Wednesday 16th September 2020

Mini Moke resurrected in UK

Quirky sixties model returns to Britain 56 years after launch, priced from £24,000

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The Mini Moke is to make an official return to Britain more than half a century since its introduction using an upgraded chassis and modern engine. The Sir Alec Issigoni-designed open-top – which was originally created for military use – was an icon of the sixties, having been driven by the likes of The Beatles and The Beach Boys. It was produced in six countries including sites in Asia, Australasia and Africa, with BMC’s Longbridge plant kicking things off in 1964. So it’s fair to say it had quite the reach.

This time around, however, the ambitions for it are a little more modest to begin with. It returns to the UK market with a £24,000 (excluding delivery) starting price. That gets you a 21^st century take on the original, with a tougher chassis and 1.1-litre four-cylinder engine, which produces 67hp at 6,000rpm and 69lb ft of torque. There's not exactly a lot to a Moke, so performance should be more than adequate – and the lack of solid insulation ought to ensure the new version is as fun as the old.

As the pictures show, a soft-top roof with plastic windows can be stretched over the Moke to keep passengers dry, but – as before – this is obviously a car best suited to warmer climes, hence the Moke’s popularity with world holiday resorts, including casinos of Las Vegas, no less. Year round use is therefore unlikely in the UK, but that's always been the case. 

To kick off its return, Moke will produce 56 cars exclusively for the domestic market, marking the number of years that have passed since it first launched here. Each Moke 56 comes in a choice of 14 colours, with the front grille and windscreen rails finished in chrome, and a Union Jack badge placed on the front wings. There’s also a numbered plaque on the bonnet.

Following that - and presumably depending on its success - Moke has wider aspirations, which would see it engineering the car in the Midlands before it to Cerizay in France for final assembly. The company has hired leading experts from the industry, including Mark Truman, who heads the engineering and production side, with experience from Aston Martin, Ford and Jaguar Land Rover, no less.

He said: “My role at Moke is to preserve the integrity and spirit of the original Moke whilst incorporating the very best of today’s technologies that match the requirements of a new generation.” Whatever the justification, we’re just happy to see one of the cheeriest cars ever produced back in production.

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[Water Fairy]

£24k? Hmmmmm

[simon-tigjs]

These will sell out in minutes. Ideal summer fun car or for promotion.. Brilliant. !

[Dr Interceptor]

This would have been an ideal candidate to receive the 1.0 Ecoboost engine - 100Hp in a Moke would be a blast (or lethal).

[donkmeister]

Assembled in France?! That's just wrong, it would be like a 2CV being assembled in Germany.

Is it too late to get an appellation controlee in place for cars?

[Krikkit]

Dr Interceptor said:

This would have been an ideal candidate to receive the 1.0 Ecoboost engine - 100Hp in a Moke would be a blast (or lethal).

That's a brilliant idea, I think it'd be both a blast and totally lethal

[Goodwood63]

I remember a very scary moment when we went to Longleat safari park in my dads about 45 -50 odd years ago.
All was great until some of the animals that were wondering around realised we had no protection ( doors or windows )
It was also great fun in the sunshine bombing around town and down to the beach.

Edited by Goodwood63 on Wednesday 16th September 11:27

[Dr Interceptor]

Krikkit said:

That's a brilliant idea, I think it'd be both a blast and totally lethal

So much so I wonder how much a body would cost without the engine

[Frimley111R]

24k? Novelty thing but can't see it selling in any numbers.

[anonymous-user]

Krikkit said:

Dr Interceptor said:

This would have been an ideal candidate to receive the 1.0 Ecoboost engine - 100Hp in a Moke would be a blast (or lethal).

That's a brilliant idea, I think it'd be both a blast and totally lethal

I was thinking the opposite, seen this as electric Moke's in Portugal.
http://www.moke-electric.com/technische-fiche/?lan...

As it's just a cruiser along the cafes or for a bit of shopping if you are lucky enough with the weather, electric seems the way to go for me with this particular car...

[Ray_Aber]

donkmeister said:

Assembled in France?! That's just wrong, it would be like a 2CV being assembled in Germany.

Is it too late to get an appellation controlee in place for cars?

Love it! Cotes du Castle Bromwich...

[RBV8]

Aletsch said:

I was thinking the opposite, seen this as electric Moke's in Portugal.
http://www.moke-electric.com/technische-fiche/?lan...

As it's just a cruiser along the cafes or for a bit of shopping if you are lucky enough with the weather, electric seems the way to go for me with this particular car...

Ha! I spotted Mokes on Alibaba too last week, they seem to offer petrol, diesel and electric versions....obviously Chinese clones but significantly cheaper than £24K!

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/high-cost-e...

[Truckosaurus]

donkmeister said:

.... it would be like a 2CV being assembled in Germany. ...

They made 2CVs in Slough (amongst other places).

[nmd87]

Union Flag on the side, but assembled in France?

[Jader1973]

How can it be road legal? Surely it doesn’t meet any current regulations for anything?

Zero star crash rating for a start I suspect.

[anonymous-user]

Aletsch said:

Krikkit said:

Dr Interceptor said:

This would have been an ideal candidate to receive the 1.0 Ecoboost engine - 100Hp in a Moke would be a blast (or lethal).

That's a brilliant idea, I think it'd be both a blast and totally lethal

I was thinking the opposite, seen this as electric Moke's in Portugal.
http://www.moke-electric.com/technische-fiche/?lan...

As it's just a cruiser along the cafes or for a bit of shopping if you are lucky enough with the weather, electric seems the way to go for me with this particular car...

By the way, I rented one about 30 yrs ago to visit some of the "parks" around Darwin NT. Although fun in the short term, it is the worst possible car to take into the (albeit not so remote) outback in the Northern Territories. We were breakfast, lunch and dinner for an army of flying, crawling and wriggling beasts. The things you do when young and stupid....

[Shaw Tarse]

Jader1973 said:

How can it be road legal? Surely it doesn’t meet any current regulations for anything?

Zero star crash rating for a start I suspect.

That is what I thought

[cookie1600]

Not very British really is it?

The engine on the website is designated an SQR472F, which by my reckoning is a Chery Automobile standard unit.

So is this just a knock-off where someone has bought the trademark MOKE name?

[Mr.Jimbo]

Well there is one upside in that we'll have a list of anyone daft enough to buy one, to make rounding them up easier.

Completely baffled how anyone would think this is worth £24k but hey there's nowt queer as folk as the saying goes.

[2xChevrons]

cookie1600 said:

Not very British really is it?

The engine on the website is designated an SQR472F, which by my reckoning is a Chery Automobile standard unit.

So is this just a knock-off where someone has bought the trademark MOKE name?

Judging from the pictures it's also got strut/coil spring front suspension - something other than a Mini's rubber cones, anyway. So is it just the front subframe of a Chery hatchback grafted onto a reproduced Moke look-a-like body? It's certainly not a 100% replica body, there are too many detail differences. I wonder if it drives anything like a Mini?

It's an evocation. Which is no bad thing, and I can see the appeal in it. But to say that you can now buy a new 'Mini Moke' for £24k is slightly stretching the truth.

[oilit]

I was really excited by this until I read :-

Assembled in France with a union jack - cynical marketing

Cherry engine (so it's a chinese engine ?)

No thanks - a real shame - could have been built in UK with the mini engine or any other multitude of engines/electric motors

In my eyes this would be a great thing to own with the right ingredients - missed opportunity - so sorry