Classic Mock is back
Surviving examples of the classic Leyland Moke may be worth some serious money these days, but a new Australian firm is offering a brand new version of the model without the dangers of 1960s British engineering.
Moke Motors Australia has teamed up with Chinese manufacturer Chery to create an all-new yet visually reminiscent version of the military-inspired but much-adored original Leyland Moke.
The new version combines classic utilitarian ragtop styling with modern Chery mechanics and is slightly longer and wider than the original to better accommodate four adults.
This mechanic includes a 50cc four-cylinder petrol engine. cc fuel-injected 93kW/993Nm and a five-speed manual or optional automatic transmission from the Chery QQ3 city car for the Chinese market.
The front-wheel drive layout uses MacPherson strut suspension at the front and continuous trailing arms at the rear, as well as power steering and disc brakes at the front.
An electric version of the eMoke is also planned, with a top speed of 60 km/h, a range of 120 km and the ability to recharge overnight.
There are no airbags, no ABS, no stability control, so you might be wondering how the modern Moke will get past the 2014 safety regulations? This is not true, but bypasses most ADRs by complying with a limited scope - only 100 copies of each version can be registered per year.
The modern Moke can be fully registered for use on the roads of Australia and comes with a two-year powertrain or 50,000 km warranty and a five-year corrosion warranty.
The man behind Moke Motors is Jim Marcos, operator of the prestigious Melbourne-based used car dealer Black Rock Motors and a 27-year veteran of the automotive industry.
Marcos says the agreement between Moke Motors and Chery is the first time that a major car manufacturer has built vehicles under contract to a private company and is the result of a seven-year development program.
He also plans to sell the new Moke in the Caribbean, Thailand and Mauritius, and is also interested in Greece, Cyprus and Turkey.
Moke Motors has not yet appointed service agents for the new models, but talks are underway to use Chery's local service network.
Production is due to start in early May, but the entire 2014 production run is already sold out. The first examples should be delivered in June and Moke Motors is accepting orders for 2015.
Pricing starts at $3 Mazda 22,990 Maxx pre-traffic, but we believe there will be many heading to the beach esplanades next summer.
This reporter on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn
