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20 BT 30. Can anyone put a date, or approximate date, on the number?


59Prototype

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I'm currently trying to find out more the army reg. number 20 BT 30 that's on a prototype Mini Moke.

 

Can anyone put a date (or approximate date) on the number 20 BT 30 please?

 

The Moke itself was tested at FVRDE and ended up at Bordon. It took part in several of the BBC Autopoints.

 

Perhaps someone has other 20 BT xx number information with dates that would help to work out where 20 BT 30 slots in on the timeline?

 

Here's a photo of the Moke taken at one of the Autopoints.

Moke - 20BT30.jpg

 

Graham

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TONY

You and your memory what about the SINGER CHAMOIS BORROWED one from a girlfriends mother to take her to a dance

in north yorkshire the girl friend not the mother on the way back the cylinder head went A comon fault on the imp and the

chamois broke down in the middle of no where no mobile phones no phone box so at to stay with the car till first light

when a farmer came to the rescue her mother never talk to me again

 

PS happy days

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OOH! Who's getting posh then? I just had a bunch of the common old Imps! Blew 'em up sand racing! :D There was a very intresting use of a Moke. A lady involved in Eventing, the horse variety, I forget her name now but she was parallised in a riding acident. She had a Moke converted to lift her chair in and out and hand controls so she could drive. Scared the life out of you as she hurtled across the feilds in it. As I recall the Moke at first production was one of if not the cheapest car on the market, around the £400 to £600 mark.

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excuse me IF YOU READ THE OTHER TREAD ON THIS SUBJECT l have helped GRAHAM when l have all the facts l will give them to him without any prompting

 

The way you wrote it sounded like you were witholding the information !

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JOHN

 

NOW l have found details of 20 BT 29 it is only the start l now have to find details of 20 BT 31 when l find details of this one hopefully not only will l be able to give the year but the month and day A visit to my old boss came up with pictures of 20 BT 29 and more importantly its establishment number before it was given the reg 20 BT 29 after this is all double

checked l will gladly post the information on here but up to now it has taken me six hours with tea stops to get this far

 

 

REGARDS WALLY

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Yes, Wally is right, the page from the FVRDE exhibition at Chertsey catalogue is of an Ant, not a Moke but still good to see. I guess that's from about 1964. Am I right? I was quite a fan of the Ant. It was a vehicle that after the trials and tribulations of the Moke BMC had about got right. It was a shame that it was killed off around 1968/69 when BMC merged to become part of BL. With the well established Land Rover already on the books the Ant was deemed competition in the same 4WD market so it had to go. A shame as far as I am concerned but that's life and that's now history.

 

As far as the comment is concerned about the Hillman Imp, I am pretty certain that it took part in one of the BBC Autopoints hence the reason for it being parked next to the Moke. Up against the likes of the Haflinger neither were likely to going to trounce the opposition were they?!!!

 

Back to the thread that this is all about. Who other than Wally has any idea when 20 BT 30 was issued? It's a burning issue as far as I am concerned!!!

 

I'm waiting.......................................!!!!

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TONY

 

LOOK at the picture in barts book MILITARY DIRECTORY from 1945 page 176 its not the MOKE its the ANT

 

Yes, both were on test at the same time. A long time ago once a year on Grandstand in black and white on 405 line VHF tv. There was an afternon event the Army V the London Motor Club cross country trial. Every sort of vehicle from Stalwart to Mokes and Haflingers.

Edited by Tony B
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Yes, both were on test at the same time. A long time ago once a year on Grandstand in black and white on 405 line VHF tv. There was an afternon event the Army V the London Motor Club cross country trial. Every sort of vehicle from Stalwart to Mokes and Haflingers.

 

I remember it well ............ does that date us Tony?

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As I remember, each vehicle ran it's own track and was timed. One that does come to mind Stolly V Haflinger. Stolly cheated and went across the lake in the middle. Haflinger ended up sideways in a bush. I think it was the late great Raymond Baxter as commentator whos said 'Oh dear I hope the driver is all right' and then stuck the microphone into the Hafflinger. The driver was OK, first time I heard swearing on Telly! :shocked: Thing was at the time there was a British Motor industry, Mokes , Ants, Gipsy, Land Rover, Alvis. Funny how a lot of these vehicles and concepts ended up being manufactured abroad. All of which is of course well off topic. But intresting how many componets and engine series were shared.

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Well you've all now had a couple of days to come up with a date for 20 BT 30 and it appears that it's only Wally who has any idea. When he comes back from his tea break maybe all will be revealed!

 

In the meantime does anyone want to have a stab at a date and we'll see how near we are when Wally 'opens the box'?!

 

I'll start the ball rolling and say March 1963. Mind you if I'm right don't expect me to buy the next round! OK?

 

Graham

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l have just seen this a bit of history the last prototypes where made 1964 the military had decided not to go ahead with

the moke project in 1963 for the well known problem l have emailed graham and explained what is happening

l promise to post the results when l am happy and at least 90% certain what l say with the information that l have at this time l have had to rely on peoples memories while l have to trust what they remember from years back as l know how

important this is to graham please bear with me

 

regards wally

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Wally

 

Yes you are right. By around 1963 BMC realised that the Moke was not going to make it as a military vehicle and took the decision to sell it to the general public instead. By 1964 when they went on sale the Moke had become more sophisticated. Notice that I say 'more sophisticated' rather than just 'sophisticated'. One thing the Moke never was was sophisticated!! As we know it earned its reputation as a fun cult car especially in London as the Swinging Sixties took a hold.

 

Wally you mention emailing me but I wonder if an email has gone adrift? I had the first one from you on 8th August to which I replied but I've not had another one since. Have you emailed again?

 

By the way if anyone wants to email me my email address is Moke59Prototype@aol.com

 

Graham

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My dad was a driver in the Army V the London Motor Club for the Army and when he left the Army then drove for the L.M.Club. One of the mokes had a twin Engine . He drove in 1957-58 & 59. his name Sgt D.H.Brooker [bill]. He would like to know, are there any copies of the events out there, as he would like to see them or buy a copy, he is 87 now and had a good time driving in the mud.

Keith

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