DORSET BUSINESS FOCUS / NEWS
DRIVEN Steve Bulley Head of Business Engagement at Dorset Chamber and car fanatic
I’ve never had so much fun driving slowly. What do the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Brigitte Bardot and now me all got in common? We have all been captivated by the personality and unique styling of iconic MOKE. The first MOKES were manufactured at BMC’s Longbridge, Birmingham plant, where 14,518 were made between 1964 and 1968. Forward to 2021 and Hendy Group is the UK distributor for the new MOKE made by MOKE International. It’s 56 years since the doorless and roofless stripped-down Mini first went on sale and there were just 56 first editions of the new MOKE available at around £25,000 each. The manufacturer says the chassis still remains true to the original, which is based on the legendary Austin Mini design. However, the 56 cars that have been sold to UK customers feature a raft of component upgrades. It’s the most fun you will have driving slowly, under the bonnet is a 66bhp 1.1-litre fourcylinder petrol engine linked to a four-speed automatic gearbox. You can have a manual gearbox but it’s extra, so most will be autos. You get supercar glances wherever you go and every time I stopped someone would come and chat about the car or their memories of the original. Everything about this car is retro,
The new MOKE
from the dashboard dials to the radio, which to be honest you can’t hear when driving with the doors or roof off. The first 56 are all sold and buyers could choose one of 24 colours including vibrant red, the colour of the car I drove. MOKE has released three special editions Army green, Air Force blue and Special Ops black, ideal if you like the Action Man look. The personalisation only extends to colours as you won’t find heated seats or autonomous driving modes in the MOKE, which is a godsend as it’s driving in its purest form. Apparently the average fuel economy is 34mpg, but who cares! You are having such fun driving that refuelling is no hardship. I did manage 55mph on the dual carriageway but the MOKE is best suited to buzzing around town, going to the beach or just cruising about. If you want the MOKE experience, contact the team at Hendy Performance in Poole as they have a handful William F1 driver of special editions in stock. www.hendy.co.uk/moke
Original Moke from the 1960’s
George Russell
Former F1 world champion Damen Hill
Superior doubles apprenticeship positions following surge in applications Ferndown-based manufacturer Superior saw a surge in enquiries from prospective apprentices looking to join its award-winning apprenticeship programme, backing the latest research by UCAS where more than three quarters (78%) of students who have received A-Level results do not plan to immediately start a three year full-time undergraduate degree but are interested in starting an apprenticeship. With the number of applications increasing, Superior doubled the amount of apprentice positions starting this month
across all five of its facilities. Tim Brown MBE, managing director of Superior, said: “University has often been seen as the only route to a successful career, but apprenticeships can be a great way to give someone the skills needed to get the job they want. We started our award-winning Superior Academy in 2012 to enable us to invest in people so they can build a strong foundation for a career they love and in an environment in which they can thrive. “Going to university isn’t the only way to get a degree. With our in-
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house training and traineeships, we are able to provide qualifications, including degrees to anyone in the business. This means that at any stage of their career any Superior employee can develop their skills and understanding of a relevant subject while benefiting from the security of employment.” The successful apprentices will spend one year training at the Superior Academy with full
support from the dedicated training manager, followed by a rotational placement in different areas of the business where technical experts will mentor and support each person. Apprenticeships require a minimum of two years’ commitment and up to six years for a Masters’ qualification. www.superiorltd.com 49
