In its time, many variations of the Mini were created, providing simple and affordable transport. One variation, though not promoted as part of the Mini range, was the MOKE. Designed in the 1960s by Sir Alec Issigonis, the father of the original Mini, it shared components (suspension and chassis) with the Mini.
Perhaps it was not promoted commercially initially because it was first intended for military use. So it was engineered to be robust enough for deployment behind enemy lines after being transported by aeroplane. However, the armed forces found the small wheels and low ground clearance to be unsuitable in the sort of terrain they would operate in. Although its exceptionally light weight may have been advantageous on soft ground, it didn’t even have 4×4 to help it in more difficult areas.
The original Mini Moke was intended for military use but its small wheels and low clearance made it unsuitable.Instead of military use by soldiers, the Moke found popularity in resort areas and became a cult car like the dune buggy of the 1960s, used by the rich and beautiful.
A cult car of the 1960s
Instead, the MOKE, as it came to be known, was then promoted as a civilian vehicle and it became a cult car like the dune buggy of the 1960s. 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.
The Moke has been sold all over the world, even in Malaysia, where this owner customised it with the ‘local look’.
Bringing back the MOKE
Now a company known as MOKE International Limited, which has owned the original ‘MOKE’ trademark since 2015, is offering – only to the UK market – a strictly limited run of 56 cars. The number has significance: it refers to the number of years since the original Mini MOKE was launched.
Customers have a choice of 14 body colours and the Limited Edition ‘MOKE 56’ comes with the front grille and windscreen rails in chrome, a discrete Union Jack badge on the front wings, and a numbered plaque on the bonnet. Indicative ex-factory pricing starts at £20,000 (about RM107,000) and the company says that interest is high from resorts and private buyers.
Modernised version
MOKE International will also be making the vehicles for the Caribbean market and will launch additional models across Europe, the USA and other markets in 2021. All MOKE bodies will be engineered and sub-assembled in Britain and then shipped to a factory in France for final assembly.
Naturally, the engineering has been updated to meet regulations that never existed in the 1960s. Besides a new 4-cylinder, EFI DOHC 1083 cc engine, there is uprated suspension, an updated brake system and the option for either automatic or manual transmission.
The modern MOKE is also slightly larger to provide more cabin space. Features previously viewed as a luxury like power steering and heated windscreen will come as standard.
When ‘Volvo’ is mentioned, many models come to mind and it depends on which generation is responding. Older people will think of the 122 Amazon and 244 while a generation later would remember the 850R. But everyone is likely to remember the P1800, perhaps Volvo’s most internationally renowned model ever and the one that arouses most emotions.
Planned in Sweden, designed in Italy, unveiled at a car show in Brussels, built in Britain and a huge success in the USA, production of the P1800 took place between 1961 and 1972. It had reached showrooms after 4 years of careful planning and development and while sales numbers were not spectacular, the image viewpoint it played was far bigger role than any previous Volvo model.
A ‘halo model’
The Volvo P1800 was born for that very reason – to attract the attention of passers-by to Volvo’s showrooms and to increase what today is known as ‘floor traffic’. Once ‘captured’, it was up to the sales advisors to do whatever they could so that people who entered the showroom left it after placing an order for a new Volvo.
The P1800 wasn’t Volvo’s first go at making a sportscar. Back in the early 1950s, it had produced the open 2-seater plastic-bodied Volvo Sport between 1955 and 1957. Only 67 cars were ever made and the production ended rather abruptly because the company’s President then, Gunnar Engellau, was disappointed with the quality. “Not a bad car… but a bad Volvo” was the way he put it when he gave the order to stop production.
Volvo’s first attempt at a sportscar was in 1956 with the P1900 Sport, but poor quality doomed it to a short production life.
However, he recognised the importance of having a prestigious and exciting model to boost overall sales, and Volvo dealers were desperate for just such a car. This led to another go at making a sportscar and design proposals were ordered from Italy. Volvo consultant Helmer Petterson – who was deeply involved in the planning of the new car – had got his son, Pelle, a job at Pietro Frua, thanks to Pelle’s fresh degree in industrial design from the Pratt Institute in New York.
Designed in Italy… by a Swede
When the time came to unveil the 4 proposals to Volvo’s board members in 1957, Helmer sneaked in his son’s design as a fifth possibility – and that was the one that everyone picked! Engellau, in particular, liked it since he had very definite views about wanting an Italian-designed car. That of course is precisely what he did get – except that it was actually the work of a 25-year old native of Goteborg, Volvo’s home city!
Eventually, however, the truth behind the winning design proposal emerged. Engellau was furious as he felt he had been tricked and promised that Pelle would never be acknowledged as the car’s designer. And indeed, many years went by before the truth was made known and Pelle Petterson received the credit he was due for designing one of the world’s most attractive sports coupes.
