MV Spotlight: M274 “Mule” 1/2-ton Truck

Widely known as the Mule, this vehicle’s official name was “M274 Truck, Platform, Utility, 1/2 ton.” But its versatile abilities, yet plain appearance certainly made its Mechanical Mule name appropriate. Four different companies produced six different varieties of Mule between 1956 and 1970. All M274 vehicles had four-wheel drive and the first five varieties could be driver-selected to be regular two-wheel steer or put into a four-wheel steer mode.

Two different versions of air-cooled engines, both rear-mounted, were used over the years to power the Mules. The engines were pull-started on the first five models with a rope. The first five versions were made of magnesium; the last type (M274A5) was made of aluminum. The M274 had twice the cargo-hauling ability of a Jeep.

Weight: 900 pounds
Size (LxWxH): 119” x 49” x 49”
Max Speed: 15 mph
Range: 100 miles

WHAT DO THE NUMBERS MEAN?

Buy the best you can afford. Restoring a vehicle will always be more expensive than buying a finished project.

The vehicles in this guide are given a valuebased on a 1-to-6 condition grading scale:

1=Excellent: Restored to maximum professional standards, or a near-perfect original.

2=Fine: Well-restored, or a combination of superior restoration and excellent original parts.

3=Very Good: Complete and operable original or older restoration, or a very good amateur restoration with all presentable and serviceable parts inside and out.

4=Good: Functional or needing only minor work to be functional. Also, a deteriorated restoration or poor amateur restoration.

5=Restorable: Needs complete restoration of body, chassis, and interior. May or may not be running, but is not wrecked, weathered or stripped to the point of being useful only for parts.

6=Parts Vehicle: Deteriorated beyond the point of restoration.