Military M422 Mighty mite jeep. All aluminum construction with an air cooled v4 engine. These where jeeps where designed to be air lifted by the USMC. This particular jeep was at the Caribou Ranch Recording studio in Colorado. It was used as a vehicle to transport people and goods around the ranch. We purchased the jeep about 5 years ago and had hopes of restoring but currently don’t have time. Supposedly Caribou ranch bought the jeep from the government on and auction. This jeep will likely need a full restoration. Not much is known on the mechanical condition it does appear to be fairly complete. It is missing the front diff but we have the housing. No title. No Warrenty expressed or implied.
The vehicle was originally prototyped starting in 1946, making it the first all-new jeep to be designed for the U.S. military after World War II, and further developed during the 1950s by a team including four of the original Bantam engineers.[2] A design called MARCO MM-100 by the Mid-American Research Corporation used a Porsche air-cooled engine and independent suspension.
To keep the weight down, the M422 became the first U.S. jeep to be fitted with an aluminum body. At 1,700 pounds (771 kg), it is the lightest of the U.S. military trucks to date. Also, this was the first U.S. small military vehicle designed with independent suspension all around (front: leading arms/trailing arms rear), sprung by ¼-elliptical leaf springs. Among the M422’s many other unique features were front and rear limited-slip differentials, inboard differential mounted drum brakes, center-point steering, and the aluminum “AMC AV-108-4” V4 engine developed by American Motors. The air-cooled 107.8 cu in (1.8 L) developed 52 bhp (39 kW) and 90 lb⋅ft (122 N⋅m) of torque, which propelled it to a top speed of 65 miles per hour (108 km/h), with a 55-mile-per-hour (89 km/h) military rating
Although basically a two-seater, the little vehicle could theoretically move six people, thanks to two additional fold-up seats that were integrated into the functional tailgate, as well as two folding backrests on the rear fenders.[6]Also, the M422 was rated to carry 850 lb (390 kg) off-road, while all other standard GI 1/4 ton vehicles (even the M151) were rated at 800 lb (363 kg). And if needed, there was even a version of the M416 trailer specially adapted for towing by an M422: the M416B1.
Price: Auction
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Seller's other items: jaxsurplus
Location: Laporte, Colorado, United States
