MOKE International Limited has announced the the return of one of Britain’s great automotive icons.

From this week, UK customers will be able to order one of 56 limited edition MOKEs, an allocation selected to signify the number of years since the Mini MOKE first appeared in Britain in 1964. Order books also open for MOKEs in standard configuration, confirming the permanent return of the brand.

MOKE International has revived a quintessentially British design that has charmed for more than half a century. Brigitte Bardot epitomised Riviera chic in her MOKE. The brand has since been enjoyed and championed by fun-seekers including Kate Moss and DJ Khalid. To date the car has also appeared in four James Bond films.

The original MOKE was designed in the 1960s by Sir Alec Issigonis, the architect of the Austin Mini. It was first specified as a military vehicle engineered to be robust enough for deployment behind enemy lines by aeroplane. The original shared components including suspension and chassis with the Mini.

The MOKE soon became one of the best-loved symbols of the 1960s. Becoming the mode of travel for the inhabitants of the most exclusive coastal resorts in Europe, the Caribbean, US and Asia. To this day it remains the beachhouse-to-waterfront shuttle of choice.

MOKE will mark its homecoming with a strictly limited run of 56 cars, built for sale exclusively in the United Kingdom. Each is available in a choice of 14 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.

Waiting lists are filling fast with resorts and private buyers in English coastal hotspots taking particular interest.

The original MOKE trademark was acquired in 2015 and is now owned by MOKE International Limited. The initial focus has been on meeting demand in the Caribbean market where MOKE is popular with both private buyers and luxury resorts and hotels. Following UK regulatory approval, MOKEs are now available to purchase across the United Kingdom and Ireland. Additional models will be launched across Europe, the USA and beyond in 2021.

MOKE International will stay true to its British and Continental roots through its strategic approach to manufacturing and engineering. All MOKE bodies will be engineered and sub-assembled in the centre of Britain’s globally renowned specialist automotive manufacturing industry in the Midlands before being shipped to Cerizay, France for final assembly.

Today’s MOKEs remain true to the look and feel of the original, with a particular focus on maintaining the sense of fun and freedom that has endeared the car to so many for more than five decades. Updates include a new 4 cylinder, fuel injection engine, uprated suspension, braking and the option for either automatic transmission or manual for the more engaged driver.

With 1,083cc, the 67hp, 93Nm MOKE has a top speed of 68mph and delivers 34mpg.

The vehicle is also slightly larger to provide more cabin space. Features previously viewed as a luxury like power steering and heated windscreen now, of course, come as standard.

UK buyers are invited to order either the limited edition ’MOKE 56’ or the standard MOKE Classic, which begins full production. Indicative pricing starts at £20,000 excluding local taxes and delivery.