Berkeley number recognition

[gulfstreamultra]

Hi to all.
This is my first tag after owning a Berkeley for 3 months.
I would like to know if there is a way of telling the limited number out of 400 in the VIN mark. I have yet to apply to Mazda , but thought a quick note to the vast knowledge out there might know. Here’s hoping.

[ast]

I think they were just randomly assigned when the cars were being trimmed out by MCL im the UK; this was a creation by MCL, (Mazda Cars Limited), the concessionaire, which subsequently lost the rights to import Mazdas.

In one of Brian Long’s books, he has a photo from MCL’s workshop showing sparkle green MX5s being turned into Berkeleys. These cars are sometimes described as the UK version of the SR Limited. They weren’t really. The SR Limited was based on the S-Special, with 4.300 LSD and Bilsteins and all the options. The Berkeley was a special order 1.8i with a few factory extras, but not enough factory bits to make it a 1.8S.

So they all arrived on steel wheels with a black interior, with cloth seats. MCL transformed them using a mix of some Mazda accessory parts (the cockpit brace) and aftermarket (the seating, doorcards, fake wood). I think the cars were sent to dealers with the numbered plaque loose, to be fitted where they liked.

Of course all UK spec Sparkle Greens were Berkeley and they were built in the same batch (probably). At the end, it was a bit curious. The SR-Limited was available in white or sparkle green. But the numbers of each were not fixed; owners placed an order, and the car was built.

Last (23-28 Oct 97) JDM vins and colours. I think these were the last NAs. UK spec runs not available

NA8C 410187 3L 28/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410186 3L 28/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410185 3L 27/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410184 3L 27/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410183 SU 27/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410182 PZ 27/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410181 PT 27/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410180 3L 27/10/1997 Base
NA8C 410179 PT 27/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410178 PT 27/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410177 PT 27/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410176 PT 27/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410175 PT 27/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410174 PT 27/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410173 PT 27/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410172 11R 27/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410171 PT 27/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410170 PT 27/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410169 PT 27/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410168 PT 27/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410167 PT 27/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410166 PT 27/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410165 11R 27/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410164 PT 27/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410163 PT 27/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410162 PT 27/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410161 HU 27/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410160 PT 27/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410159 PT 27/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410158 11R 27/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410157 PT 27/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410156 PT 25/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410155 3L 25/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410154 SU 25/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410153 SU 25/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410152 PT 25/10/1997 S-Special I
NA8C 410151 PT 25/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410150 PT 25/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410149 SU 25/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410148 PT 25/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410147 PT 25/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410146 PT 24/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410145 HU 24/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410144 M8 24/10/1997 S-Special I
NA8C 410143 HU 24/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410142 11R 24/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410141 11R 24/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410140 11R 24/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410139 PT 24/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410138 PT 24/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410137 M8 24/10/1997 S-Special I
NA8C 410136 PT 24/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410135 PZ 24/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410134 PT 24/10/1997 S-Special I
NA8C 410133 PT 24/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410132 PT 24/10/1997 S-Special I
NA8C 410131 11R 24/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410130 11R 24/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410129 11R 24/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410128 M8 24/10/1997 S-Special I
NA8C 410127 11R 24/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410126 M8 24/10/1997 S-Special I
NA8C 410125 PT 24/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410124 SU 24/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410123 PT 24/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410122 PT 24/10/1997 S-Special I
NA8C 410121 PT 24/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410120 PT 24/10/1997 V-Special
NA8C 410119 PT 24/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410118 HU 24/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410117 M8 24/10/1997 S-Special I
NA8C 410116 HU 24/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410115 PT 23/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410114 11R 23/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410113 11R 23/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410112 M8 23/10/1997 S-Special I
NA8C 410111 PT 23/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410110 PT 23/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410109 11R 23/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410108 PT 23/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410107 M8 23/10/1997 S-Special I
NA8C 410106 PT 23/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410105 PT 23/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410104 PT 23/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410103 PT 23/10/1997 S-Special I
NA8C 410102 PT 23/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410101 PT 23/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410100 HU 23/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410099 HU 23/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410098 PT 23/10/1997 S-Special I
NA8C 410097 11R 23/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410096 11R 23/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410095 PT 23/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410094 PT 23/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410093 PT 23/10/1997 S-Special I
NA8C 410092 PT 23/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410091 11R 23/10/1997 SR-Limited
NA8C 410090 HU 23/10/1997 V-Special
NA8C 410089 3L 23/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410088 SU 23/10/1997 S-Package
NA8C 410087 PT 23/10/1997 S-Special I

[gulfstreamultra]

Hi. Thanks for the info. If nothing else, it is a great photo to be shared by all Berkeley owners. Thanks.
Just for extra info, the U.K. V5 marks it as a Mazda MX5 Berkeley.
Mine is now in France and will be registered in the next few weeks.

[ast]

Nearly all of them were registered as “MX5 Berkeley”