My first car was a 1958 Berkeley-Excelsior, a whimsical design made of fiberglass and powered (if I may use the word loosely) by a 328cc two cylinder two stroke engine which drove the front wheels by chain. Mine was the twin Amal carb (replete with float ticklers!) Sport version, putting put a claimed 18HP. It was the first composite monocoque and is said to have inspired Colin Chapman to make the Lotus Elise. The next car to utilize a composite monocoque, albeit carbon fiber rather than fiberglass, was the McLaren F1. It was capable of 65MPH which felt like 200 as the car was so small, flimsy, and vibrated a lot. It sounded like two very loud chainsaws. I never could get the Ciba Dynastart charger/starter to charge so I ran it as a total loss ignition off the battery, which gave a surprising six or seven hours provided one didn't use the headlamps. Heading home at dusk I had a choice of running sans headlamps on two cylinders or on one with headlamps. It made up for a lack of outright speed with nimble handling and a complete and utter lack of reliability. One of the many Berkeley design quirks was that the brake drums were in unit with the wheels. If one failed to put a cotter pin in the wheel nut it would back off and the wheel would fall off. The car had a single circuit hydraulic system which meant when this happened you had no brakes. This is how this became readily apparent to me: I was being towed (a common occurrence for Berkeley drivers) by a short rope attached to a HUGE Impala station wagon driven by my mom. The wheel fell off and flew down the road. My mom, hearing the suspension dragging on the road did the sensible thing- she slammed on the brakes. This created an unfavorable set of circumstances for your humble narrator. The back of the car loomed up quite suddenly and I cranked the steering wheel full lock to the left. The rope went taut and swung the car like a pendulum. It came to an abrupt halt, neatly parallel to the tow car facing the opposite direction. The errant wheel narrowly missed an irate old lady pedestrian, who started yelling at me. "Jeeze lady, it's not like I WANTED the wheel to fall off!"
Great story. My Dad had a Bond Mk C whose rear wheels were "Indespension" units (steel in rubber torsion) and had a stub axle snap on a corner. The wheel over took him as he ground to a halt and a school kid retrieved it for him saying " D'ya want yer wheel back Mister?"..
I used to own 2 Frisky 3 wheelers, one was standard twin cylinder 350cc the other had no engine so I fitted a 3 cylinder 800cc DKW twostroke engine to it. It did 120mph in a straight line with the front wheels gently lifting off the road, The first one went to germany to a motor museum in Story. The other stayed on the Isle of Man waiting for restoration. Barry
My Berkeley B105 remains to this day the most exciting car I've ever driven (didn't look like a 105 in the vid- it had only one carb). Handling was incredible! 271 JKE, oh how I miss you still...
I think we're now just entering the second Micro car golden era. I'm a biker, and have only a motorcycle license, and have done for for 24 years. I wanted to drive something a bit less cold and arthritis inducing through the winter, so I've just bought a 2009 Microcar (that's the brand Microcar) MC1 Campus. It has a 505cc engine, has a top speed of around 70 mph, and has all the comforts of a 1980s/90s car (well what more do you need?). I bought it for £1999 second-hand, and it's been great! I'll do more videos on it soon, including an on-road review...watch this space :-) BTW here's a quick look around the outside . ua-cam.com/video/sqI4h2Kfw-4/v-deo.html
My first car was a 1958 Berkeley-Excelsior, a whimsical design made of fiberglass and powered (if I may use the word loosely) by a 328cc two cylinder two stroke engine which drove the front wheels by chain. Mine was the twin Amal carb (replete with float ticklers!) Sport version, putting put a claimed 18HP. It was the first composite monocoque and is said to have inspired Colin Chapman to make the Lotus Elise. The next car to utilize a composite monocoque, albeit carbon fiber rather than fiberglass, was the McLaren F1.
It was capable of 65MPH which felt like 200 as the car was so small, flimsy, and vibrated a lot. It sounded like two very loud chainsaws. I never could get the Ciba Dynastart charger/starter to charge so I ran it as a total loss ignition off the battery, which gave a surprising six or seven hours provided one didn't use the headlamps. Heading home at dusk I had a choice of running sans headlamps on two cylinders or on one with headlamps. It made up for a lack of outright speed with nimble handling and a complete and utter lack of reliability.
