Colt mustang (introduced in 1983, I think) might lay claim to being the daddy, but it was a pretty faithful copy of the venerable Star DK (most modern variant began production in 1928).
So, looks like: P238 = copy of Colt Mustang = copy of Star DK.
See here for some good info:
http://www.star-firearms.com/firearm.../d/index.shtml
Best,
Will