The Ford M151 is not a car you decode with a normal VIN. It is a military vehicle, the MUTT, short for Military Utility Tactical Truck, that Ford developed for the United States Army and that served from 1959 into the 1980s. It replaced the older jeep type trucks and was later built by other contractors too. Because it was made for the army rather than for sale to the public, it is identified by military markings rather than by the seventeen character VIN used on civilian Fords.
How a Ford M151 is identified
Instead of a road car VIN, the M151 carries a United States Army registration number and a set of data plates fitted in the vehicle. Those plates record the model, the contract and the serial number, and the registration number is what the military used to track each truck. When one of these passes into private hands, that serial and those plates are what a collector, a restorer or a registration office will work from, so keeping them intact and legible really matters.
What the M151 actually is
The M151 was a compact, light four wheel drive utility truck powered by a four cylinder engine, with independent suspension that made it more capable but, on the early versions, trickier at the limit. The later M151A2 revised the rear suspension to make it safer. Many were never meant to be road legal once retired, and some were released only after being cut up, so the rules around owning and driving one vary a lot by country and state.
| Detail | Ford M151 MUTT |
|---|---|
| Type | Light military four wheel drive utility truck |
| In service | From 1959 into the 1980s |
| Engine | Four cylinder |
| Identification | US Army registration number and data plates, not a civilian VIN |
Where to find the numbers on an M151
Look for the data plates inside the vehicle, typically on the dash or body, and for stamped serial numbers on the frame. Match these against whatever paperwork comes with the truck. On a military vehicle the plates and the frame stamping are the heart of its identity, so a truck that still has clear, matching plates is worth more and is far easier to register.
Buying a Ford M151
Before anything else, check the local rules, because road use of an ex military M151 is restricted in many places and some were sold on condition they never returned to the road. Confirm the data plates and frame numbers are present and match the documents, and buy on the strength of a complete, honest vehicle. As with any restoration project, a solid truck with its identity intact beats a cheap one that is missing its plates.