A classic microcar from the golden age of motoring goes on sale after languishing in a barn for 50 years – and it will also outperform Ulez
- The classic 1959 Berkeley B95 Roadster microcar was one of 178 produced
- It is now for sale in Bournemouth for almost £15,000 after being restored.
A classic microcar from the “golden age of motoring” is for sale after 50 years of languishing in a barn and will even avoid Ulez charges.
The 1959 Berkeley B95 Roadster was one of 178 produced and a sister model was raced by Stirling Moss.
It has now been painstakingly restored and is now for sale at Ashley Automotive in Bournemouth for £14,990.
And the new owner won’t even have to worry about Sadiq Khan’s £12.50-a-day Ulez charge, as cars that are over 40 years old are exempt from the cost.
By meeting this requirement, older cars are officially classified as “historic”, which also exempts them from taxes and the need for an annual MOT.
A classic microcar from the “golden age of motoring” is for sale after 50 years languishing in a barn. In the photo: Ryan Lockett in the car.
Here is the car before restoration – many new parts have been added.
Berkeley’s car competed in events in the 1960s before being hidden at an unknown British site in the late 1960s.
The vehicle was rediscovered in 2014 and the previous owner began an extensive project to restore it to its former glory, before selling it to another fan in 2021.
The car, which measures 10 feet long, 4 feet wide and 3.5 feet high, has a 700 cc Royal Enfield engine and is capable of reaching speeds of over 100 mph.
Original images of the car in its former glory show it sporting a clean white paint job.
But now it has been refurbished with a shiny navy blue exterior and new components, but the bodywork, like its old “battle scars”, has been left in its original condition.
Ryan Lockett of Ashley Automotive said: “The Berkeley cars were the fastest microcars of the 1950s/60s and were very successful on the racetrack.
‘They were capable of reaching over 100mph if you were very brave.
‘This little gem is like new inside, but its body has been left in its original condition with lots of patina and battle scars.
Original images of the car in its former glory show it sporting a clean white paint job.
The vehicle was rediscovered in 2014. The dashboard is shown on the left that year and just after the renovations.
The 1959 Berkeley B95 Roadster was one of 178 produced and a sister model was raced by Stirling Moss.
The car, which measures 10 feet long, 4 feet wide and 3.5 feet high, has a 700 cc Royal Enfield engine and is capable of reaching speeds of over 100 mph.
The car’s engine appears in the 2014 photo before restoration, after having been hidden since the late 1960s.
Ryan Lockett (pictured car) of Ashley Automotive said: “The Berkeley cars were the fastest microcars of the 50s/60s and were very successful on the racetrack.”
‘The previous owner had planned to do the bodywork in the end, but unfortunately had to sell it due to health problems. I think the patina gives it a lot of character.
‘This car runs and drives exceptionally well, with many new parts that the previous owner spent a lot of time sourcing or making.
“It comes with a box full of history, manuals and books, including photos from when he first bought it in 2014, before it came back to life.”
Microcars, a term used for smaller sized cars, often with an engine smaller than 700 cc, emerged in the late 1940s.
Many have three wheels. However, by the 1960s production had largely stopped, partly due to the introduction of the Mini.
The exemption of Ulez charges for historic cars (those over 40 years old) means demand for classics like this is currently booming in London.
