does not seem to be an existing type, but has several features of post WWII vehicles. The turret seems roughly shaped like a mix of an American M41 light tank and a M47 MBT. The hull resembles the T55 a bit, but the mudguards and side-skirts make it look more like a British Centurion.

The suspension with its big road bogies looks very Russian Christie-type, though the Soviet T55 has five in a row, not four.

I think that it was Hergé's way of avoiding critics saying that Borduria belonged to either the East or the Western block. An existing type of weapon would be a sure tell-tale. Borduria itself looks like a mix of a fascist and a communist country.