As for the Citroën’s principal British
rival, if there is one cinematic image that encapsulates the car to this day it
is the sight of assorted grooves aboard their trendy Mini Moke in the Z-film
epic that is Crossplot. The Moke was built for only four years in the UK and
some 90% of production was exported, yet it is still seen as the epitome of
Swinging London.
Austin
Mini Moke Mk2 front
Naturally, Alec Issigonis never intended
the Moke for any form of frivolity, the original idea being that a Mini-based
jeep could be parachuted into combat, and then carried across Borneo or Aden by
four squaddies. But a 1960 army evaluation did not prove to be a success due to
the front-wheel drive and limited ground clearance. After an equally fruitless
diversion with a twin-engine 4x4 project, BMC put the Moke on general sale in
January 1964.
For just $607.5, Morris or Austin buyers
were offered a utility vehicle available in a single shade of dark green with
an extensive extras list – a second wiper, seats for passengers, side-screens
and, throwing caution to the winds, a heater.
Austin
Mini Moke Mk2 side
‘It was built for only four years in
the UK, yet still epitomizes swinging London’
Unfortunately for BMC, HM Customs &
Excise was unmoved by the spirit of Carnaby Street and, in 1967, decided that
the Moke was not a light commercial vehicle but a car. So it attracted Purchase
Tax and, despite the introduction of the Moke Mk2 (passenger wiper as standard
with a color choice of Spruce Green or white), a price increase of $117 meant
that domestic sales prospects were limited. British production ceased in
October 1968 and the tooling was sent to BMC-Australia’s Sydney plant, where
the Moke had been built since ’66.
The Austin offers unbeatable all-round
visibility, superb ventilation and a brilliant incentive for concentrating on
the road ahead that Issigonis himself would have approved of – that is, the
possibility of falling out. It is also a machine of exceptional charm,
combining all that is great about the early Mini with fresh air and the
opportunity to become close to nature – very close if you are quite well-built.
If you’re being rational, the Moke can do little extra than a Mini pick-up
could do with marginally greater comfort – but who needs common sense?
Austin
Mini Moke Mk2 back
Trevor Fryer has owned his 1968 Mk2 since
1982: “Ever since I saw an uncle who lived in California driving one, I knew
that I had to have a Moke!” He uses it extensively in summer, but rarely in winter
“there is a heater fitted but all of the warmth quickly dissipates” and reckons
that its appeal and charm are quite addictive: “One ride and you will be
hooked!” rarely in winter “there is a heater fitted but all of the warmth
quickly dissipates” and reckons that its appeal and charm are quite addictive:
“One ride and you will be hooked!”
Austin Mini Moke Mk2 specs
·
Sold/number built: 1964-’68/5422 (Austin), 9096
(Morris)
·
Construction: steel monocoque
·
Engine: all-iron, ohv 848cc ‘four’, with single
SU carburetor (UK)
·
Max power: 34bhp @ 5500rpm
·
Max torque: 44lb ft. @ 2900rpm
·
Transmission: four-speed manual, FWD
·
Suspension: independent by rubber springs and
damper units
·
Steering: rack and pinion
·
Brakes: discs front, drums rear
·
Length: 10ft 1/4in (3054mm)
·
Width: 4ft 31/2in (1308mm)
·
Height: 4ft 7in (1397mm)
·
Wheelbase: 6ft 71/2in (2019mm)
·
Weight: 896lb (406kg)
·
0-60mph: 22 secs
·
Top speed: 68mph
·
Mpg: 33
Four of our five vehicles were devised for
military purpose, but the last soft-roader had no such raison d’etre. When
C&SC last sampled a Matra Rancho, we concluded that no other vehicle could
hope to surpass its glamour; its manly qualities and particularly its swiveling
mesh covered spot lamps until now. For here we have a super-rare Rancho Découvrable.
Matra
Rancho Découvrable front
The Rancho was only ever sold as one model
in the UK, but French buyers could choose between the utilitarian AS with two
seats, the so-macho Grand Raid – with winch and limited slip diff as standard –
and the Découvrable. In 1981, Talbot offered customers a Rancho with a back
seat and roll-down fabric covers over an open rear compartment with a choice of
green or brown bodywork. Poor sales meant that Découvrable production ceased
just a year later after about 600 examples had found homes mainly in southern
Mediterranean holiday resorts – a real shame for la crème de la crème among
Ranchos.
Despite the engineering being the same as
the standard vehicle – the 1.4-litre pushrod engine from the Simca
1308/Chrysler Alpine and a body based on the Simca 1100 Commerciale – the
Découvrable seems a good deal more pleasant to drive than the fixed-roof item.
This is partly due to it being the most comfortable car of the group, but also
because the fabric panels eliminate the rattles associated with the hard-top
model. Simply spend 5-10 minutes unzipping the back, side and roof panels and
the Matra is transformed into a genuinely versatile four-seater convertible.
The rear passengers – whose seat is four inches higher than those ahead of them
have their own windscreen, while the front occupants enjoy positive luxury in
comparison with the rest of this set.
Matra
Rancho Découvrable side
Clive Nelson, who also owns an immaculate
Rancho Grand Raid, acquired his Découvrable in dilapidated condition from
northern France in 1995. As he recalls: “The body was corroded and the engine
was knackered, but everything was in place and Découvrable interiors are
impossible to find.” It took two years to restore the car and Nelson believes
that it is the only one on the road in the UK. “Its appearance is individual,”
he says, “plus it has flair all of its own.”
‘The execution of the soft-top may
have dated, but the idea would work today’
The Matra has the least pretense to being
an off-road vehicle of our quintet, yet it does have a splendidly early-’80s
interior plus the ability to carry four adults and plenty of luggage in style.
The soft-top’s execution may have inevitably dated, but the concept would still
work today.
Matra
Rancho Découvrable back
Each member of our group has a distinct
appeal. The Moke is a genuine example of the much-misused term ‘automotive
icon’ – The Prisoner just would not have been the same with Mini pick-ups. The
Méhari is incredibly versatile, the Trabant is small but still highly menacing
and the Rancho is, well, a Rancho – no more needs to be said. But the winner
has to be the 181, for the simple pleasure of meeting an automotive old friend
after many years – only to find that they are in grander form than ever. Classic
motoring is rarely better than that.
Matra Rancho Découvrable specs
·
Sold/number built: 1981-’82/c600
·
Construction: steel monocoque, with glass fibber
rear body over steel frame
·
Engine: iron-block, alloy-head, ohv 1442cc
‘four’, with Weber 36DCNV carburetor
·
Max power: 78bhp @ 5600rpm
·
Max torque: 86lb ft. @ 3000rpm
·
Transmission: four-speed manual, FWD
·
Suspension: independent, at front by wishbones,
longitudinal torsion bars rear trailing arms, transverse torsion bar;
telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar f/r
·
Steering: rack and pinion
·
Brakes: discs front, drums rear, with servo
·
Length: 14ft 1in (4293mm)
·
Width: 5ft 3in (1600mm)
·
Height: 5ft 8in (1727mm)
·
Wheelbase: 8ft 31/4in (2520mm)
·
Weight: 2489lb (1129kg)
·
0-60mph: 14.9 secs
·
Top speed: 90mph
·
Mpg: 30
·
Price now: $9000
