We all know the profound effect the Willys MB had upon the American fighting forces in WWII: it was rugged, rough around the edges, but built to last and an indispensable part of the “Arsenal of Democracy” that brought Japan and Germany to its knees. But what might not be known is the profound effect the MB had upon other countries’ armies.

Italy, brought back to its senses and deposed of Mussolini, still had a need to maintain its military forces. Exposure to the MB created a drive for a small vehicle that could carry a handful of soldiers, supplies, and other things. To that end, Alfa Romeo was selected to create something similar, and what resulted was the Matta (“mad” in Italian).

After four years of production (1951-54), the Matta was dropped from production. Civilians got to enjoy these vehicles quite a bit, however, with the AR 52 variant. One of these civilians is a gentleman named Francesco, who was the subject of a recent video by The Whole Car.

“[Francesco] initially bought this because he needed a workhorse,” says host Sam Cuthbert. “He’s kept it in the family for three decades now. [It’s] chassis number 100 out of 165 that were built specifically for the army.”

For all of its can-do attitude, however, the Matta was a bit too extreme in terms of its production. The motor, a 1.9-liter inline four, was a double overhead cam design that was more costly than necessary. The Fiat Campagnola, which replaced the Matta, was mechanically simpler and therefore the preferred choice.

We hope Francesco gets many more miles out of his Matta and that his family gets to enjoy the vehicle for years to come. What did you think of this curious little Italian off-roader? Let us know in the comments below.