Picture this: Saint-Tropez in the 1960s. It’s summer and charming little cars adorn the narrow downtown streets of this elegant resort town on the French Riviera. They’re not owned by locals but by an international jet-set of actors, models, singers, royals, and business tycoons who keep pretty little dash-around cars like the Fiat 500, the Mini, 2CV, and Citroën Mehari at their nearby summer villas. The most popular and iconic of all these practical summer fun models was the Mini Moke, which populated the town scene and could also be seen by the beach and yacht harbour – wherever the jetset played by day – and it was to become a legend forever associated with an era of style and easy-going sophistication.

For those who had nothing to prove to anyone, the fun, low-key Mini Moke became the epitome of old money style and the symbol of unforgettable memories of summers spent in the sun – a far cry from the big, loud, and brash muscle cars that have since become associated with glamour spots. The legend of Saint-Tropez soon spread to other jet-set locations and, having been revived as the modern MOKE, it has now also landed on our shores.

An Icon Reimagined

The 1960s and 70s classic is back, but now available in both the original classic vehicle and the form of a 21st century electric car that blends iconic style and convenience with a sensible sustainable philosophy. Its open-air look and feel combined with the gentle whirr of its electric engine makes this the perfect summer holiday car, and therefore ideal for the Costa del Sol. Effortlessly stylish, the MOKE is above all a fun experience to drive, practical, easy to park in small spots, and is just so conducive to great experiences and adventures.

Not surprisingly, it has become popular in our coast’s own ‘Saint-Tropez’, Sotogrande, where it fits in perfectly with the resort’s understated old money ambience. To see a MOKE parked at a golf course clubhouse or adding charm to the port in Sotogrande brings back visions of halcyon Saint-Tropez days, but these delightful vehicles also instil the desire to head along the coastline or into the hilly countryside, to drive among natural beauty spots and find a place for an outdoor picnic or scenic vantage point from which to watch the sunset. It’s the perfect little car to carry a picnic basket and/or Champagne cooler and make the most of life.

The Jolly Mile

The MOKE brand is represented in Spain by The Jolly Mile, which is the retailer and provides service support not just along the Costa del Sol but throughout the country. The company offers these fun vehicles for sale and rent from its bases in San Pedro Alcántara and Sotogrande, and besides being the ultimate rental car for summer holidays, it is of course also very popular for use at special events such as weddings, corporate launches, parties, travel groups, photo shoots, and even to add a sense of charm and tongue-in-cheek style for real estate open houses and more.

Above all, the MOKE represents a way of life that is embedded in a low-key, easy-going form of style and sophistication where convenience, practicality, and above all enjoyment and quality of life are the central elements. For this reason, it has reclaimed its place as an icon in tropical island locations such as the Seychelles, Mauritius, Phuket, the Polynesian and Caribbean regions, as well as Miami, Palm Beach, Punta Mita in Mexico, and of course the Mediterranean. The MOKE is back in Saint-Tropez, Monaco, the French Riviera in general, and also in other jet-set locations such as Capri, Porto Cervo, Mallorca, Ibiza, the Algarve, and quite naturally also on the Costa del Sol.

It suits the Mediterranean climate and lifestyle to a tee, from heading to the bakery or coffee shop in the morning to taking it up to the golf club and parking it alongside your sailing boat in what is perhaps its most iconic setting, the marina. It turns a drive into the countryside into a real experience that takes you away from your mobile phone and really lets you take in the natural and cultural wonders around you. Driving a MOKE is a sensory experience, and one that adds an unmatched sense of fun and charm to any setting. In fact, it becomes a photo shoot opportunity no matter where you park it. Put simply, the MOKE is a lifestyle enhancer and so popular in Sotogrande right now that local luxury real estate developer Sotogrande Life Experience now includes a MOKE with the purchase of selected villas.

Just imagine one parked next to your luxury jeep or sports car, and then consider which one you’ll choose for that fun, refreshing, and easy-going drive to the clubhouse or café. We think we know what your choice will be, and that’s why The Jolly Mile are also renting the MOKE out to vacationers and even organising group excursions. It’s a fun-filled lifestyle experience that packs so much enjoyment that you’ll be amazed and might just join the new wave jet-set of MOKE owners.