The history
The M38A1 was Willys’ post-war jeep for the US Army, adopted in 1952 and known at Willys as the model MD. Its rounded bodywork and bigger body set it apart from the wartime MB, and the civilian CJ-5 that followed was built on the same design.
It served through the 1950s and into the 1960s, until Ford’s M151 took its place.
The build
By this point, I had started looking for different Jeeps to add to the collection, and the AFV Club M38A1 immediately caught my attention.
Compared with the earlier kits, it offered several new details, but the most interesting feature was the fully detailed engine. I added a few extra pipes and small details of my own to make the engine bay even more convincing.
It required a little more work than the previous Jeeps, but the result was well worth it. With the hood displayed open, the M38A1 became one of the more distinctive pieces in the collection.
The jeep family
Four generations of the US Army’s light utility vehicle, all built in 1/35.
- Willys MB, 1941 to 1945
- Willys M38A1, the 1950s (this dossier)
- M151A1, Vietnam
- M151A2, Grenada 1983 (dossier coming on 25 October)
- Planned: Willys MB ambulance jeep, Normandy 1944
- Planned: Wasp flamethrower jeep, Popski’s Private Army
