The tiny British jeep/golf cart thing you might have seen cruising around beach towns and island communities is called a Moke. It’s a low-speed multi-terrain getaround vehicle that came out in the 1960s and, I guess, “is back” according to a press release. More pressingly: The online configurator is fun.
A form of the basic Moke design was revived in China back in 2013, but it looks like the original namesake and patent is getting a fresh run for the English market.
The company’s history is actually kind of neat. You can get the whole rundown on Moke’s About page, but the vehicle’s origins are military use. Specifically, as a buggy to run around on the deck of aircraft carriers. Initially, it was known as the “buckboard,” but the Moke name was bestowed in the ’60s as the car was adapted for civilian use.
“Moke” is old slang for donkey, I guess.
Anyway, the new news today is that you can order one in England with a 1083cc 67 horsepower four-banger. There will be “56 limited edition MOKEs, an allocation selected to signify the number of years since the Mini MOKE first appeared in Britain in 1964,” but you can also get a regular one at your leisure. List price is £20,000 ($AUD42,000).
But even if you can’t order one, it’s pretty fun to go to the Moke site, scroll down to the configurator, and spec out your own special Moke with whatever colour body, roll bars, bumpers, and grille you want.
Screenshot one and share it!