The new sportscar had a fixed roof, steel body, with a lot of the mechanical components taken straight from the 122 Amazon. It was powered by the newly developed B18 engine in its 100 bhp sports version when it eventually arrived in the showrooms.
Initially made overseas
At this time, Volvo found itself in a hugely expansive phase and the company realized from the outset that it did not have sufficient in-house capacity to manufacture the new model – not for pressing of body panels, nor for painting or assembly, not even on a small scale. The hunt for a suitable partner got under way and after much deliberation, a decision was taken to use two British companies to build the car: Pressed Steel would build the bodies and Jensen Motors would paint and assemble the cars.
Production started but this was a far from friction-free method. Constant problems with personnel, working methods, quality, suppliers and logistics along with an unwillingness to deal with these issues meant that as soon as it was possible, Volvo transferred production home to Sweden.
By early 1963 – after Jensen had completed 6,000 cars – production of the 1800 started up in Volvo’s Lundby factory. But it was not until 1969 that body pressings were transferred from Pressed Steel in Scotland to Volvo’s own press shop in Olofstrom. The move home also coincided with a change of name for the P1800. At first, it was badged the ‘P1800 S’; later in 1963, it was known simply as the ‘1800 S’, the alphabet standing for Sweden.
During the car’s long life, no radical changes were made to the successful exterior lines. Only details such as the grille, trim mouldings, wheels and colours differentiate the various model years. From the technical viewpoint, the 1800 shadowed the development of Volvo’s other models and was continuously upgraded. Disc brakes all round, more powerful engines and electronic fuel injection were the most noticeable changes.
The P1800 ES (left) and the Convertible (right).
During its production life, two other body variants were also available. One was a convertible (only 30 units) and the other was the 1800 ES, with an extended roofline and an estate car rear featuring a large glass tailgate. The variants were designed in in-house this time and attracted considerable attention too.
Becoming The Saint’s car
Roger Moore was fortunate enough to drive a P1800 in his role as crime-fighter Simon Templar in the British TV series, ‘The Saint’. The TV production company had been looking for an attractive sportscar that would suit a gentleman of independent means and, after being turned down by Jaguar, approached Volvo to ask for the P1800. Volvo was, of course, quick to oblige as it would be a brilliant PR move for the new model. Every week, it appeared in the living rooms of TV viewers, becoming so firmly etched in minds that it came to be referred to as ‘The Saint’s car’.
The P1800 gained worldwide publicity every week on TV as ‘The Saint’s Car’, driven by Roger Moore who played the part of Simon Templar.
The P1800 was never intended to be a mass-produced car. As mentioned earlier, it was planned as a niche product or what is today referred to as a ‘halo model’. Yet it was viable enough to be within the reach of most people who wanted a car that looked like a Ferrari but cost and functioned like a Volvo – pleasant, reliable and economical.
In 1997, Volvo produced a coupe designated the C70 (left) and it was also used in a remake of ‘The Saint’. Its designers have been looking at a coupe for the 21st century as well, and their ideas were shown in the Concept Coupe in 2013 (right).
The Toyota 2000GT is a rare and legendary model in the company’s history. On sale between 1967 and 1970, it was Japan’s first supercar produced in collaboration with Yamaha. Only 351 units were made – two of which were used in the James Bond movie, ‘You Only Live Twice’.
The 2000GT had the latest Japanese technology of that period – a 2-litre DOHC straight six engine, 4-wheel double-wishbone suspension, 4-wheel disc brakes, radial tyres, magnesium alloy wheels, and retractable headlamps. It had a maximum speed of 220 kph, on a par with European sportscars of the day.
Prior to its launch, it was entered in speed trials and, despite bad weather conditions with an approaching typhoon, it set 3 world records (10,000 miles, 15,000 kms, 72 hours) and 13 international records. It also achieved wins and high placement in various races.
Priced at around US$7,000 when it was new, a 2000GT fetched almost US$1.2 million in 2013, making it the most expensive Asian car sold at that time. Clearly, it is a collectors’ car and owners around the world are taking care of this valuable historical asset.
Two units were modified into open-top versions specially for the James Bond movie, ‘You Only Live Twice’.
While the remaining cars are probably not driven much, some parts may still need replacement and after 50 years, original parts are obviously no longer produced. However, now Toyota GAZOO Racing has announced that it will reproduce some parts for the 2000GT under its GR Heritage Parts Project.
The transmission and differential-related parts for the 2000GT.
