M-38 Military Jeep

The M38 Jeep was the first post-WW II jeep, based on the civilian model CJ-3A, but upgraded for military use. The M38 was produced from 1950 to 1952 with a total of 45,473 manufactured by Willys. It is superficially very similar to the standard World War II jeep, but had significant differences and upgrades. Visually, the M38 can be distinguished by its external fuel filler outside the driver's position, a one piece windshield, and protruding headlights.

M38 military jeep on display at Wiesbaden Army Airfield, U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden, Germany, for the Independence Day Celebration, 4 July 2010
M38 military jeep on display at Wiesbaden Army Airfield, U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden, Germany, for the Independence Day Celebration, 4 July 2010.

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6 Jul 1942 Anne Frank's Jewish family goes into hiding in an attic above her father's office in an Amsterdam warehouse.
6 Jul 1942 Flying Tigers in Burma and China integrated into the US Army Air Forces as the China Air Task Force with Gen. Claire Chennault commanding the new unit.
6 Jul 1943 US and Japanese naval forces fight the Battle of Kula Gulf off Kolombangara, in the New Georgia Islands group of the Solomon Islands.
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Description of the M38 Jeep (G-740)

M38 jeep and soldiers use the exit ramp of a BARC, landing on a beach during training, circa 1960
M38 jeep and soldiers use the exit ramp of a BARC, landing on a beach during training, circa 1960.

The M38 Truck, 1/4 ton, 4x4 featured flat fenders, a one-piece windshield, bottom-mounted wipers and an air vent at the bottom center of the windshield frame. Military upgrades included a stronger frame and suspension, a 24-volt electrical system with two batteries, and full-floating rear axle. The M38 tires and wheels are sized 7:00-16, larger than the WW II jeeps.

Manufactured by Willys under the internal designation MC (next in line after the standard WW II jeep which was the Model MB when manufactured by Willys), the Jeep had an L-head, 4 cycle, 4-cylinder engine with synchromesh transmission and three forward gears. It had a crew of two and passenger capacity of two.

Photos are available on the M-38 Jeep page of the Olive-Drab.com Military Vehicle Charts.

Find additional photos and hi-res versions of the M-38 military jeep at the Olive-Drab Military Mashup.

The M38 jeep was followed by the M38A1, a new design introduced in 1952.

Internet Resources for the M38 Jeep

The M38 jeeps that were built for the U.S. Army (and used by all the armed services) are very popular with collectors due to their reasonable size, ready availability of parts, and great off-road capabilities. There are many websites and forums devoted to the M38 and M38A1 jeep, some of the best collected on the linked page.

Find More Information on the Internet

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