Berkeley cars
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There were two manufacturers of British Berkeley cars.
Contents |
History
The first company made some 18 hp cars in 1913. Little is know of this car.
The second was Berkeley Cars Ltd of Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, producing small cars with engines from 492 cc to 700 cc between 1956 and 1960. The company produced designs by Laurie Bond in the Berkeley caravan factory owned by Charles Panter. There were four models made. Production stopped in 1960 and an attempted merger with Bond Cars failed to come off.
Models
Image:Berkeley SE328 1957.jpg Image:Berkeley SE328 open 1957.jpg
Sports SA322, SE328 and B65
A monocoque glass fibre bodied, two seater, open tourer initially powered by a two stroke Anzani twin cylinder 322 cc engine producing 15 bhp and mounted transversely and driving the front wheels via a chain. 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. After 146 of the SA322 cars were made a change was made to the SA328 model with a 328 cc Excelsior engine offering 18bhp. About 1300 were made with many being exported to the United States. The last 10 cars were known as B65 and had a strengthened body. Top speed was just over 60 mph.
Sports SE492 and Foursome
For 1957 the engine was changed to a 30bhp, Excelsior three cylinder 492 cc with three carburettors. A Foursome four seater was now available in a slightly wider body and a closed coupé version was also made. Top speed was now 80mph. Over 650 of the two seater and 16 four seaters were made.
Sports B95 and B105
The 1959 B95 got more power from a Royal Enfield 692 cc 2 cylinder four stroke with 40 bhp in the B95 and 50 bhp in the B105. The B105 was capable of exceeding the magic 100 mph mark. In October of the same year the Q range was announced with longer and wider bodies. The wheelbase went from 70 inches to 78 inches and the track from 42 inches to 46 inches. The Qs were four seaters (just)and the QB version dispensed with the rear seat to give extra luggage space. Very few of the Q cars were made. About 200 of the B95's and B105's were made with half being exported.
Sports T60 and T60-4
The 1959 T60 was intended as a more basic model and was a three wheeler using the Excelsior 328 cc twin seen in the SE328. Drive was still to the front wheels through a four speed gearbox and a trailing arm replaced the swing axle independent suspension of the four wheeled cars. The T60-4 had a larger rear seat and was intended for the motor cyclist with family. Just over 1800 were made.
Bandit
The intention was for 1960 to move into the larger four wheel car market with the Bandit, a 1 litre Ford engined car but it did not get beyond prototype stage.