Tested: off-beat soft-roaders

Tackling tracks with two-wheel-drive classics

Reckon the idea of a ‘soft-roader’ is a new one? While an all-purpose two-wheel-drive machine might appeal to load-luggers in the supermarket car park, it’s been around for far longer than your average chain store.

Long before the Evoques, Countrymen and Q3x2s of the world, Jeepster was shipping upmarket, rear-drive utility in the late ’40s – and that was just the start.

By the 1970s, there existed a small but significant group of all-rounders aimed at affluent sorts in need of something between a Lada and a Landie.

But just how off-road can they go? We took five classic pseudo-machines to the wilds of the Queen Elizabeth Country Park in Hampshire, England, to find out.

Trabant 601 Kübel

First up and rarest of our group is a Trabant 601 Kübel – a vehicle that gave new meaning to the term idiosyncratic. 

Derived from the cotton-shelled P50, the 601 Kübel was originally built for use by the German border patrol but, in 1978, East German authorities decreed that it would be available to civilian customers as the Tramp.

Trabant 601 Kübel (cont.)

In its homeland, the Tramp was an aspirational thing: only the elite would have the rare chance to drive a pink Trabant with a soft-top and no doors. Lucky them.

Ours is an ex-border patrol number from 1971 that’s been painstakingly restored to near-original form, with ’70s bucket seats up front for comfort and additional sideways support.

Trabant 601 Kübel (cont.)

Travelling through rain-swept woods in a Kübel feels less like a summer holiday and more like a set-piece from a John le Carré novel – but it’s never less than enjoyable.

A Trabant in full two-stroke flow sounds much like a 1950s washing machine that’s been supercharged – unique but far from awful.

Trabant 601 Kübel (cont.)

It goes well, too, once you acclimatise to the unusual gear-change. As for the drum brakes on every wheel? The Kübel is light enough that stopping is rarely a problem.

Trabant 601 Kübel (cont.)

Although the Trabant was never intended to serve as an off-road vehicle, its front-wheel-drive setup and good ground clearance mean it’s perfectly suited to the tracks of our test ground.

Trabant 601 Kübel (cont.)

Sure, interior comfort is minimal – but there’s always the auxiliary heater to keep the cold Berlin air at bay.

Indeed, one can’t help but think the best way to enjoy the 601 Kübel is being chauffeured in the rear bench, much like a Grenztruppen Colonel desperately plotting their promotion to General.

Volkswagen 181

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Iron Curtain, VW was developing a light utility vehicle with parts sourced from its existing models – the engine and gearbox from the Beetle, the rear suspension from the Type 2 and the floorpan from the Karmann Ghia T1.

Volkswagen 181 (cont.)

The result? The 181 Kurierwagen of 1968 – initially used by the German Federal Army as a general purpose vehicle, before civilian sales began in 1971 and, two years later, exports to the USA started up.

Stateside, the 181 was marketed as ‘The Thing That Can Do Anything!’

Volkswagen 181 (cont.)

An optimistic slogan, perhaps, but enough to see 21,598 drivers pick one up in 1973 alone – despite the Thing costing $1000 more than a Beetle convertible.

Things were less successful in the UK, mind, as an attempt to market the 181 as the Trekker (dealers object to a car called ‘Thing’) failed with fewer than 100 vehicles sold.

Volkswagen 181 (cont.)

To some eyes, the Trekker/Thing was infinitely superior to the other Vee-Dub: no Beetle could match its folding windscreen, split rear seat and surprisingly spacious cabin – and, unlike the Beetle drophead, the 181 not only had four doors, but they were removable and interchangeable.

Volkswagen 181 (cont.)

Admittedly certain sacrifices had to be made in production, such as the lack of sound insulation and wind-down windows, but it was all in the name of practicality: the interior can be easily hosed out (VW fitted drain holes by the rear seat) and there are zero distracting luxuries.

Volkswagen 181 (cont.)

Yes, the all-drum brakes require a certain amount of advanced planning and the high sills mean you have to climb onto the seats, but the rear-drive 181 is still ideal family transport for muddy tracks – and the noise of the 1.6-litre flat-four engine helpfully drowns out any objections to the rugged ride.

Citroën Méhari

Looking positively elegant next to the 181, our next steed is the Citroën Méhari, devised by the French firm as a simpler, front-drive replacement for the twin-engined 4x4 2CV variant, the Sahara. 

Citroën Méhari (cont.)

Sales started in 1968 and, by the end of its run in 1987, the Méhari had become a fixture of the French Army and European holiday resorts alike.

A handful made it to the US, but they weren’t a success – despite Citroën’s assurance that there was, “No worry if any part of the body is damaged. You simply take it off, replace it and throw it away.”

Citroën Méhari (cont.)

Initially billed as the Dyane 6 Méhari, power came from a familiar 602cc air-cooled flat-twin engine, while the two-seater open pick-up body was made from injection-moulded ABS plastic.

