Mini Moke

Cars

Anyone out there sick of this sodden winter?

Well, we are. And nothing cheers us up and makes us dream of better light and balmier days than a car like this amazing little mini moke. It’s for auction at RM, of course, and it’s going to fetch a pretty penny.

It’s Mini-based of course, and was apparently designed and conceived by BMC for Army use – though as RM points out, not sure what sort of rugged off-roading you were expected to do with the tiny wheels and low ground clearance…

But it’s Friday, we’re in love…

images courtesy RM Auctions



 

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One Response to “Mini Moke”

  1. Uyraell Senssemann

    The idea behind the Moke was a 4-wheeled air-droppable/air-landable replacement for the WW2 “Paratrooper Motorbike” eventually sold briefly post-war as the “Corgi” motorbike, a reasonable number of which survive in collector/enthusiast hands to this day. These were also the inspiration for the slightly later Honda Monkey minibike and various others.

    The Mokes themselves were mainly intended as road transport, rather than as cross-country vehicles per-se. They were “1st-wave” vehicles which was intended to be supplemented by Jeeps or Landrovers as “2nd-wave” cross-country vehicles once the initial Landing Zone(s) had been secured.

    It was budgetry constraints within the UK Defence Dept that killed Military usage of the Mokes, leaving the vehicle to compete with the likes of the Fiat 500 “Jolly” beach vehicle and the rapidly arriving VW based “Dune Buggies” then just nascent and beginning to appear.
    Being UK-built in small (and, despite BMC intentions, relatively expensive ) numbers, the Mokes were simply unable to effectively compete in a niche market already overburdened with comparatively vast choices in vehicles.

    I hope this brief bit of info is both helpful and of use to you,

    Kind and Respectful Regards, Uyraell.