Introduction:

The M151 Military Utility Tactical Truck (or MUTT) was developed in the 1950s to replace the previous Willys M38 Jeep. Development contract was awarded to Ford Motor Company, commencing in 1951, with the first prototypes completed in 1952. After trials and testing, the production of the M151 started in 1960. Initially manufactured by Ford, later production contracts for the improved M151 A2 were also awarded to Kaiser Jeep and AM General. The M151 jeeps and its variants were manufactured up until 1982, with over 100,000 units produced.

The M151 saw action during the war in Vietnam and other military conflicts around the world. Although officially replaced by the AM General HMMWV in 1984, the MUTT was still used by the US forces up to 1999. Today the M151 remains in service with over 60 countries around the world.

Adapted from: https://www.militaryfactory.com/

Review:

The M151 MUTT was first released as a plastic 1/35 scale kit by Tamiya back in 1982. The kit was produced in various variants and scales under different manufacturer labels, followed by numerous conversion and upgrade sets. However, the reference books on the vehicle are scarce and I only managed to discover two titles, Verlinden’s “Warmachines” andSquadron Signal’s “in Action”. Wings & Wheels Publication recently released their photo reference book on the M151: MUTT A2 in Detail (G053).

Title: MUTT A2 in detail (M151 A2 and M718 A1 Ambulance Frontline)
Publisher: Wings & Wheels Publications (WWP)
Code: G053
Authors: František Kořán and Jan Moštěk
Format: softcover (22x24 cm)
Pages: 132
Color: full color
Language: English
ISBN: 978-80-87509-63-0
Retail Price: $41 (€32)

The book is printed on high-quality paper and comprises of 132 pages packed with over 360 large high-resolution photographs and 50 manual drawings of the subject showing all the possible M151 MUTT details. The book is organized in 13 chapters color coded on the page edges, allowing easy navigation:

• History (002-005)
• Introduction (006-011)
• USMC M151 A2 (012-039)
• Very Early M151 A2 (040-047)
• M718 A1 Ambulance (048-069)
• Walkaround (070-059)
• Interior Construction (082-093)
• Roof Details (094-101)
• Wireless Details (102-107)
• Cage and Nets (108-111)
• Engine Compartment (112-119)
• Suspension Details (120-129)
• M220 TOW Launcher (130-132)

The book opens with a short History section, offering a glimpse at development and production of M151 MUTT and the vehicle variants. Introduction chapter offers several pages with large images of restored US Army M151 A2s. Next up is the chapter on USMC M151 A2, offering a ton of photos of USMC MUTTs from Barstow base, CA. Vehicles from Barstow base are probably the best reference for M151 A2, as these are in their original condition and were not altered in any way since their military service. The photos depict several different vehicles in different camouflage schemes, followed by images showing various USMC specific details. A short chapter on Very Early M151 A2 deals with a rare example of US Army M151 A2 featuring number of peculiar A1-like details. A 20-page long chapter on M718 A1 Ambulance shows this particular vehicle variant restored in MERDC camo scheme. These pages display additional vehicle body details, roof details, as well as litter and frame supports in different configurations. The Walkaround section shows details of windshield, wipers and mirrors, headlights and signal lights, bumpers and exhaust, followed by Interior Construction with dashboard details, steering wheel, body construction, heating system, seats, fuel tank, battery bay... you name it, it's there. Reference images on roof and canvas parts are delivered in Roof Details chapter, showing hardtop vehicles, roof frame and canvas, as well as canvas doors and side parts. The chapter on Wireless Details displays AN/VRC-12 set and RT-524/VRC set with all the communications gear and antenna details. Cage and Nets section follows, showing protective fabric cage and nets for improving passenger safety. Engine aficionados will be very happy with the Engine Compartment chapter, as it provides a detailed look at the engine and its compartment during restoration. Front and rear axle details, along with the body and wheel details are clearly shown in Suspension Details chapter. The book closes with a short section on M220 TOW Launcher, offering several images of the launcher and its mount, together with stowed tripod.

Conclusion:

What more can I say about this book? It is an absolute wealth of information and photo reference on M151 A2 and vehicle variants. It consists of over 360 photos, showing all the intricate details of the MUTT, inside and out. Also, most of the details are depicted from different angles to display them as thoroughly as possible. The book covers service vehicles from Barstow base, as well as vehicles from private collections refurbished and restored to US Army / USMC standard with the details differing from the standard picked out in image captions.

Although primarily a photo book, the information given in the text provides a very engaging read, making the title an impressive symbiosis of high-quality photos depicting the M151 A2 in detail, and concise but extremely interesting info on the vehicle.