The Moke was a product of the early 1960s and also designed by the ‘father’ of the Mini, Sir Alec Issigonis. Though it was called ‘Mini Moke’ (‘moke’ being an ancient term for ‘donkey’), it was not considered part of the Mini range and was originally intended for military use. However, while it was easy to transport in aircraft, it was not really suitable for rugged terrain with its small wheels and low ground clearance.

The British Motor Corporation then marketed as a civilian product, and like the Mini, it found fans who saw it as a sort of counterculture machine, like the American dune buggy.  It was popular transport for the inhabitants of the most exclusive coastal resorts in Europe, the Caribbean, USA and Asia. Many are still in use up till today at seaside resort and recreational facilities.

Some 50,000 units were produced at factories in the UK (1964 – 1968), Australia (1966 – 1981) and Portugal (1980 – 1993). The final production in Portugal was done by Cagiva, the Italian motorcycle manufacturer, which had acquired the ‘MOKE’ name. Some companies in China manufactured imitations over the years as well.

25 years on, the MOKE was reborn in 2018, after a company called MOKE International acquired rights to the name in 2015. The iconic design was maintained while a new modern powertrain was installed along with uprated suspension and braking.