Mini Moke
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mini Moke | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Manufacturer | BMC, British Leyland Portugal, Cagiva |
| Production | 1964–1993 |
| Class | Light truck/Beach buggy |
| Body style | Beach buggy |
| Engine | A-series, 850–1275 cc |
| Transmission | 4-speed manual |
| Wheelbase | 2.02 m (78 in)[1] |
| Length | 3.05 m (120 in) |
| Width | 1.30 m (51 in) |
| Height | 1.40 m (55 in) (with cloth roof and windshield raised) |
| Ride height | 162 mm (6.4 in) — with 10 inch wheels |
| Track | 1.21 m (47 in) (front), 1.16 m (46 in) (rear) |
| Curb weight | 406 kg (896 lb) — Early models 578 kg (1275 lb) — Later models |
| Fuel capacity | 28.4 L (6.2 Imperial gallon 7.5 U.S. gallon) |
| Similar | Citroën Méhari |
| Designer | Sir Alec Issigonis |
The Mini Moke is a vehicle based on the Mini and designed for the British Motor Corporation (BMC) by Sir Alec Issigonis.[2] The name comes from "Mini"—the car with which the Moke shares many parts—and "Moke", which is an archaic dialect term for "donkey".[3][4][5]
The initial design was a prototype for a light military vehicle in the style of the American Jeep, but its small wheels and low ground clearance made it impractical as an off-road vehicle. It was subsequently offered in a civilian version as a low-cost, easily maintained utility vehicle. The Moke finally achieved success as a beach buggy — becoming a popular 'cult' vehicle in the Seychelles, Australia, the United States and many tropical resorts. The original Moke used identical engine, transmission and suspension parts to the basic Mini.[6][7]
Mokes were first built at BMC's Longbridge, Birmingham plant, but production was soon moved overseas. 14,500 Mokes were produced in the UK between 1964 and 1968, 26,000 in Australia between 1966 and 1981, and 10,000 in Portugal between 1980 and 1993 when production of the Moke ended.[4]
Contents |
[edit] History
When Issigonis designed the Mini, he planned another vehicle to share the Mini's mechanical parts, but with a more rugged body shell. This was an attempt to take a portion of the military vehicle business from Land Rover. Issigonis had previously designed the Nuffield Guppy in a failed attempt to break into that market. By 1959, BMC had working prototypes of what was codenamed; "The Buckboard", later to become the "Mini Moke". These prototypes were shown to the British Army as a parachute-droppable vehicle, but poor ground clearance and a low-powered engine did not meet the most basic requirements for an off-road vehicle. Only the Royal Navy showed any interest at all in the Buckboard—as a vehicle for use on the decks of aircraft carriers.[4]
Early promotional material made much of the lightness of the vehicle, showing four soldiers riding in the Moke off-road, then picking it up by its tubular bumpers and carrying it when (inevitably) its low ground clearance proved inadequate to the task.
In a further attempt to make something for the army, a few four-wheel drive Mokes were made by the addition of a second engine at the back of the vehicle with linked clutches and gear shifters. However, this did nothing to solve the ground-clearance issue, and mechanical complications discouraged development beyond the prototype stage.[6][7] This strange vehicle was called "The Twini" and was shown to the US Army - again with no success.[3]
[edit] British Mokes
Eventually BMC gave up on the idea of selling the Moke to the military, and in 1963 the decision was made to build a civilian version, targeting farmers and light commercial applications. Several prototypes of this were built in 1963 one of which is still known to exist in Pinner just outside London, England. The Moke was launched onto the British market in 1964. The British Customs and Excise department decided that the 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.[8]
The Moke attracted attention as a 'cult' vehicle as a result of the unprecedented success of the Mini and through media exposure in the popular television series The Prisoner.[9] Despite this, of the 14,500 British Mokes sold, only about a tenth of them stayed in Britain.[4] Mokes continued to be made in Britain until 1968.
The British-made Mokes were fitted with a low-end 850 cc engine which had been detuned to use low-octane fuel. They used the same suspension, gearbox and 10 inch wheels as the standard Mini.[10] In the initial offering, passenger seats, grab handles, heater, windscreen washer and a removable canvas top were all optional equipment delivered separately from the vehicle. Owners had to bolt these optional extras onto the vehicle themselves.[6] The base price was GB£405.[11] The 'Mk I' Mokes had a single windscreen wiper and a floor-mounted headlight dip switch, and the only colour available was "Spruce Green". In 1967, the 'Mk II' Moke added a passenger-side wiper. Horn and headlight controls were moved onto the indicator stalk. These later British Mokes were also available in white.[12]
The John Player & Sons cigarette company ran a team of Mokes in autocross competitions on grass tracks through 1968.[5] These vehicles were equipped with rollover protection and used the Mini Cooper S 1275 cc engine.
