After the war, the War Office together with the Fighting Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (FVRDE), planned for a range of military vehicles. The smallest was to be a quarter-ton, four wheel drive, utility car to replace the American Jeep.

The contract was awarded to Morris and the design team included Alec Issigonis.

Two mock-ups were completed by the end of 1945 and during 1946/7, three working prototypes were produced, known as the 'Gutty'. It was quite a departure from the Jeep – with monocoque construction and clever torsion bar independent suspension. The brief called for a Rolls-Royce B40 engine but, as none were available, an experimental flat-four 1800cc engine was installed, a larger version of the one that Issigonis was considering for the Morris Minor. 

Features include two sets of brake and clutch pedals, so it could be either left or right-hand drive. This is the only survivor.