David Wilkins

When I mentioned yesterday that the Mini Moke in its original form didn’t find favour with the British military because of its limited off-road ability, @FlanFlinger correctly anticipated the subject of today’s post, this twin-engined all-wheel drive prototype ‘Twini’ Moke from 1962. While this had improved traction, it still didn’t make it into British military fleets. Snapped at the British Motor Museum in 2023.

#davidsdailycar #MiniMoke #WeirdCarMastodon

Mar 26 at 11:23amWeb
Show threadHeather KavanaghMar 26

@davidwilkins @FlanFlinger

I can’t quite get my head around how that layout worked. Was there a common transfer box driven from both engines? Or were the engines and transmissions entirely separate.

That’s melting my brain. 😂

Show threadDavid WilkinsMar 26
@snaptophobic Mostly separate. Apparently you could even select different gears front and rear! @FlanFlinger
Show threadHeather KavanaghMar 26

@davidwilkins @FlanFlinger

That is bizarre. No wonder it never made it to production!

Show threadDavid Wilkins6d ago
@snaptophobic Something a bit more practical they came up with tomorrow! @FlanFlinger
Show threadAxel 🚴😷🐧🐪⌨ | #WeAreNatenom6d ago

@davidwilkins: This reminds me a lot of the Citroën 2CV 4x4 Sahara, although the gearboxes were usually shifted at the same same time and also gas and clutch pedals both were connected to two bowden wires each. You though could manually uncouple each engine in case of a failure. Is maybe this tomorrow's daily car? 😇

Cc @snaptophobic @FlanFlinger

Show threadFrancois Dion6d ago
@xtaran @davidwilkins @snaptophobic @FlanFlinger that is also how they did the Lancia Trevi bimotores to test four wheel drive technology (tire wear, traction etc) for what would eventually be the Lancia Delta S4
Show threadThrough April rain the Chris6d ago
@davidwilkins @FlanFlinger This reminds me of a Mini I saw on Blue Peter as a child - two Mini estates which had been welded together back to back, to make a two-headed Mini with a front end at each end, complete with headlights, engine, steerable wheels, the lot. Can’t find a reference to it online, sadly.
Show threadibk6d ago
@baz @davidwilkins @FlanFlinger pretty sure there was something similar done on Scrapheap Challenge. Possibly even using Minis (though not Mokes)?
Show threadThrough April rain the Chris5d ago
@ibk @davidwilkins @FlanFlinger I missed that one, sounds worth watching. Thanks!
Show threadrobtherunt🌱💚6d ago
@davidwilkins @FlanFlinger
Is that white car alongside a Ginetta?
Show threadAdam6d ago
@davidwilkins @FlanFlinger the fellow who used to do repairs on my mini had a two engine racing moke he called the "twini mini" he built himself. It was a nightmare.