In 1970, a rear seat became an option, as did removable side doors. A handful of proper 4x4 versions – distinguished by a spare wheel mounted on the bonnet – were made between 1979 and ’83, but most made do with front-drive.

Citroën Méhari (cont.)

Citroën didn’t officially market the Méhari in the UK, which is a shame. Who could resist a soft-roader with the 2CV’s slick dash-mounted gear-change, soft suspension and entertaining cornering?

Even today, it’s a delight after the Trabant and Volkswagen – and, given that the Deux Chevaux was devised for abominable road conditions, the Méhari is predictably formidable off the asphalt.

Citroën Méhari (cont.)

Its plastic body is so light that the Méhari feels like it’s floating along the cart tracks and could easily pass the classic ‘basket of eggs’ test set for the 2CV.

Rear passengers enter via an integral step on the body side, while tall drivers won’t need to open the door: they simply step into an airy world of vibrant plastic.

Citroën Méhari (cont.)

Whether it’s a four-seater resort wagon or a farmer’s hack for conveying livestock, the Citroën will do the job without fuss – and offers more fun than you could reasonably expect for the money.

Austin Mini Moke Mk2

As for the Citroën’s chief British rival, the Mini Moke was built for only four years in the UK – and some 90% of the soft-roaders were exported. And yet, it’s still seen as a symbol of London in the Swinging '60s.

Austin Mini Moke Mk2 (cont.)

Of course, designer Alec Issigonis never intended the Moke to be some frivolous runaround: the original idea was one of a Mini-based Jeep, one that could be dropped into combat and carried by four squaddies.

Alas, a 1960 army evaluation put paid to dreams of action, front-wheel drive and limited ground clearance consigning the Moke to civilian duties. Even a twin-engined 4x4 effort proved fruitless.

Austin Mini Moke Mk2 (cont.)

For just £405, Morris and Austin buyers were offered a utility vehicle available in a single shade (dark green) with a whole host of extras – a second wiper, passenger seats, sidescreens and, pushing the boat out, a heater.

Austin Mini Moke Mk2 (cont.)

Unfortunately, in 1967 UK authorities dealt a blow to the Moke, deciding that it wasn't a light commercial vehicle but, in fact, a car. Which meant more tax. 

Despite the arrival of the Moke Mk2, a price increase of £78 meant UK sales prospects were limited. British production ceased in ’68 and the tooling was sent to Australia, where the Moke had been built since 1966.

Austin Mini Moke Mk2 (cont.)

Today, the Austin Moke offers unbeatable all-round visibility, superb ventilation and a brilliant incentive for concentrating on the road ahead – namely, the possibility of falling out.

Austin Mini Moke Mk2 (cont.)

It’s also a machine of exceptional charm, combining all that is great about the early Mini with fresh air and the opportunity to become close to nature.

On a rational level, the Moke can do little more than a Mini pick-up, with marginally more comfort – but who cares about common sense?

Matra Rancho Découvrable

Our first four soft-roaders were devised for military purposes; this last one had no such raison d’être. Meet the ultra-rare Matra Rancho Découvrable.

While the Rancho was built as just one model in the UK, French buyers could choose between the utilitarian two-seater AS, the super-macho Grand Raid – complete with winch and limited-slip differential – and the Découvrable.

Matra Rancho Découvrable (cont.)

In 1981, Talbot offered customers a Rancho with a back seat and roll-down fabric covers over an open rear compartment with two bodywork options: green or brown.

Poor sales meant Découvrable ceased after only a year, with just 600 examples finding homes – mainly in Mediterranean holiday resorts. Which is a shame, because it’s the best of the Ranchos.

Matra Rancho Découvrable (cont.)

Though the engineering was the same as the standard vehicle – with a 1.4-litre engine from the Simca 1308 and a body based on the Simca 1100 Commerciale – the Découvrable is a good deal more pleasant to drive than the fixed-roof number.

That’s partly because it’s the most comfortable car of the group, but also because the fabric panels eliminate the rattles of the hard-top model.

Matra Rancho Découvrable (cont.)

Better yet, spend 10 minutes unzipping the back, side and roof panels and the Matra is transformed into a genuinely versatile four-seater convertible.

Matra Rancho Découvrable (cont.)

Rear passengers – who sit four inches higher than those in front of them – have their own windscreen, while the front occupants enjoy positive luxury compared to the rest of our off-road pretenders.

Matra Rancho Découvrable (cont.)

Of our quintet, the Matra has the least pretence of being an off-roader vehicle, but it has a splendid, early-’80s interior plus the ability to carry four adults and plenty of luggage in style.

Sure, the soft-top’s execution has dated, but the concept still works today.

Which is the winner?

Each of our group has a different appeal. The Moke is an automotive icon, the Méhari is incredibly versatile, the Trabant is small but menacing and the Rancho is, well, a Rancho.

But the winner has to be the 181, for the simple pleasure of meeting an old friend after many years, only to find that they’re in grander form than ever. Classic motoring – on-, off- or soft-road – is rarely better than that. You can keep your Evoque.