1959 Berkeley SE492 Sports Roadster

The Berkeley family of microcars was manufactured from 1956 to 1960 in Great Britain. The Berkeley Company was a manufacturer of travel trailers and possessed a factory full of fiberglass craftsmen. A natural outgrowth of the business, the company began building small and sporty cars with fiberglass bodies. The project was aided by 'Lawrie' Bond, an aircraft engineer who would later produce his own eponymous minicar.

The collaboration between Mr. Bond and Mr. Charles Panter's Berkeley Coachworks resulted in a two-seat, fiberglass-and-aluminum-bodied, front-wheel drive, motorcycle-engined British sports car. They were produced in small numbers in the 1950s and were instantly popular. The company goals were to build an affordable, enjoyable, and small sports car that could also be raced competitively in the under-750cc category. It was soon evident that more power was needed, so Berkeley increased the engine size, topping out at nearly 500cc. The 30-horsepower Berkeley-Excelsior SE492 proved competitive, especially considering its weight of just 700 pounds. Combined with fully independent suspension, a low center of gravity, and front-wheel drive, it was both fast and nimble. Count Johnny Lurani entered a trio of SE492 roadsters, all fitted with specially-designed hard-tops, in the 1958 Monza 12 hours 750 GT category. Future Ferrari driver Lorenzo Bandini drove one of the tiny cars to a class victory.

The 492 was introduced in 1957 at the British Motor Show. It came equipped with a three-cylinder, air-cooled, two-stroke engine that displaced 492cc and made 30 horsepower. They had a four-speed transmission and front-wheel drive configuration. Total production is estimated at 666 examples of this final model before production came to a close in March 1959.

This particular example, chassis number 74, was acquired by its current caretaker in 2013. It is finished in silver with a dark red vinyl interior. Power is from the 492cc Excelsior motorcycle engine fitted with triple AMAL carburetors. It has been fully restored to as-new condition in 2013.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2017