XM384

The XM384 was an experimental eight-wheel-drive cargo vehicle built by Detroit Arsenal under Ordnance project TT3-812 (later TW-500), opened in March 1954. It used the mechanical parts of the first M151 1/4-ton jeep ('Mutt') on a wider chassis. A fourth axle was added for more payload and better mobility, giving a 1-ton load capacity. It was a test vehicle for swampy ground and low ground pressure rather than a prototype M151.

Design

The eight driven wheels were in tandem pairs, and the two front axles steered. The driver sat far forward and the engine was offset to the right. Sources quote 70 hp and coil-spring independent suspension. A matching one-off trailer, the XM585E7, was built for it.

Amphibious conversion

The XM384 was converted into an amphibian in 1958-59. A later owner of the matching trailer reported that the vehicle survived and that its owner planned to restore it.