Discussion
I have just discovered this interesting car manufacturer and as I currently live in Biggleswade would be really interested to know more of the brand and cars. Have had a read through Wikipedia and the 2 stroke micro car really appeals.
Anybody here got one or want to share some pictures?
Anybody here got one or want to share some pictures?
Berkeley's barchetta - A Royal Enfield-powered B95 (YouTube)
Edited by Roy C on Thursday 30th October 07:46
My first venture off two wheels in 1967/8 was a 1960 Berkeley T60 three wheeler with the Excelsior 328cc Talisman Twin. It was a fun vehicle but so, so unreliable. It was always braking something, drive chains, a body that would flex so much in the centre that if breaking hard and turning at the same a door would fly open, snap the check straps and break-off the hinges, falling off. The splined drive shafts and brake hubs that would wear so badly that the resulting 'slop' would cause the split pin securing the hub nut to shear allowing the nut to rotate loose and a drive wheel would fall off. Engines and gearboxes were reliable though. Other than the above it was a really good vehicle lol!
Berkeley's are great little cars with an interesting history, built by a caravan company to bolster low season production to a design by Laurie Bond.
Sterling Moss drove a 492 cc 3 pot Excelsior engined car round Goodwood complete with on-board camera, he famously said something on the lines "I'am not sure front wheel drive will catch on"!
I saved the remains of one many years ago, actually a rare B105 but with no engine, gearbox, running gear or subframe.
As bought circa 1988
Rebuild/modifications complete
Fun at Brands Hatch
Fun at Santa Pod
Comments about poor reliability are common but in reality the cause is often poor maintenance by owners unable or unwilling to get to grips with the cars novel design.
OP, if you like something to tinker with go for it, just make sure you fit in it, they weren't called the worlds smallest sports car for nothing!
Sterling Moss drove a 492 cc 3 pot Excelsior engined car round Goodwood complete with on-board camera, he famously said something on the lines "I'am not sure front wheel drive will catch on"!
I saved the remains of one many years ago, actually a rare B105 but with no engine, gearbox, running gear or subframe.
As bought circa 1988
Rebuild/modifications complete
Fun at Brands Hatch
Fun at Santa Pod
Comments about poor reliability are common but in reality the cause is often poor maintenance by owners unable or unwilling to get to grips with the cars novel design.
OP, if you like something to tinker with go for it, just make sure you fit in it, they weren't called the worlds smallest sports car for nothing!
Get yourself along to a Vintage Motorcycle Club race meeting. As sidecars are muddled up as three wheelers still, and as Morgans have become quite expensive there's now a good selection of Berkeleys racing in a huge field, and it's bloody brilliant!
They still can't beat the Tuer's Morgan, but they're good fun to watch
They still can't beat the Tuer's Morgan, but they're good fun to watch
Fond memories of these. Had a T60, my first car at age 16. Doubt that SCO55 survives.
Blanked the reverse, put some L plates on and away I went!
Not very reliable but the plus side it was a good grounding to learn basic mechanics.
The 328 Talisman twin had a Woodruffe key holding the two halves of the crank together and this was prone to shear. In fact I recall the thing being apart more often than out on the road but I loved it all the same.
Blanked the reverse, put some L plates on and away I went!
Not very reliable but the plus side it was a good grounding to learn basic mechanics.
The 328 Talisman twin had a Woodruffe key holding the two halves of the crank together and this was prone to shear. In fact I recall the thing being apart more often than out on the road but I loved it all the same.
srob said:
Get yourself along to a Vintage Motorcycle Club race meeting. As sidecars are muddled up as three wheelers still, and as Morgans have become quite expensive there's now a good selection of Berkeleys racing in a huge field, and it's bloody brilliant!
Looked at the VMC website but can't reAlly see what mods are allowed to Berkelys. Any advice anyone?Blimey. The top one pictured here belongs to my mate Jeff. He has completely rebuilt the monocoque/floorpan and everything mechanical although it was just about roadworthy when he acquired it. I've been lucky enough to cadge a lift from Rochester to Crystal Palace in it a couple of times and I think it is excellent fun. Jeff is a keen member of the club and there is a very good newsletter. It has a self-starter which doubles as a generator. Driving it is an immersive experience as you have to make the best of any momentum you have managed to gain. It makes a great noise in common with most 2-stroke twins. Has a sequential motorcycle gearbox. I've even navigated in it during a 12 car road rally using guesswork for distances and speeds.
