In 1951 Ford Motor Company gained the contract to design a 1/4 ton 4x4 Military Utility Tactical Truck (hence MUTT) to replace the Korean War jeeps, the M38 and M38A1. The M151 'MUTT' was developed with guidance from the US Army's Ordnance Truck Automotive Command. Design work began in 1951 and testing and prototyping lasted through most of the fifties. Although the M151 was developed and initially produced by Ford, production contracts for the M151A2 were later also awarded to Kaiser Jeep and AM General Corp.