"Simplify, then add beer" (jeffoh)
10/17/2013 at 18:34 • Filed to: Moke
1
1|
"Simplify, then add beer" (jeffoh)
10/17/2013 at 18:34 • Filed to: Moke | 1
| 1 |
Kinda realised after I posted about !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! that some people may not know about this little piece of sunny motoring history. So I stole this backstory:
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
The Mini Moke was motoring at its most basic - a box-sided tray on wheels with a windscreen and the simplest of seats. In a warm climate it was great fun for taking down to the beach, a sort of four wheeled motorbike, but it was very draughty in the cold and wet with the "rag top" up and it did not offer much protection when mixing it with semi-trailers on the freeway.
The Moke was born in response to the British Army's search for air transportable vehicles. It was certainly light and compact, particularly with the windscreen down, but the front wheel drive, small wheels and low ground clearance cannot have given sufficient mobility, although experimental four wheel drive Mokes were built - with two engines and transmissions, power at each end! The general idea was to design a utility version of the Mini- a lighter weight Land Rover to be capable of packing in crates to be dropped from the sky with a parachute or lowered by helicopter (if you look carefully at a Moke, you can see how with the windscreen removed, they do stack on top of each other, the wheels on the top one fitting nicely on the wings underneath). The big military orders fell through but the Moke went on to become a cult, a real classic car.
A few years later Leyland decided to transfer production to Australia. The Australian army liked them so did the Australian Public, well they did after increasing wheel size, ground clearance, engine size etc. Eventually after the Australian Public had their fun, the Portuguese (Cagiva) had a short attempt, later the Italians (Cagiva still) who made the final slight modifications and the final few Mokes.
1960, Austin investigate a light weight minimalist vehicle suitable for air transport for the British Army.
1963, Mini Moke prototype built but the Army abandons interest.
1964 August, civilian Mini Moke released, based on the front wheel drive Minicar with an 850cc engine transversely mounted.
1966, Moke production transferred to Australia.
1968, larger 13" wheels raise ground clearance to 8", 1100c engine fitted.
1972, Californian Mokes produced with 1275cc motor for the US market.
1981 November, Leyland Australia stops building Mokes but production is transferred to Portugal.
1992, Moke production stops in Portugal. Tooling sold to Cagiva of Italy who built 1500 Mokes
Bit more info here if you want to read up:
http://www.minimoke.net.au/moke_history.h…
desertdog5051
> Simplify, then add beer
10/17/2013 at 18:47 |
|
Thanks.