It was meant as a military vehicle, but ended up as a freedom symbol for the jet-set on the French Riviera: Austin Mini-Moke. Now an extremely low milage Moke - 126 kilometers - is for sale at Bilweb Auctions.
The spaces for the registration plates are empty. The car has never had any. This Mini-Moke rolled out of the factory in Longbridge on 27 September 1966 and were shipped to Sweden, one of three allegedly sold here. For unknown reasons it was never registered or therefore not used. Today´s owner bought it 20 years ago from an artist in Stockholm that kept the car in a barn on the island of Oland. The prerequisite for the purchase, however, was that it would remain in the barn, which it also did until just recently.
Nothing on this Mini-Moke has changed since 1966, except some minor spots of surface rust, a layer of dust and a few admonitions printed on Dymo labels: ”Shut the hood carefully” and ”No feet here”.
The headlamps still wears the stickers that were put on British cars sold in Sweden just prior to the country’s change to right-hand traffic: ”Not to be removed before 3 September 1967”.
An engine well known to all Mini enthusiasts resides under the hood, BMC´s transverse 4-cylinder A-series, 848 cc, 34 horsepower. We can assume that the oil and coolant filled back in 1966 still remains in the car.
The Austin Mini-Moke was originally developed for military use. In theory, it could have been a very light, go-almost-anywhere vehicle, a whole size smaller than the Jeep or Land-Rover and possible to drop from the air with parachutes. But in reality the wheels were too small, its ground clearance too low and its front-wheel-drive traction too limiting in scope. So the army said thanks, but no thanks.
BMC - British Motor Corporation - changed their minds and in 1964 the Austin Mini-Moke was introduced as a ”fun machine” for the civilian market. As it was expressed in a book about BMC´s history: ”The Mini-Makes typical habitat was scudding up and down King´s Road, painted in psychedelic colours and overloaded with exuberant young people”.
Beatle George Harrisson bought a Moke, Birgitte Bardon could be seen in one on the French Riviera and it was featured in no less than 4 Bond films.
However, the Mini-Moke never became a sales success. Production in England ended in 1968 after 14 500 cars made, but continued in Australia and Portugal up until 1993. And today you can of course buy an electric version.
Our Swedish Mini-Moke missed the happy years in the Sixties and Seventies but is now getting its revenge with an estimated value of between 350 000 and 400 000 SEK. The auction ends on 10 November.
7 NOV 10:48 PER-ÅKE FRÖBERG
Austin Mini-Moke with 126 kilometers on the clock - unique cult car on Bilweb Auctions
It was meant as a military vehicle, but ended up as a freedom symbol for the jet-set on the French Riviera: Austin Mini-Moke. Now an extremely low milage Moke - 126 kilometers - is for sale at Bilweb Auctions.
