TOP TEN SOFT ROADERS

Or, who needs 4x4 in cars that look this good?

Citroën Méhari 1968 to 1988

Citroën may have intended the Méhari initially for fire-fighting departments, farmers and rural police forces, but it was most famous as Mediterranean holiday transport. 1979 saw a 4WD version, but it was the 2x2 model that could be seen in resorts from the Cote d’Azur to Santa Ponsa. And as the US market brochure put it, the GRP coachwork ‘kept the colours groovy’.

DAF 66 YA 1974

In 1974 the Dutch Army commissioned DAF to create a 2WD utility vehicle, and the result was the 66 YA. At that time, the marque was more associated with suburban runabouts, but some 1,201 examples of the YA left the factory.

Matra Rancho 1977 to 1984

The Rancho was largely derived from the Simca 1100 Commerciale, while the GRP bodywork created by Antonis Volanis was genuinely stylish. It may have been a car for safari suited poseurs, but it looked primed for a trip through the Sahara. Plus, British market versions featured swivelling mesh-covered spot lamps on the front wings.

Mini Moke 1964 to 1968

The original sales material suggested the Moke was an ideal site survey vehicle or transportation for the works manager. However, the reality was more Carnaby Street, and in 1967 HM Customs and Excise decreed the Moke was a car rather than a light commercial vehicle and therefore eligible for Purchase Tax. By the following year, production moved to Australia.

Renault 4 Plein Air 1968 – 1970

Renault’s in-house Sinpar division essentially removed the doors and roof of the 4 to create an alternative to the Mini Moke and the Citroën Méhari. Some 600 found a home, including a handful of RHD versions, and two of most famous owners were Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg.

Renault Rodeo 4/6 1970 - 1981

AKA the successor to the Plein Air, based on the floorpan of the 4 Fourgonette van and powered by the familiar 845cc engine. The fibreglass bodywork featured removable side doors while a rear seat was an optional extra. Two years later, the Rodeo 6 featured the 1,108cc plant. Both versions were available with optional Sinpar 4WD.

SEAT 127 Samba 1978

The Catalan coachbuilder Embela transformed the locally built 127 into the perfect beach car for Costa del Sol tourists. Two versions were available, a convertible with a canvas hood or a removable hardtop, and the Samba also featured modified suspension. The price was 470,000 pesetas, and Embela produced approximately 1,000 models.

Simca 1200 Campero 1973 - 1979

Forty-eight years ago, a Spanish Simca dealer named Talleres Panades offered a version of the 1100 aimed at customers who craved the Jeep image without a Jeep price tag. A Madrid coachbuilder created the fibreglass bodywork, and the result so impressed Matra that it inspired the Rancho.

Trabant Tramp 1978 – 1991

The Tramp was essentially a civilian version of the military Kubelwagen, and it was even sold in some Western markets. Thanks to its Duraplast bodywork, the Trabant was lightweight, although the 2-stroke engine was regarded as archaic even when the Tramp made its bow.

Volkswagen Trekker 1975

In 1975 Volkswagen GB took delivery of 300 182s, re-branded as ‘Trekker’ for the UK market. For £1,996, the buyer gained a highly versatile and enjoyable convertible, equipped with a folding windscreen and four removal doors. But, alas, the Great British motorist was not keen, and by the end of the year, sales amounted to just 71 units.