[edit] Australian Mokes
Mokes were built in Australia from 1966 to 1981. Initially Australian Mokes had the same 10 inch wheels as British Mokes and Mini saloons, however these were soon replaced by 13 inch wheels with longer rear trailing arms, which made them more practical for gentle off-road or beach use than the British version. The solid metal seats of the British Mokes were replaced with tubular-framed 'deck-chair' seats.[12] This variant started with a 998 cc engine which was switched in mid-production to 1098 cc. In 1976, with the advent of new anti-pollution requirements (Australian Design Rule 27A), the locally manufactured 1098 cc motor was replaced by an imported version of the 998 cc motor with an air pump and exhaust gas recirculation, which had been developed to meet UK anti-pollution requirements.
For a brief period around 1972, Leyland Australia produced a variant referred to in Leyland literature as "Moke, special export", but commonly called a "Californian", which had a 1,275 cc engine and was fitted with side marker lamps and different rear lights to conform to US FMVSS standards. The fuel tank from the Austin Sprite or MG Midget was fitted beneath the rear load area, replacing the standard tank mounted in the left sidebox. The export Californian was readily recognisable by its floral or black and white striped seats and roof, and was briefly marketed to the 'flower power' culture in the United States.
The name "Californian" and the 1275 cc motor were resurrected in 1977 for Australian market Mokes with denim seat covers, more comfortable seats (which concealed the same basic frame within), spoked wheels[7] and complex tubular bumpers (known as 'roo bars').[12]
Australian Mokes were exported to many countries, and pioneered large-scale exports of Australian-made vehicles. Leyland Australia made much of these exports in its advertising. The use of Australian-made Mokes by the Israeli Army (complete with a machine gun tripod mounted in the rear) attracted controversy and media attention.[4][6]
From 1975, a pickup version of the Moke was produced, with a 1.45 x 1.50 metre (55 x 59 in) drop-sided bed which protruded behind the back of the vehicle, and a cloth top over the cab area.[7] At least two four-wheel drive Moke prototypes were manufactured by Leyland Australia in the late 1970s, but unlike the British 'Twini' version, these used just one engine. Leyland were planning to market this version, but Moke production in Australia ended in 1981 and all that remains of the project is one of the prototypes which is now owned by an enthusiast in Western Australia.[6][7]
In 1977, a 1,275 cc Cooper S-engined Moke (sponsored by Coca-Cola) was entered into the Singapore Airlines London-Sydney Marathon. The car was driven over 30,000 kilometres (18,600 mi) over 30 days and finished in 35th place.[3]
[edit] Portuguese Mokes
As Australian Moke production wound down, manufacturing was transferred to British Leyland's subsidiary in Portugal, which made 8,500 of the 'Californian' Mokes in their Vendas Novas plant between 1980 and 1990. Initially these Mokes were identical to late model Australian Mokes; very soon, however, they were altered to use then-current British production Mini saloon components, including the standard-length Mini rear trailing arms and the 12 in wheels with modern low-profile tyres, which the sedan had acquired during the Moke's absence from Europe.
In 1990, British Leyland (by then called Rover Group) sold the 'Moke' name to Cagiva - a motorcycle manufacturer in Bologna, Italy. Production continued in Portugal until 1993, when Cagiva transferred the tooling to their factory in Italy with the intention of restarting production in 1995 - which they never did. Since Cagiva did not own the 'Mini' name, the 1,500 cars they built were sold simply as 'Mokes'.[4][6] This brought the total production run of Mokes and Moke derivatives to about 50,000.
[edit] Construction and maintenance
- See also: Mini
The Moke's construction is simple. The body mainly consists of two box-section 'pontoons' running from the back of the car all the way up to the firewall. These are connected by the floor pan, the firewall and a sturdy box-section cross-beam that runs under the front seats. The left-hand pontoon contains the fuel tank; the right-hand has a compartment for the battery and a small lockable storage area. In an effort to improve safety in some 'Californian' Mokes, the fuel tank was relocated to the rear of the vehicle. Later Portuguese Mokes have additional lockable storage space at the rear of the vehicle. The optional cloth canopy has plastic side windows, and is held up by a thin tubular structure that can easily be removed when not needed. In later versions this was replaced with a more solid roll cage. The windscreen can easily be unbolted and removed if not needed. Every panel on the Moke is flat, with the exception of the bonnet which is only curved in one direction. This makes it possible to manufacture and replace Moke body components without access to sophisticated machine tools.[13]
Because the Moke's A-Series engine, gearbox and suspension are identical to those of a standard Mini (which was still in production up to October 2000), most spare parts are still readily available. The Moke has no chassis, so the wheels, brake assemblies and suspension are attached to front and rear subframes which are bolted straight onto the monocoque shell just as with a standard Mini. Mokes tend to require much structural maintenance if they are to stay in good running order.[13]
[edit] Kit cars and look-alikes
The 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 Scamp, the Stimson, the Warrior and the Yak.[12]
[edit] Island Mokes
The Moke gained much popularity as a beach buggy and was often rented to tourists in tropical island resorts such as Barbados.
