The Mini Mag. ..... Volume No.3 No.5.... 2001
  May 2001

Volume 3 Index. | Article Index.
ALCHEMY.
A look at the many variations of the Mini and the people who helped make the car “A Legend”.

Thirty-five Years of Moke.

As we celebrate 40 years of Mini in Australia we should also remember that it is the Moke’s 35th anniversary as well.

Despite a slow start upon its release in the early 60s, the Moke gradually gained a loyal following as the models were upgraded throughout its life. A drawback early on was the lack of adequate ground clearance and unsuitable tyres for the market it was aimed at. The low engine capacity was also a problem, as this limited the cruising speed due to its less than slippery shape.

Its combination of light weight and front wheel drive resulted made it a competent off-roader, causing a lot of people to re-evaluate their view of the Moke. With the move to bigger engine capacity and wheel size, the concept finally clicked in the market place - all of a sudden Mokes were everywhere. It became the leader of a market segment that would eventually allow the Japanese to sell under powered and undersized 4x4s after its demise.

Most of us can remember newsagents around Australia using a Moke to deliver the papers - they also established a place in coastal resorts as a hire car at low rent, and this helped prove the vehicle’s durability. Remember how the headroom increased along with an increase in speed?!!

An attempt to export the Moke to the USA was made in the 70s: although forthcoming safety laws eventually restricted its success, other markets were established and did prove worthwhile. An interesting sideline to the export program was that the cost factor was much less than normal vehicles because a container could carry Mokes stacked like patties. The windscreen was folded down, and a support was placed under the tubular bumpers: this allowed more cars in a given space and led to lower costs.

The Moke also found a place in motorkhanas, and even at the endurance events held at Surfers Paradise raceway. The problem was that officials could not decide if it was a sportscar or not, just as they previously had trouble deciding if the BMC lightweight could run against the Ferraris and others. All was forgiven when the Mini family was not far from the front runners at race-end.

An unfortunate end for a lot of these cars came when the larger engines were scavenged to re-power Minis. This, along with rust problems, caused the numbers to fall. There is not a lot left now, and they look like becoming quite collectable from here on. Their fittings made a Land Rover look luxurious, and even with their opaque rear windows and fiddly roof, the Moke’s shortcomings were overlooked by their owners. They remain an important member of the Mini family: these cars have added toughness to the Mini resume and will always be an important part of Mini history.