Take On St. John In Style

The History of The Moke

The Mini Moke began as a military project for the British Motor Corporation, designed in the early 1960s by Alec Issigonis, the same engineer behind the original Mini, as a lightweight, air-portable vehicle for NATO forces. Built on the Mini's platform with a simple, open-bodied design, it failed military trials because its tiny wheels and low ground clearance couldn't handle rough terrain, so BMC pivoted it toward civilian use instead. It found an unexpected niche as a fun, breezy runabout for beach resorts, islands, and warm-weather tourist destinations, becoming especially iconic in places like Barbados, the Caribbean, Australia, and the French Riviera. Production shifted over the decades from the UK (1964–1968) to Australia (1966–1981) and finally Portugal (1980–1993), with each region producing its own variations, before the original line ended production entirely. Its quirky, open-air charm has kept it a cult classic ever since, and in recent years the Moke name has been revived by various companies producing modernized, often electric, versions aimed at the same resort and leisure market that made it famous.

Celebrities and Their Mokes