This project is an initiative that will reproduce spare parts that were no longer available, and sell them as genuine parts to owners of classic Toyota models. The first are for the Supra A70 and A80 models and now, the 2000GT.
The 2000GT, Japan’s first supercar in the 1960s, with the Lexus LFA, Toyota’s supercar of the 21st century. No convertible versions of the 2000GT were made at the factory so this is probably one of the two customised James Bond cars.
Efforts are underway at specially collaborating suppliers, along with Toyota plants and related divisions, to undertake production of the parts which are transmission and differential-related. They will be available through selected Toyota dealers worldwide and only to actual owners of the car who require them.
After playing a starring role in Land Rover’s 70th anniversary celebrations last year, the ‘missing’ original launch Land Rover demonstration vehicle from the 1948 Amsterdam Motor Show has returned to the road for the first time since the 1960s, following a year-long restoration.
Rebuilt by a team of experts at Land Rover Classic at its Classic Works facility in England, which is dedicated to preserving Land Rovers out of production for 10 years or more, it was renovated using a mixture of traditional skills, original drawings and 21st century technology.
Found in a garden after decades
The historically important pre-production vehicle, which had vanished for decades but was found in 2016 in a garden near the Solihull factory where it was built, has been kept as authentic as possible and returned to its correct 1948 specification – including left-hand drive configuration, prototype braking system and all-wheel drive controls.
This approach required the team to strip the vehicle down to its bare chassis and begin a painstaking process of testing and checking which components could be reused and rebuilt following decades of decay and rust.
“It was important to strike the right balance when restoring the launch Land Rover. While there was a need to replace some parts, we were keen to keep as much of the original vehicle as possible in order to retain the unique characteristics of this 70-year old model. The team has done an incredible job and the end result is a testament to the unique expertise and tireless passion of the experts at our Classic Works facility,” said Calum McKechnie, Head of Land Rover Classic.
While the front axle required no significant repairs, the rear axle showed signs of extreme damage and fatigue. To understand the extent of the problem, the original part was X-rayed and depth-tested using state-of-the-art techniques and found to be strong enough to keep, rather than be replaced. During this process, the technicians even uncovered the original axle number, which was thought to be lost.
Original 4WD system
The original through-dash selectable 4WD system controls, known by enthusiasts as the ‘Organ Stops’ due to their similarity with the controls found on church organs, were also reinstated. The trio of pull-push knobs on the dash panel operate the 2 and 4-wheel drive transmission and High and Low range gear selection. This system was only fitted to some early pre-production Land Rovers, before being replaced by a simpler set-up for production. Land Rover Classic technicians used their expert knowledge to reinstate the original combination of rods, levers and linkages to replicate the design of the vehicle when it made its first appearance in 1948.
Pre-production Land Rovers were also fitted with a Lockheed braking system, while customer vehicles featured Girling brakes. Over the intervening decades, the rare set-up on the ‘missing’ Land Rover had been removed, so Land Rover Classic referenced period drawings to restore the authentic Lockheed design. This meant engineering replacement master and wheel cylinders, drums, pads and backplates before the brake pipes were carefully hand-fitted to match the routes followed on the original vehicle.
Year-long restoration of flaking paintwork
The flaking exterior paintwork doesn’t look like it has been subject to a year-long restoration but the goal was always to retain the patina of this important vehicle. Minor repairs were made to the original panels to remove tears and sharp edges. Where new panels were needed, they were recreated in original 2 mm thickness aluminium – unique to pre-production models – and painted in the original light green paint, colour matched from the underside of the original seat base, before being aged to complement the original panels.
“Bringing this historically important Land Rover back to life was a huge challenge, given its wear, tear and decay from the elements since the 1960s, but also a real pleasure. Being able to open up our archive and revisit the original Land Rover engineering programme from over 70 years ago was a great privilege for the whole team,” noted Michael Bishop, one of the engineers on the restoration team.
With the original badge missing, the team went to great lengths to ensure this was recreated exactly as it was more than 70 years ago. To do this, they digitised a photograph of another Land Rover on the stand at the 1948 Amsterdam Motor Show. In-house Computer-Aided Design specialists then transposed the photograph to calculate the size of the lettering and its position on the front wing to cast an accurate replacement.
Interesting discoveries…
Interesting discoveries during the work included an original sixpence coin from 1943 which had been deliberately left under the galvanised capping of the rear tub, as a hidden memento. The team also worked with the Forestry Commission to identify the wood type used for the sections at the rear of the front seats. These ash elements were then replaced like-for-like.
With a fully-rebuilt engine incorporating specially-made pre-production-specification high-compression pistons, the result is a vehicle that drives just like it did when it left the factory and retains the unique patina acquired over more than 7 decades of use and disuse.