One of the many Berkeley design quirks was that the brake drums were in unit with the wheels. If one failed to put a cotter pin in the wheel nut it would back off and the wheel would fall off. The car had a single circuit hydraulic system which meant when this happened you had no brakes. This is how this became readily apparent to me:
I was being towed (a common occurrence for Berkeley drivers) by a short rope attached to a HUGE Impala station wagon driven by my mom. The wheel fell off and flew down the road. My mom, hearing the suspension dragging on the road did the sensible thing- she slammed on the brakes. This created an unfavorable set of circumstances for your humble narrator. The back of the car loomed up quite suddenly and I cranked the steering wheel full lock to the left. The rope went taut and swung the car like a pendulum. It came to an abrupt halt, neatly parallel to the tow car facing the opposite direction. The errant wheel narrowly missed an irate old lady pedestrian, who started yelling at me. "Jeeze lady, it's not like I WANTED the wheel to fall off!"
Great story. My Dad had a Bond Mk C whose rear wheels were "Indespension" units (steel in rubber torsion) and had a stub axle snap on a corner. The wheel over took him as he ground to a halt and a school kid retrieved it for him saying " D'ya want yer wheel back Mister?"..
@@peter7624 - Laurence Bond designed the Berkeley and the Bond Minicar.
If the wheel fell off ... no brakes would be the LEAST of your worries!
@@jallan9578 - That would have been the station wagon tailgate with brake lights ablaze about five feet in front of me.
@@scottdelong1: Yes! I suspect that your 'mom' would have been your biggest worry!
I used to own 2 Frisky 3 wheelers, one was standard twin cylinder 350cc the other had no engine so I fitted a 3 cylinder 800cc DKW twostroke engine to it.
It did 120mph in a straight line with the front wheels gently lifting off the road,
The first one went to germany to a motor museum in Story.
The other stayed on the Isle of Man waiting for restoration. Barry
I remember the Frisky, but don't think I'd fancy doing over "the ton" in one!
It sounds like the wartburg my dad used to have
My Berkeley B105 remains to this day the most exciting car I've ever driven (didn't look like a 105 in the vid- it had only one carb). Handling was incredible! 271 JKE, oh how I miss you still...
The Berkely was the nicest looking 3 wheeler of all time!
You should have hung onto the plate! Probably worth more than the car!
271 JKE still exists! On SORN and last logbook applied for in Nov 2021!
I think that was very interesting and very informative.
Only reason the Mini cost the same was because they were losing money on every single one sold.
Darwinion A pound a car if I'm led to believe correctly
You mean BL was losing money! As in: The British taxpayer!
Excellent material and good to see old faces again in Micros and owners!
Glad to see the Lady-bug survived, have only ever seen black and white photographs of it.
MotorCYCLING!? On a LAMBRETTA!?
Never in a hundred years!
I think we're now just entering the second Micro car golden era.
I'm a biker, and have only a motorcycle license, and have done for for 24 years.
I wanted to drive something a bit less cold and arthritis inducing through the winter, so I've just bought a 2009 Microcar (that's the brand Microcar) MC1 Campus.
It has a 505cc engine, has a top speed of around 70 mph, and has all the comforts of a 1980s/90s car (well what more do you need?).
I bought it for £1999 second-hand, and it's been great! I'll do more videos on it soon, including an on-road review...watch this space :-)
BTW here's a quick look around the outside .
ua-cam.com/video/sqI4h2Kfw-4/v-deo.html
£1,999!? The seller was evidently thinking psychologically!
at last a real mini car...yes a Mini...Alec's brainchild.
Great video! Never heard of the Ladybug, despite owning a number of 3 wheelers over the years.
Oh, I have! Never owned one! I've never owned a three-wheeler!
But I do know of the Bug!
Very nice 👍🇬🇧🇬🇧
Miss my Bond Minicar
The Mini came out in 1959, Not 1960.
I would put a Hyabusa engine in it.
No threesome Berkeley?... What a shame.