Should the Mk1 – and Munro, by extension – prove itself, then eventual global expansion is on the cards. Peterson says: “The likes of Gleneagles quite like the look of it, but then equally we get people ringing up from St Lucia that want one, so commercially and product-wise we’re concentrated on the fleet market because we think that it’s ripe for disruption.”
But to achieve such reach – Peterson floats a rough target of “the low thousands” by the tail end of this decade – the company will have to find a new home, and fast. In the spirit of realism, Munro isn’t looking for grounds on which it can build a bespoke headquarters to fit its production processes.
Instead, it plans to “chunk up” stages of manufacturing into a series of 35,000-square-foot industrial units. The theory is that this will allow the firm to move onto an estate – or a series of local estates – and scale up production in line with its order book.
Peterson summarises the ethos neatly: “The effort has gone into planning the processes and factory assembly, rather than worrying about what the sign looks like on the front of it.
What is the Munro Mk1 like off-road?
Riding shotgun in a late prototype of the Mk1 around the Gleneagles off-road course, it quickly becomes clear that it’s an impressive off-road package. The torque provided by the single-motor powertrain allows it to saunter up steep hills that would have an old Defender wheezing; and on the way back down, the regenerative brakes emulate the hill descent control function from vastly more expensive 4x4s.
There’s also impressive traction through especially slick pools of mud and chest-height fords. No need to worry about trashing the battery in such scenarios, either, because it’s reinforced with inches of metal. Over ruts where a Landie would toss you around in your seat, the Munro remains comfortable, but without completely isolating you from the contours of the surface below.
However, it should be noted that we did not ride in the Mk1 on the road, where meeting the standard set by sophisticated commercial pick-ups such as the Ford Ranger will prove a tough task.