1960 BERKELEY T60 HARDTOP
Country of origin: England
Years of Production: 1959-1960
Number produced: ~1,800
Engine: Excelsior Talisman 328cc 2-stroke parallel twin
Cooling: Ambient air
Transmission: Sequential 4-speed w/ reverse
Starter: Dynastart
Electrical: 12V
Power: 18 hp
Top speed: ~65 mph
Dimensions (LxWxH): 124”x48”x43.5”
Weight: 725 pounds
Construction: Fiberglass monocoque w/ steel supports
Brakes: F & R hydraulic drum
Suspension: F & R coilover damper
Steering: Reduction box
Tire size: 145/80R12 (5.20-12 standard)
After World War II, 3-wheeled cars were becoming increasingly popular in the UK due to the cheaper purchase prices, lower tax and insurance rates, and the fact that they could be driven with just a motorcycle license. While Berkeley hadn’t originally planned on getting into the 3-wheeler market, they began to consider the option as sales of their 4-wheeled micro sports cars continued to slow.
Since their cars were front-wheel-drive, they realized that they could keep the front two-thirds of the car essentially unchanged, meaning that they would only have to design a new rear body section and rear suspension to accommodate a single rear wheel. They decided to proceed with the idea, and the result was not only one of the best looking 3-wheelers, but also one of the best handling ones, receiving a lot of positive press when it debuted in late 1959. They were available in either roadster or hardtop form, with the cheaper roadsters making up the vast majority. Even with Berkeley deciding to only sell the T60 in the UK, it still went on to be their best selling model by a significant margin.
For the drivetrain, Berkeley used the same engine that they had successfully used in their 4-wheeled SE328 model, being a 328cc Excelsior twin-cylinder 2-stroke, but now it was mated to a strengthened 4-speed sequential gearbox, rather than the 3-speed unit used in the SE328. Top speed was largely unaffected, however, at just over 60 miles per hour.
Surprisingly, the T60 is actually heavier than its 4-wheeled counterpart (the SE328), with this particular example weighing in at 725 pounds, while the SE328 is about 680 pounds. Part of this weight gain is due to Berkeley switching from aluminum to steel for the bracing within the fiberglass monocoque partway through production of the T60, likely to help reduce production costs. Even with the relatively strong sales, the company was still having money troubles, so several of these sorts of cost-reducing changes were implemented throughout production.
In addition to cars, Berkeley also produced caravans (camping trailers), which had been helping them stay in business, but when the caravan market collapsed towards the end of 1960, they quickly ran out of money and had to close the doors. Nearly 1,800 T60s were produced by the time production was forced to stop in December of 1960.