It’s a BERKLEY Jim…!!! But not as we know it........

[Windle_Poones]

Hi,<o:p></o:p>

I am new to the MX5 owner’s forum, so was exploring the posts and I was surprised to see lots of posts from MX5 Berkley owners and felt moved to write this little article.<o:p></o:p>

The name Berkley takes me right back to my first ever car a little three wheeled rag top, called a Berkley T60.  The year was 1965.  I was 16 years old at the time and yes you could drive one at that age on a motorcycle and side car licence, providing it had three wheels and no reverse gear.  I fashioned a small blanking plate with a dummy screw on one side so it could easily be moved out of the way to select reverse gear from the gate change gear lever when needed.  This worked quiet well and satisfied the traffic police of the day when ever I was stopped, (learner plates and no accompanying experienced driver).    

The T60 model I had was first registered in 1958 so predates even the first Lotus Elan built in 1962 that the 1989 Mk1 MX5 was based on.  <o:p></o:p>

The Berkley car company started out building caravans for the leisure industry, but switched to the manufacture of light fibre glass micro cars when caravan sales slumped.  Around 4,000 Berkley cars were built, coincidentally around the same number as the original Lotus Elan.  There were both three and four wheeled models.  Which were fitted with various engines they were mainly motorcycle engines.  My T60 had a 328cc two stroke engine, the “Excelsior Talisman Twin”.  It developed a staggering 18 bhp, don’t laugh it could do 60mph, but took 35 seconds to get from 0 to 60.  

A common fault with them was at higher speeds if you hit a pot hole, one or the other of the perspex head lamp covers would pop out, necessitating an emergency stop and then a quick sprint back to collect it before another car ran over it.  <o:p></o:p>

The car was surprisingly popular at the time and from the front could be mistaken for a four wheeled car.  The pictures are of a Berkley T60 in white.  The same colour as the one I owned.  The “You Tube” link leads to a short video of one at a meeting, but sadly the one in the video is in need of replacement rings or a rebore and new pistons.<o:p></o:p>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufSi2TMFmME&feature=related<o:p></o:p>

I now drive an MX5 Icon Mk2.  I am happy to report that the 0 to 60 time is a lot quicker than my Berkley T60 was and it certainly has a real woo hoo factor.  In fact I can’t stop driving it. <o:p></o:p>

I guess the limited edition MX5 Berkley celebrates an event, a marque or something.  Does anyone know what?  <o:p></o:p>

Mike <o:p></o:p>

 

[Berkeley-Ray]

A very informative web site on the MX5 special editions (www.mx5-3rdgenerationlimited.com) suggets:

Probably named after the world famous “Berkeley” university in California, Mazda also named the Harvard limited edition after a college in Massachusetts

[Blog]

 Nice article Mike.

As stated above the theory goes that it is named after the Californian university and together with the Harvard special edition and even a California special edition that’s 3 models with American references but marketed exclusively in the UK. Very strange.

 

[ast]

No, it was just an end of run model; the previous special edition was the Harvard, so a distinct Collegiate link

[Berkeley-Ray]

No, it was just an end of run model;

JUST an end of run model! …  As the limited edition end of run model, of the best ever model (Mk1), the Berkeley is a very special, Special Edition MX5 - but then again, I would say that   (Berkeley-Ray)

 

 

[Windle_Poones]

A very informative web site on the MX5 special editions (www.mx5-3rdgenerationlimited.com) suggets:

Probably named after the world famous “Berkeley” university in California, Mazda also named the Harvard limited edition after a college in Massachusetts

 

Thanks for the link Berkley-Ray.  A very informative site.

[Windle_Poones]

 Nice article Mike.

As stated above the theory goes that it is named after the Californian university and together with the Harvard special edition and even a California special edition that’s 3 models with American references but marketed exclusively in the UK. Very strange.

 

 

Thanks Blog. 

I would hazard a guess that the marketeers at Mazda chose American names, because the British Leyland Morris & Austin marques had already sold models named the “Oxford” and the “Cambridge” 

[Windle_Poones]

 

No, it was just an end of run model; the previous special edition was the Harvard, so a distinct Collegiate link

 

Hi AT,

Thanks for the post, but that makes the MX5 Berkley seem like an after thought, a wine sellers bin end.  Only 200 of them produced, now that was a short run.  Surely there must be more to it than that?

[Windle_Poones]

 Thanks Clive. 

[Sword]

Only 200 of them produced, now that was a short run. 

 

In fact,there were 400 produced.  Not the highest spec ever but very easy to improve of course and then you have a great Mk. 1   But I would say that,wouldn’t I !!  

    Chris.

 

[ast]

Only 200 of them produced, now that was a short run. 

 

In fact,there were 400 produced.  Not the highest spec ever but very easy to improve of course and then you have a great Mk. 1   But I would say that,wouldn’t I !!  

    Chris.

 

Well,  in addition to 316 Sparkle Green SR-Limiteds for the home market. The last Mk1s to be produced were all white.

 

The Berkely was based on a 1.8i, with some slight mechanical changes, but the SR-Limited was based on the S-Spec, so had Torsen etc. Totally different interiors. Cars intended to be converted to Berkeleys were shipped from Japan with plain interiors, which were then retrimmed by MCL in the UK.

 

Bob Hall’s potted history of the Mk1 colour palatte:

http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=45949

Berkleys being “assembled” in Sheerness:

 

Note, markings on trunk lids prior to drilling for the boot rack, and the cars still on original base steel wheels. Also, airbags are being used to lift the cars. Some of the cars, at least, still have original black interiors. It also seems apparent that numbered plaques won’t really relate to chassis numbers.

 

[ast]

 

No, it was just an end of run model; the previous special edition was the Harvard, so a distinct Collegiate link

 

Hi AT,

Thanks for the post, but that makes the MX5 Berkley seem like an after thought, a wine sellers bin end.  Only 200 of them produced, now that was a short run.  Surely there must be more to it than that?

Well, some of these last Mk1s did have a hodge podge of parts; the “tolerance mismatch” that apparently affected some Harvards I wouldn’t be surprised if it was caused by the switch from Mk1 to Mk2. SR-Limiteds appears to have doorcards that are a mixture of 93-95 door cards and the later/early style (ie hockey stick armrests, and door pockets).The SR also appears to have recycled M2-1028 gauge faces.

 

The shortest “run” of a production MX5 goes to the Tokyo Limited Eunos Roadster; 24 manuals, 24 autos (the Le Mans wasn’t really a production car). And that car only existed because sales of the M2-1002 was an utter disaster (100 sold out of 300 planned), leaving a surplus of spare special interiors.

 

[Windle_Poones]

 Hi AT,

Thanks for that post.  Very imformative.  Good detail and nice pic of Berkleys being “assembled” in Sheerness.  So it does appear that they were using the last of the MK1 bits then.  Oh and thanks for the link to…

Bob Hall’s potted history of the Mk1 colour palatte:

http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=45949

A facinating read. 

[goosander]

Does anyone know if the Sparkle Green colour of the Berkleys is the original colour, or were the cars resprayed as part of the process of creating the special edition.  I ask because on my Berkley in some areas (engine bay & boot), the colour seems to be a different non mettalic green, which looks kind of like a matt olive military green.  Some sort of undercoat?

I’ll be getting the sills done on mine soon, and will be giving it a respray at the same time.   I have been considering getting it sprayed BRG (my favourite) instead of sparkle green provided that it doesn’t cost too much more, but would it be considered sacriledge to change the colour of a special edition, especially the final one?

[ast]

 No, the Sparkle Green was applied at the factory to a batch of rhd shells for the UK and Japanese markets (no lhd Sparkle Greens). In common with other metallics, Mazda skipped the lacquer under the bonnet.

 

Its certainly a Marmite Colour, so I wouldn’t blame you for wanting to change it. And there are plenty of other Sparkle Greens about, so I wouldn’t feel too mad about repaiting one of them.

[Berkeley-Ray]

 Its certainly a Marmite Colour, so I wouldn’t blame you for wanting to change it. And there are plenty of other Sparkle Greens about, so I wouldn’t feel too mad about repaiting one of them.

 

Hmmm…Marmite , love it, and Sparkle Green!  

For those who hate the aquired taste of Marmite, and Sparkle Green it could be an idea to paint your Berkeley a different colour, leaving us with even fewer extra special, special edition, true Sparkly Berkelys in the world  . 

This could be the start of the Sparkly Berkeley Brigade!

[Sword]

This could be the start of the Sparkly Berkeley Brigade!

   Great Idea.     Count me in !!

     Chris.

[Berkeley-Ray]

It’s officially the Sparkly Berkeley Bunch (Brigades been done).  And our celebrated colour makes us officially the Marmite Mk1 (thanks to AT for that one :0)

See seperate thread for membership details.  Berkeley-Ray

[goosander]

For those who hate the aquired taste of Marmite, and Sparkle Green it could be an idea to paint your Berkeley a different colour, leaving us with even fewer extra special, special edition, true Sparkly Berkelys in the world  .

Very understanding of you!  Its not a marmite colour for me, just not my preferred colour.  I certainly wouldn’t change it for the sake of it, but given that a respray will be needed anyway, why not take the opportunity to change to my favourite colour (BRG).