The car also found a market in Macau, where it became the official transport for the local police, and the 'Happy-Rent-a-Car' company owned 43 of the vehicles which were made available for hire until February 2006, when they were outlawed by new car safety laws.[4][14] The Macau branch of the car rental company Avis ran a fleet of Moke look-alike "CUBs". The CUB, although it resembled the Moke, was designed by Charles Andersen of Liverpool, England and used an Austin 1300 engine.[15]
On Magnetic Island, off Australia's Queensland coast, Moke Magnetic still operate a large fleet of Australian-made Mokes for hire to tourists.[16]
Mini Mokes can still be seen zooming around the town of Victoria, Seychelles as it is still a popular mode of transport for tourists and can seat 4 people in relative comfort from island point to island point.
In the early 1970s, a Mini Moke became the first motor vehicle to be driven on Pitcairn Island and thereby became the most remote vehicle on earth. It was chosen because it was the only off-road vehicle that could be lifted by the island's only crane—there being no dock or airstrip at Pitcairn. However, the rough terrain and heavy rainfall proved too much for the Moke and it soon broke down. Eventually, a second and later a third Moke were sent to the island, and by cannibalising the three for spares, the island's sole vehicle remained running until at least 1988.[7]
[edit] Popular culture
In Australia, the Mini Moke was a popular car for students into the late 1980s, often adorned with the iconic "Moking is not a wealth hazard" bumper sticker (a play on the tobacco warning that "smoking is a health hazard"), which went on to become an advertising slogan for the Moke.[11]
Six Mini Mokes were famously used as taxis with distinctive striped canopies in the TV series The Prisoner.[9] They appeared in many other TV shows, in The Beatles' film Help!, and in the James Bond films You Only Live Twice and The Spy Who Loved Me where they were used as runabouts in the villain's headquarters.[17][3][18]
The childrens' book Monty the Moke stars a Spruce Green Mini Moke.[19] In the Dick Francis mystery Smokescreen, a crew shooting a film in South Africa travels in a Mini Moke. The Jimmy Buffett song 'Autour De Rocher', from the album Far Side Of The World, also mentions the Mini Moke. The Traffic song 'Berkshire Poppies,' from the album Mr. Fantasy (US release: Heaven Is In Your Mind) also mentions the Mini Moke.
[edit] Moke in the future?
BMW Mini has revealed a planned vehicle named after the Moke.[20] According to MotorTrend, the new Moke seems to possess Jeep and micro pickup truck like qualities and is aimed at the U.S. buyers with the possibility of being assembled in Spartanburg, South Carolina, around 2010.[21]
[edit] References
- ^ Mini-Moke Driver's Handbook Supplement.
- ^ Wood, Jonathan (2005). Alec Issigonis: The Man Who Made the Mini. Breedon Books Publishing. ISBN 1-85983-449-3.
- ^ a b c d Tim Nuttall. Mini Moke 1964–1989. ISBN 1-870642-94-5.
- ^ a b c d e f g Chris Rees. Complete Classic Mini 1959–2000. ISBN 1-899870-60-1.
- ^ a b R.M.Clarke. Mini-Cooper 1961–1970. ISBN 0-907073-17-4.
- ^ a b c d e f R. M. Clarke. Mini Moke Ultimate Portfolio. ISBN 1-855206-90-0.
- ^ a b c d e f R. M. Clarke, Tim Nuttall. Mini Moke, 1964-1994. ISBN 1-855202-40-9.
- ^ Rob Golding (1979). Mini. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 0-85045-314-3.
- ^ a b White, Matthew, and Jaffer Ali. The Official Prisoner Companion. ISBN 0-446387-44-4.
- ^ (1968) "All Time Greats Group 5 Number 109. International Masters Publishers AB.
- ^ a b Chapman, Giles (2004-09-07). MINI MOKE: The obstinate pony. The London Independent. Retrieved on February 2, 2007.
- ^ a b c d The Mini Moke Club (1997). A Guide to Mini Mokes. Butterworth & Pilkington Ltd.
- ^ a b William Norman Staton-Bevan. The book of the B.M.C. Minis: Austin and Morris Minis, Wolseley Hornet, Riley Elf, Cooper and Cooper "S" Models and the Mini-Moke. ISBN 0273406957.
- ^ No Moke. Macau Business (2006-03-01). Retrieved on February 2, 2007.
- ^ Andersen Cub. Mini Marcos Owners Club. Retrieved on February 2, 2007.
- ^ Moke Magnetic. Moke Magnetic. Retrieved on February 2, 2007.
- ^ The Mini Moke. The Unmutual Prisoner Vehicle Guide. Retrieved on February 2, 2007.
- ^ Alastair Dougall. James Bond - The secret world of 007. ISBN 0-7894-6691-0.
- ^ Dolly Lamb (1994). Monty the Moke. Lamb & Hodgson Books.
- ^ BMW Mini Moke concept car
- ^ "Future Shock: Future Vans & Minivans", Motor Trend
[edit] External links
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