Mini Moke RETURNS - but now it's just the MOKE and has a £24k price tag

Mini Moke returns as the MOKE

The Mini Moke – a 1960s Mini ‘beach buggy’ – returns as the MOKE, with an initial run of 56 cars celebrating its arrival in 1964. Costs from £24k.

It’s 56 years since Sir Alec Issigonis, creator of the Mini, turned his hand to a ‘leisure’ vehicle, taking the underpinnings of the Mini and turning it in to a fun little beach buggy type car – the Mini Moke – almost by accident after trying to create a military runaround.

The Mini Moke, just like the Mini, was a classless, fun little car, not much use in the British climate but ideal for zipping around resorts when the sun deigned to shine.

Now, more than half a century since the Mini Moke arrived, it’s going back in to production with Moke International – which acquired the name rights a few years ago – planning an initial run of 56 cars to be followed by serial production.

The Moke gets a bit bigger – because we all have – and gets more modern suspension as well as a more modern 67bhp 1.1 litre petrol engine (it’s Euro 4, so not cutting edge) and an auto ‘box.

It’s still basically an open box, although it comes with a bit more than seats, a steering wheel and lights this time round, with unheard of luxuries like power steering and heated windscreen, as well as chrome grille and windscreen rails, and Union Jack badge on the front wings, for the initial 56-car run.

Mark Truman, lead engineer for the Moke, said:

My role at MOKE is to preserve the integrity and spirit of the original MOKE whilst incorporating the very best of today’s technologies that match the requirements of a new generation.

Engineering for the Moke will be done in the Midlands – although it’s shipped off to France for assembly – with the new Moke costing from £24,000.