17 Facts About Mini Moke

Mini Moke is a small, front-wheel-drive utility and recreational convertible, originally conceived and manufactured as a lightweight military vehicle by British Motor Corporation, and subsequently marketed for civilian use under the Austin, Morris and Leyland brands.

Original Mini Moke was designed by Sir Alec Issigonis and John Sheppard.

When Issigonis designed the Mini Moke, he planned another vehicle to share the Mini Moke's mechanical parts, but with a more rugged body shell.

In 2022, Mini Moke International agreed to a takeover by EV Technology Group.

The British Customs and Excise department decided that the Mini Moke should be classified as a passenger car rather than as a commercial vehicle, which meant that it attracted purchase tax, reducing sales in its intended commercial market.

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At least one commandeered civilian Mini Moke was used by the Argentinian Forces during their occupation of the islands.

At least two four-wheel drive Mini Moke prototypes were manufactured by Leyland Australia in the late 1970s, but unlike the British version, these used just one engine.

In 2012 MOKE International teamed up with designer Michael Young, Chery Automotive, and Sicar Engineering to design a new version of the Mini Moke, styled MOKE, with the intention of releasing the car in Thailand, Australia, the Caribbean, the Seychelles and Mauritius, and Egypt by 2016.

The Moke has no chassis, so the wheels, brake assemblies and suspension are attached to front and rear subframes bolted straight onto the monocoque shell, just as with a standard Mini.

True Mini Moke was never available as a kit car, but because the basic Mini parts are easily available, many companies have made copies of the vehicle: the Andersen Mini-Cub, the Del Tech Nomad, the Gecko, the Hobo, the Hustler, the Jimini, the Mini-Scout, the Mule, the Navajo, the Ranger, the Mini Scamp, the Stimson, the Warrior and the Yak.

Mini Moke gained much popularity as a beach buggy and was often rented to tourists in tropical island resorts such as Mauritius and Barbados.

The CUB, although it resembled the Mini Moke, was designed by Charles Andersen of Liverpool, England and used a 1275 cc version of the A-Series engine.

Mini Moke was identified as an ideal conversion for use in railway service.

The eMini Moke is an all-electric low-speed vehicle assembled by Cruise Car Inc in America from parts made in China.

Mini Moke attracted attention via media exposure, including the 1965 John Boorman film Catch Us If You Can, many appearances in the television series The Prisoner starring Patrick McGoohan, as well as in popular songs such as the English rock group Traffic's recording of "Berkshire Poppies".

Mini Moke met with renewed success in the 1980s when French actress and model Brigitte Bardot was pictured driving a Mini Moke with her dogs in St Tropez, France.

In 2016 the Mini Moke was included in an exhibition titled "AL Projects with Aluminum", curated by Maria Cristina Didero at the Grand-Hornu in Belgium.