Decades after the last Moke left the Portugese factory in 1993, the iconic soft-roader makes its return
Almost 30 years since the last Moke rolled out of British Leyland’s Portugese factory in 1993, the iconic soft-roader is returning to production.
Now simply named ‘Moke’, the iconic Brit has relaunched initially as a UK-only limited edition special. 56 cars will be built amidst the first production run, marking 56 years since the unique car debuted in 1964.
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The modern Mokes are available for order in the UK currently, and are being sold for GBP£20,000 (AU$35,000) and come in 14 different colours.
The original Moke was based on the Mini, and developed by BMC who intended on selling the vehicle for military use; however poor off-road capability and a lack of ground clearance saw the Moke take on a more relaxed civilian life.
Moke International acquired the Moke trademark in 2015, and engineer and partly-assemble the new Mokes in the Midlands, UK; before final assembly is completed in Cerizay, France.
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The 2020 Moke carries over much of the classic Moke’s design cues and motifs, although overall dimensions have grown yielding more cabin space.
Power is drawn from a 1083cc fuel-injected four-cylinder, yielding 50kW of power and a top speed of 109km/h.
Buyers can choose between a manual and automatic gearbox, while brakes and suspension have been modernised from the original Moke’s components.
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Power steering, a heated windscreen and a modern stereo are all included as standard.
While the initial ‘Moke 56’ will be limited to just 56 units, Moke International is set produce the Moke Classic’ thereafter.
Speaking to CarAdvice, Moke International have stated: “we are very much looking forward to bringing the Moke back to Australia, we are targeting middle of next year for market launch”.
“We are actively seeking importer and dealer partners to really drive the success of the brand in a market we anticipate will be perfect for the car”.
Indeed, the Moke plays a significant role in Australia’s manufacture history; produced locally from 1966 to 1981 under Morris Mini, and later British Leyland badges.
Find out more at Mokeinternational.com
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