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Berkeley Cars Ltd of Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, England produced small cars with engines from 322 cc to 700 cc between 1956 and 1960. In 1991 a new company, Berkeley Developments, was formed to restore original cars and in 1993 they started to build complete T60 models.
The company produced designs by Laurie Bond in the Berkeley Coachworks factory owned by Charles Panter who had been making caravans from glass fibre. The first cars were exhibited at the 1956 London Motor Show.
Four models were made with the number in the name representing the top speed in miles per hour. Production stopped in 1960 and an attempted merger with Bond Cars come to nothing.
The factory was later used by Kayser Bondor to make women's underwear, but it has now been demolished and the site turned over to housing.
In 1970 a new company was formed in Syston, Leicestershire, to restore Berkeley cars. By 1991 it was using the original moulds to make new body panels and in 1993 complete T60 cars were being made with a new ladder type chassis. A choice of engines was available including Mini, Citroen 2CV and motor cycle units. In 1996 the company was renamed Berkeley Developments and moved to Langley Mill, Nottingham.
Berkeley (1913)
There was another, unrelated, Berkeley car company in the UK.
This company made some 18 hp cars in 1913. The engine was quoted as a 75x100, 1764 cc unit of unknown origin. Little else is known of them.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkeley_Cars
Berkeley photos