Gemaeden said:
srob said:
Get yourself along to a Vintage Motorcycle Club race meeting. As sidecars are muddled up as three wheelers still, and as Morgans have become quite expensive there's now a good selection of Berkeleys racing in a huge field, and it's bloody brilliant!
Looked at the VMC website but can't reAlly see what mods are allowed to Berkelys. Any advice anyone?My brother had one of these and it was a right pig. A T60 with the Excelsior twin, I was only 13 but was more mechanically minded than he was so I helped strip and rebuild the engine. I seem to remember the magnetos were a nightmare. We lived in Ealing and I had to go to Hatch End to get parts, used to cycle there on my racing bike. It was more reliable than the Berkeley 
It was bright yellow like the one below. I seem to remember the reg plate was 666KKK probably worth a lot now, certainly more than the Berkeley!
It was bright yellow like the one below. I seem to remember the reg plate was 666KKK probably worth a lot now, certainly more than the Berkeley! RichB said:
My brother had one of these and it was a right pig. A T60 with the Excelsior twin, I was only 13 but was more mechanically minded than he was so I helped strip and rebuild the engine. I seem to remember the magnetos were a nightmare. We lived in Ealing and I had to go to Hatch End to get parts, used to cycle there on my racing bike. It was more reliable than the Berkeley It was bright yellow like the one below. I seem to remember the reg plate was 666KKK probably worth a lot now, certainly more than the Berkeley!
Mirroring the recollections of the one I owned. Engineering and metallurgy was poor, although in reality probably not a lot worse than other similar cars of the period. Front and rear body sections were simply pop riveted to centre floor section and would pull through the glass fibre. Wheels rims were affixed to cast brake hubs like scooter wheels and would have a large diameter (1" perhaps) wheel spindle with centre nut. Unlike Mini's and later fwd cars with CV joints Berkeleys used standard UJ's - perfectly suited to car propshafts with minimal deflection but ill suited on a Berkeley - drive shaft 'surge' was an amusing sight and sound for pedestrians watching a Berkeley pull away from a 'T' junction with the wheels on full lock. The handling of the car was superb and I imagine one brought bang up to date with modern brakes and perhaps a 'Kettle'or RG/RG500 would be very exciting - question? would you really want to be in a Berkeley in the unfortunate event of an accident? It was bright yellow like the one below. I seem to remember the reg plate was 666KKK probably worth a lot now, certainly more than the Berkeley! No surprise the comments from past owners bemoaning the unreliability of Berkeley's. However, comparing them to other classic cars of the time is a little unfair, compare them to other Microcars and they were certainly as well built, more stylish and fast. No Berkeley ever used a magneto, perhaps this is where the previous poster went wrong! The 2 stroke models used a Siba Dynastart, a novel all in one starter motor and generator with ignition points as well, separate coil or coils generated the spark, they were reliable in the day if looked after, the 4 stroke Royal Enfield models used a conventional distributor and coil set-up.
Whilst I applaud the enthusiasm of owners of the mini engined conversions they have little to do with original Berkeleys or their ethos, a Berkeley surely must make use of the high power to weight ratio of a motorcycle engine (tin hat in place).
Keep the stories coming
Chad
Whilst I applaud the enthusiasm of owners of the mini engined conversions they have little to do with original Berkeleys or their ethos, a Berkeley surely must make use of the high power to weight ratio of a motorcycle engine (tin hat in place).
Keep the stories coming
Chad
One that was (still is?) relatively local to me:
Berkeley T60 (2006) by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr
Berkeley T60 (2006) by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr
Apparently the front end is off a different model?!
Berkeley T60 (2006) by Spottedlaurel, on FlickrBerkeley T60 (2006) by Spottedlaurel, on FlickrApparently the front end is off a different model?!
RichB said:
My brother had one of these and it was a right pig. A T60 with the Excelsior twin, I was only 13 but was more mechanically minded than he was so I helped strip and rebuild the engine. I seem to remember the magnetos were a nightmare. We lived in Ealing and I had to go to Hatch End to get parts, used to cycle there on my racing bike. It was more reliable than the Berkeley It was bright yellow like the one below. I seem to remember the reg plate was 666KKK probably worth a lot now, certainly more than the Berkeley!
Small world if so, I remember that plate on a Metro in Sussex during the 80s. It was bright yellow like the one below. I seem to remember the reg plate was 666KKK probably worth a lot now, certainly more than the Berkeley! Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff