Tamiya 35334 American Utility Truck M151A1 (Vietnam War)

In 1951, the Ford Motor Company was awarded a contract to develop a new Military Utility Tactical Truck (MUTT), which was to replace the long-serving MB / GPW, M38 and M38A1 models. When designing the car, three key factors were taken into account: production and thus possible repairs were to be carried out with little complicated tools, the car was to be reliable and resistant to harsh conditions of use, and finally the vehicle and its maintenance were to be cheap so that it could be also available for export in large quantities. Many prototypes were developed, and finally the American command approved the design of the car with a full steel body, independent suspension for each wheel, two or four-wheel drive, a four-speed gearbox and a 24-volt waterproof electrical system. The first production contract was awarded to Ford in 1960 for a car in the M151 specification, while at the turn of 1963-1964 a modified development version of the M151A1 was already developed. The main changes were made to the design of the rear suspension, which was reinforced after the problems that arose in the M151 version when larger loads were carried or heavier weapons were installed. Until 1969, the production of the M151A1 version was carried out not only by Ford but also by Willys (later also by Kaiser, AMC, AM General). However, the rear suspension was still far from perfect. A poorly designed rear axle caused too much body deflection during more aggressive cornering and, as a consequence, frequent rollover of the car, which became so famous as dangerous, that official warnings were issued for soldiers not to exceed certain speeds, especially when cornering. Finally, in 1970, it was decided to redesign the rear suspension, which resulted in the specification of the M151A2. Despite its shameful reputation for safety, the M151 has set records for reliability and has proven its worth in a variety of roles and conditions around the world. He was or still is in the military or police service of over a hundred countries! His successor in the US Army is HMMWV, the popular Hummer. Technical data: length: 3.38 m, width: 1.63 m, height: 1.8 m, weight 1070 kg, engine power: 71 HP.