Detroit 2010: Mini Beachcomber Concept Goes Topless and Drops Its Doors

Mini Beachcomber Concept

The Mini Beachcomber Concept made its debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show today and made a big impression. Featuring an all-wheel drive powertrain, the Beachcomber is a throwback to the original Mini Moke sans doors and roof.

Some of you may remember the Moke (based on the ancient dialect name “donkey”) or may even have driven one while on vacation in the Caribbean, where these cars are used as beach buggies. That said, the original design was for a lightweight military vehicle, but somehow key essentials like ground clearance and appropriate tires were missing from the equation. It was therefore relegated to work duty as as cheap, utility vehicle with production beginning in 1964 and running through 1993.

This new concept harkens back to the original spirit of the Moke but will most likely never see the light of day. However, the car it’s based on, the Mini Crossover, is headed for production along with the new Coupe and Roadster. In any case, the Mini Beachcomber Concept is pretty bad-ass and we’re hoping that some how, some way it gets some real world love. We dig the Crossover, but a more gritty, off-road monster in a tidy package would really get our blood pumping.

Source: Mini