Berkeley B90

Berkeley Cars Ltd of Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, England produced small economical sporting microcars with motorcycle-derived engines from 322 cc to 692 cc between 1956 and 1960.

History

The company produced novel sportscar designs by Lawrie Bond in the Berkeley Coachworks factory owned by Charles Panter, which at the time was one of the largest manufacturers of caravans in Europe. It was an ideal project for Berkeley, who had developed considerable skills in the use of Glass-reinforced plastic (GRP), and were looking for something to fill the gaps in the very seasonal caravan market. Bond's design capitalised on Berkeley's GRP experience, and consisted of three large mouldings (floor or 'punt', nose, tail) with no conventional chassis. Production began with 3 prototypes, which were seen being tested with enthusiasm around the neighborhood of Biggleswade in the late summer of 1956. Stirling Moss drove one at Goodwood in September, and the public saw the new Berkeley en masse at the 1956 London Motor Show.

Unfortunately the caravan market collapsed towards the end of 1960, and Berkeley's slumping sales forced the company into liquidation on 12th December 1960, taking its car manufacturing activities with it. After having produced about 4000 cars of various types, the workforce was laid off shortly before Christmas that year. An attempted merger with Bond Cars come to nothing, and the last cars were sold in 1961.

The factory was later used by Kayser Bondor to make women's underwear, but it has now been demolished and the site turned over to housing.

Models

Sports SA322 and SE328

SA328 fitted with a Honda CB400 super sport engine.

Berkeley's first production car was the SA322, announced in September 1956 and produced from October 1956 to January 1957. It was a glass-fibre monocoque, two-seater open tourer powered by a British Anzani twin-cylinder 322 cc two-stroke engine producing Vorlage:Convert and mounted transversely driving the front wheels via a chain and three speed gearbox. The engine was already used by various small motorcycle manufacturers such as Cotton and Greeves, but in the Berkeley was fitted with a Siba Dynastart to provide both battery charging and electric starting. It was a very clever little two stroke engine which incorporated an inlet valve mechanism in the centre of the crankshaft.

The car had all round independent suspension by coil springs and in spite of the tiny engine gave remarkably good performance owing to its light weight (600 pounds - about 270 kg) and excellent roadholding. Girling hydraulic brakes with Vorlage:Convert drums were used.

Although usually configured as a two seater with simple bench seat, it was possible to put a small child in the back. A removable hatch could be removed from behind the front seat revealing a compartment normally containing the spare wheel and some luggage space. This could be fitted with a basic seat and the spare wheel moved to a shelf in front of the passenger and under the fascia. Equipment was basic, even the fuel gauge was an extra. This car has often incorrectly been called the B60 but why has been lost in the passing of time. The identification plate is a plain stamped alloy rectangle fitted on the engine bay side wall just above the Dynastart and is marked SA322 B1 etc (Sports Anzani 322cc Berkeley Chassis number 1). The gearbox is a three speed type HJR5, and these cars had sloping front edges to the doors so that when the doors were opened they hinged upwards and closed by themselves.

After 163 of the SA322 cars had been manufactured, a change was made to the SE328 model with a 328 cc Excelsior engine offering Vorlage:Convert. The production run ran from Jan 1957 to April 1958 with chassis numbers from 164 to 1422, many being exported to the United States. The export model was differentiated by having separate headlamps whereas on the home market they were faired into the wings although the export type lamps could be specified.

Early cars from Jan 1957 to about chassis number 476 in June 1957 still used a column gear change. During their production run a Deluxe model was offered and was bodily the same. The chassis plate is similar to the Anzani type on the early cars but was later changed to a printed type fitted to the bulkhead above the brake master cylinder. The printed type chassis plate had type ‘SE328’ printed on it. Most of these cars had the three-speed gearbox similar to the Anzani except for the mounting flanges. All of the cars had the sloping leading edges to the doors.

The Motor magazine tested a 328 cc Berkeley in 1957 and found it to have a top speed of Vorlage:Convert and acceleration from 0-Vorlage:Convert in 30.6 seconds. A fuel consumption of Vorlage:Convert was recorded. The test car cost £574 on the home market including taxes of £152 (equivalent to £Vorlage:Formatprice today).

Vorlage:Clear

Sports SE492 and Twosome

For 1957 the engine was changed to a Vorlage:Convert, Excelsior three-cylinder 492 cc with three carburettors. A four speed gearbox was standardised. The top speed was now Vorlage:Convert. The production ran from October 1957 to March 1959 with chassis numbered 1 to 666. From about October 1958, in order to coincide with the introduction of the 'Foursome' (see below), they were renamed the ‘Twosome’. Also at the 1958 Motor Show a Fixed Head (or Fixed Hard Top cars) was announced and displayed that had internal AND external door handles, this type of car however never appears to have been produced.

It is probable that cars pre chassis number 120 (approx), about April 1958, had similar bodies to the early Berkeley “Sports” cars. Cars from about April 1958 to the end of production had vertical front door edges and internal door hinges as well as body moulding and a few mechanical changes. Early cars were fitted with the four speed TR gearbox whilst later cars had the larger and stronger VR gearbox.

The cars were successful in Motor Sport and Giovanni Lurani bought three which he took to Italy, fitted them with his own design of hardtop, and running them in the 750 cc GT class, one driven by Lorenzo Bandini finishing first in the 1958 Monza 12 hour race. Vorlage:Clear

Foursome

Vorlage:Infobox Automobile generation Announced in October 1958, this model was wider and longer than its forebears and differed structurally in that the rear swinging arms were lower and external to the body, and the spare wheel was mounted at the rear of the car. The type reference is supposed to be SE/492/4 but one has the reference B.100. The chassis numbers are D1/1 to D1/19 but then again one example has D1/100, this particular car could be the prototype since it appears in publicity pictures.

