The Moke Is Woke

We know, we know: The last thing the East End needs is more cars. But this one is so cute — and carbon neutral!

The Moke (rhymes with “bloke”) got its start as a military vehicle in the ’50s, designed to be dropped by parachute directly into combat. By the ’60s, it was being adopted by the glitterati (Brigitte Bardot, The Beach Boys) in the Caribbean. Today, Jay Leno has one, Kris Jenner does too, and even Ralph Lauren can be found cruising the local streets of St. Barths in his vintage white model.

And now you can get yours, thanks to a new pop-up dealership on Route 27 in Water Mill.

The brainchild back in the day of the creator of the Mini, today’s American-made Moke is bigger, heavier, and drives more like a proper car than its ancestors. Think of it as part toy, part tool. With eight different optional color combinations available, each Moke becomes a reflection of its owner. It plugs into a standard 110-volt outlet, getting a full charge in about eight hours — enough to cover about 40 miles at a top speed of 25 mph. And maybe the best part is, you can hose it down, inside and out, as soon as you’re back from the beach. The baseline model starts at about $18,000 — not bad for the world’s coolest go kart.

Moke America Pop-Up Dealership; 928 NY-27, Water Mill, NY 11976.

Visit www.mokeamerica.com.