Description
I found this Moke 850 automatic for sale close to where I worked in 1991. My friend Dave was a mini nut, so he agreed to buy it. The owner, as we found out, worked for Shepperton studios and the car had spent some years on the studio lot. I think it must have missed the log book change that all vehicles went through in the 1970’s. And I assume, because it was not taxed for the road (while driving around the studio) never got issued with a new log book. I think this is why it shows being registered in 1981, it got re-registered for the road when the next owner bought it off the studio.
After some months Dave wanted the rear panel changing back to original as there were some odd bits on the car, including the dash (this will prove telling later) that were not. I obliged and the panel is still in primer to this day. Dave drove the car for a couple of years and then it stored in his garage, even after he moved house. Dave was a big chap and I think he found it a bit of a squeeze to drive.
In 2005 Dave asked me and two other old friends (one being another mini nut) if we all wanted to drive our minis down to the International Mini Meeting that year, which was taking place in Salou, Spain. Long story short, we all agreed. Dave by this time had also bought a Shorty Mini, which he could fit in easily and was going to take that. So I agreed to get the Moke back on the road if he let me drive it to Salou. He did, and I did. There and back with out a problem apart from the petrol pump wire falling off at 4 in the morning (as I’d packed that section with as many tools as I could) and loosing a seat cushion on a fast road.
Our mate John then drove the Moke to the 2009 IMM 50th anniversary in Longbridge.
The car didn’t really get used again.
During Dave’s ownership we did have some thoughts about the car’s history as at some point the car had been painted yellow. Immediate thoughts were that it may have been in You Only Live Twice as one of the Mokes in the volcano. This was disproved when Dave got a Heritage Certificate for the car's production, it was built after the film was made. I understand that no Moke automatics were made and sold to the public. However the certificate shows this car was built in June 1967 with the same engine (and therefore auto-gearbox) as it has today, but was then delivered to the B. M. C. Publicity Department! It must have been a special request. Maybe Sammy Davis Jnr couldn't drive a manual. The search continued. Dave had his own business and was a very busy man and had little time to research such stuff.
That was until 2019 when he discovered a 2016 blog called Maximum Mini (- details above)
(- details above)
For those who do not want to click the links, Search “Maximum Mini”, then scroll down and on the right find “Movie Cars”. Then scroll to near the bottom of that link and you will find the reference to the Moke and Dave’s communication with the author.
So it turns out that the car had been used in two films, Salt & Pepper and Percy. As you can see it had been modified for the films.
Sadly we lost Dave in November last year. I have bought the car off his widow and It’s now up for sale. Sorry for the long history, but I think it needed to be said.
While the car needs some TLC, I got the car going and drove it the 140 miles back to my home, again, without any problems.
