Description
Add a strong piece of Cold War armored vehicle history to your collection with this M59 A.P.C. Vehicle Dashboard Instrument Panel, identified by Ref. 8340563. This is a specialized interior vehicle component associated with the M59 Armored Personnel Carrier, one of the U.S. Army’s important tracked personnel carriers of the 1950s and early Cold War period.
The M59 A.P.C. entered U.S. Army service in 1954 as a replacement for the earlier M75 armored personnel carrier. It was designed to be lower in cost, amphibious, and capable of carrying a driver, commander, and infantry squad. Tucson Military Vehicle Museum lists the M59 with a crew of 2 plus 10 passengers, welded steel armor, twin GMC 302 six-cylinder engines, and a road speed of about 32 mph.
Historical Significance
The M59 Armored Personnel Carrier belongs to the early Cold War generation of U.S. tracked infantry carriers. It was developed after Korean War experience showed the need for improved armored infantry mobility. FMC produced the T59 prototype series, and the vehicle was type-classified as the M59 in 1953. Deliveries began in 1954, and more than 6,300 were manufactured by the end of production in 1960.
The M59 was an important transitional vehicle. It came after the heavier M75 and before the better-known M113 family. It combined full-track mobility, troop-carrying capacity, amphibious capability, and .50 caliber machine gun armament in a large armored hull.
This dashboard instrument panel connects directly to the driver’s station of that vehicle. Interior components like this help preserve the operational side of the M59 story: starting, monitoring, driving, and controlling a full-tracked armored carrier in the field.
The M59 Dashboard Instrument Panel
The M59 driver sat in the front-left position of the vehicle. Reference material identifies the driver’s position as including the instrument panel, steering brake levers, shifting lever, auxiliary shifting levers, accelerator pedal, throttle control, dimmer switch, and related driver controls.
The M59 driver’s instrument panel layout included several important vehicle controls and indicators, such as:
- battery-generator indicator
- main light selector switch
- blackout drive selector switch
- fuel gauge
- accessory outlet socket
- right and left starting switches
- right and left ignition switches
- right and left tachometer-hour meters
- speedometer-odometer
- engine and transmission warning lights
- left and right water temperature gauges
- panel light
That makes this panel a valuable reference piece for anyone restoring, displaying, or researching the M59 driver’s compartment. It represents the control-and-monitoring area of the vehicle rather than an exterior armor part or drivetrain component.
Known Details
- Item: M59 A.P.C. Vehicle Dashboard Instrument Panel
- Reference Number: 8340563
- Associated Vehicle: M59 Armored Personnel Carrier
- Vehicle Type: Full-tracked armored personnel carrier
- Era: Korean War aftermath / early Cold War
- Associated Position: Driver’s compartment / dashboard area
- Use: Instrument mounting and driver-control display area
- Collector Category: Armored vehicle interior component
- Included Item: Dashboard instrument panel component only, unless otherwise shown or stated
Because military vehicle components can vary by production block, field modification, restoration history, or vehicle serial range, buyers working on a specific restoration should verify fitment against their own manuals, vehicle, and reference photos before purchase.
Key Features
- Original-style M59 A.P.C. dashboard instrument panel
- Identified by Ref. 8340563
- Associated with the M59 Armored Personnel Carrier
- Strong Cold War armored vehicle display value
- Useful for M59 restoration, cockpit display, or driver’s station reference
- Fits collections focused on U.S. Army tracked vehicles and armored personnel carriers
- Great companion piece for M59 manuals, data plates, driver controls, and interior equipment displays
Why This Panel Matters
The M59 A.P.C. was built during a major shift in armored infantry vehicle design. It helped bridge the gap between the post-World War II armored carrier concept and the later M113 family that became so widely used.
A dashboard instrument panel is one of the most recognizable interior parts of any military vehicle. It represents the driver’s working environment and shows how the vehicle was monitored and controlled. For the M59, that means a connection to twin-engine operation, tracked mobility, Cold War armored infantry doctrine, and the practical details of driving a large armored carrier.
For collectors, this panel is a strong display piece because it comes from a vehicle that is far less commonly encountered than the M113. It adds depth to a Cold War armor collection and works especially well in restoration shops, museum displays, military vehicle collections, and armored vehicle interior exhibits.
About This Instrument Panel
This listing is for one M59 A.P.C. Vehicle Dashboard Instrument Panel, identified by Ref. 8340563.
This listing is for the dashboard instrument panel component only unless otherwise stated. No complete vehicle, gauges, switches, wiring harness, lights, data plates, controls, tools, mounting hardware, or additional accessories are included unless specifically shown or noted.
This item is intended for collection, display, restoration reference, historical research, or armored vehicle parts study.
Ideal For
This dashboard instrument panel is a strong fit for:
- M59 Armored Personnel Carrier collectors
- Cold War U.S. Army vehicle displays
- armored vehicle restoration projects
- military vehicle interior reference collections
- dashboard and instrument panel collectors
- museum and archival armored vehicle exhibits
- tracked vehicle parts collections
- collectors of rare M59 A.P.C. components
Approx length 12", Approx width 14", Approx height 5", Approx weight 12.5lbs.
Pictures are stock images of our inventory. Unless otherwise noted, you will not be receiving the exact item shown in the pictures. The pictures are representative of the item's general condition. The item you receive might be slightly better, or worse, condition than was shown in the pictures.
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