
1958 Berkeley Sports B/65
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Year of manufacture1958
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Mileage46 mi / 75 km
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Car typeOther
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Lot number109
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Reference number1263
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DriveLHD
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ConditionUsed
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Exterior brand colourother
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Location
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Exterior colourOther
Description
Chassis No. SE328692
OFFERED WITHOUT RESERVE
The founders of Berkeley Cars Ltd had a simple goal. They wanted to build a beautiful, affordable, safe, and easily repaired car that would prove competitive in any 750 cc class race. With an attractive price of approximately $1,600 when new, these pint-sized sports cars were a fun and affordable alternative to larger Austin-Healeys and MGs - just as they are today!
The SE328 was only produced for a little over a year, from January 1957 to April 1958. It was powered by a peppy two-cylinder, 328 cc, two-stroke, air-cooled Excelsior 'Talisman Twin' engine with dual Amal carburetors offering 18 horsepower. While it might sound down on power, its performance is surprising due to the small and extremely light aluminum monocoque chassis construction and fiberglass body. As a late production example, the transmission in the car on offer has been updated from the initial column-shifted manual to a three-speed, floor-shifted, sequential transmission.
The recipient of a complete restoration by the previous owner, the aluminum monocoque was repainted in black, while the fiberglass body received striking yellow paintwork with a contrasting green racing stripe down the middle. This yellow and green theme was continued through the passenger compartment, with the green stripe continuing on the newly recovered yellow leatherette seat. Even the steering wheel features this striking color combination. The mechanicals of this car were not neglected in the restoration process. As indicated on the build tag, the engine was rebuilt and upgraded with electronic ignition. The dual Amal carburetors were rebuilt, and an exhaust manifold was ceramic-coated for better heat management. The four-wheel drum brakes are mounted on freshly rebuilt front suspension with powder-coated components. Today, the car displays less than 50 miles since the completion of its restoration and would be a highly intriguing addition to any collection of cars, large or small.