B95 and B105

Vorlage:Infobox Automobile generation In 1959 the cars got more power, from twin-cylinder Royal Enfield 692 cc four-stroke engines, with the Vorlage:Convert Super Meteor engine in the B95 and the Vorlage:Convert Constellation unit in the B105. The engines featured Berkeley-design primary chaincases to accommodate a Bendix starter motor. The B105 could exceed the magic Vorlage:Convert. The design of the two four-stoke models was identical to earlier four-wheeled models, with the exception of a taller bonnet (US hood) with large grille to accommodate the engine, unfaired headlights, and duplex chain drive to the differential.

About 200 B95 and B105 models were made (chassis numbers 700 to circa 900), with about half being exported. Vorlage:Clear

QB95 and QB105

Vorlage:Infobox Automobile generation In October 1959 the Q range was announced, with longer and wider bodies the same dimensions as the Foursome. The wheelbase went up from Vorlage:Convert to Vorlage:Convert and the track from Vorlage:Convert to Vorlage:Convert. The Qs were four seaters (just), although the QB version dispensed with the rear seat to give extra luggage space. Very few of the Q cars were made. Vorlage:Clear

T60 and T60/4

Vorlage:Infobox Automobile generation Surprisingly late-on in the British microcar boom of the 1950's, Berkeley's only three-wheeler model was not introduced until September 1959. It was an instant success in the UK where three wheelers could legally be driven on a motorcycle licence, so were suitable for a motorcyclist with family. Another advantage was that the road tax fees for three wheelers cost considerably less than four wheeled vehicles. They were fitted with the 328cc Excelsior Talisman engine fitted and the four speed and reverse type VRB gearbox, and were available as both soft and hardtops. Chassis numbers run from 1 to approximately 1800, the chassis plate was the printed SE328 type but with the ‘SE328’ part is often drilled out and T60 stamped in the chassis number block with the chassis number, the plate was mounted on the bulkhead above the brake master cylinder.

In their road test of October 1959, the Motor Cycle magazine described the car as "a fascinating, front-wheel-drive sports car which combines economy with liveliness and superb cornering."

Drive was still to the front wheels through a four speed gearbox, but a trailing arm replaced the swing axle independent suspension of the four wheeled cars. The very last cars had a revised ‘unit’ front and rear suspension layout, presumably to stop the bridge over the differential from breaking and the rear damper top mount detaching itself from the car.

The T60/4 was produced from October 1960 and are mechanically and outwardly similar to the later T60. It was the same length and width as the standard T60, but differed in having extra room in the back for two seats, the additional space being created by a revised rear body moulding, thus creating proper seats in the back for two children. The rear bench seat was fastened to the car and the centre backrest had a bulge in it because of the revised rear wheel arch. The Car was available in both soft-top and hardtop forms. These cars used the revised front and rear suspension layouts used on the very late T60’s.

Both variants of T60 were in production at the time the company was declared insolvent in December 1960. Vorlage:Clear

B65

The B65 was announced in September 1960 to compliment the T60, B95 and B105. They are bodily the same as late SE492 and shared some body panels with the T60, and were fitted with the 328cc Excelsior engine. Although logically these cars should have ran from chassis number 1422 to 1520, it seems more likely that chassis numbers ranged from 1500 to 1520. Very few of these cars are known to exist and the ones that do seem to suggest a production run of about 20 cars or less. All cars had the later SE492 type bodyshell, complete with the lower front right hand side bulge in the punt, to accommodate the larger 492cc engine. The type reference marked on the chassis plate, is B65. Vorlage:Clear

Bandit

Vorlage:Infobox Automobile generation For 1961 the intention was to move into the larger, four-wheeled car market with the Bandit designed by John Tojeiro. This was to be powered by the 997 cc Ford engine (as in the 105E Anglia) with Berkeley designed MacPherson strut front and swing axle rear suspension but the project did not progress due to the financial difficulties facing the company at the end of 1960. Only two prototypes were produced; the original Motor show and press car registration number 700CNM, which has since been restored, and a second prototype car registered YRX292, which was last seen in Swindon in the late 1960’s.

The car was to have sold for £798, equivalent to about £Vorlage:Formatprice today.

Revival

In 1970 a new company was formed in Syston, Leicestershire, to restore Berkeley cars. By 1991 it was using the original moulds to make new body panels and in 1993 complete T60 cars were being made with a new ladder type chassis. A choice of engines was available including Mini, Citroen 2CV and motor cycle units. In 1996 the company was renamed Berkeley Developments and moved to Langley Mill, Nottingham.

In the late 1980s the Bandit design was revived in New Zealand and a few cars called the 'Ibis Berkeley' were made.

Berkeley (1913)

There was another, unrelated, Berkeley car company in the UK.

This company made some 18 hp cars in 1913. The engine was quoted as a 75x100, 1764 cc unit of unknown origin. Little else is known of them.

See also

• List of British car manufacturers

External links

Commons: Berkeley vehicles – Sammlung von Bildern, Videos und Audiodateien

• Berkeley Cars
• Berkeley pictures
• Berkley Enthusiasts Club
• Berkeley Sportscars in the USA
• Berkeley Owners Forum, a new forum for Berkeley Owners

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