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| Berkeley T60 1960 |
Lawrence “Lawrie” Bond was a maverick designer/constructor who had experienced some success racing in the 500-cubic centimeter class with his very lightweight (400 pounds!) Type C Bond, and he had designed the Bond Minicar, as well as the Bond Minibyke. In 1956, he joined forces with Charles Panter, owner of Berkeley Coachwork Ltd., Europe’s largest maker of fiberglass caravans, who wanted to offset seasonal sales variations by producing a small sports car.
Production began with three prototypes, the bodies of which were made of two parts, with a box-shaped substructure and an engine compartment reinforced with aluminum, the whole forming a strong monocoque—Britain’s first. It was the lightest and smallest four-wheeled car on the market at that time, and it offered sporty performance with excellent economy.
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| Berkeley T60 1960 |
The first Berkeleys, the Sports SA322s, were four-wheelers with 322-cubic centimeter Anzani motors driving the front wheels by chain. The Sports SE328, with an Excelsior motor, soon followed. Production was stopped due to the intimidating arrival of the Austin-Healey Sprite. When production resumed, the SE328 re-emerged as the T60, like the example shown here, a three-wheeler with a slightly longer body offering a bit of room behind the seats. These three-wheelers were a great success, and they were produced in the largest numbers. This red Berkeley T60 sports a matching interior and is a wonderful representative of the model.
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| Berkeley T60 1960 |
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