A classic microcar from the ‘golden age of motorsport’ is up for sale after languishing in a barn for 50 years – and will even bypass Ulez charges.
The 1959 Berkeley B95 Roadster was one of only 178 produced and a sister model was raced by Stirling Moss.
It has now been painstakingly restored and is now up for sale at Ashley Automotive in Bournemouth for £14,990.
And the new owner won’t even need to worry about Sadiq Khan’s £12.50 a day Ulez charge, as cars that are more than 40 years old are exempt from the cost.
By meeting this requirement, older cars are officially classed as ‘historic’, also making them free to tax and exempt from needing an annual MoT.
A classic microcar from the ‘golden age of motorsport’ is up for sale after languishing in a barn for 50 years. Pictured: Ryan Lockett in the car
Pictured here is the car before the restoration: It has been given many new parts
The Berkeley car competed in events in the 1960s before being stashed away at an unknown British site at the end of that decade.
The vehicle was rediscovered in 2014 and the previous owner commenced an extensive project to bring it back to its former glory, before being sold to another fanatic in 2021.
The car, which is 10ft long, 4ft wide and 3.5ft high, has a 700cc Royal Enfield engine and is capable of speeds of over 100mph.
Original pictures of the car in its former glory show it sporting a clean white paintwork.
But it has now been refurbished with a glossy navy exterior and fresh components – but the bodywork – such as its old ‘battle scars’ – has been left in its original state.
Ryan Lockett, of Ashley Automotive, said: ‘Berkeley cars were the fastest of the micro cars of the 50/60s and had a lot of success on the race tracks.
‘They were capable of over 100mph if you were very brave.
‘This little gem is like new underneath, but its bodywork has been left in its original state with lots of patina and battle scars.
Original pictures of the car in its former glory show it sporting a clean white paintwork
The vehicle was rediscovered in 2014. The dashboard is pictured left that year, and right after renovations
The 1959 Berkeley B95 Roadster was one of only 178 produced and a sister model was raced by Stirling Moss
The car, which is 10ft long, 4ft wide and 3.5ft high, has a 700cc Royal Enfield engine and is capable of speeds of over 100mph
The car’s engine is pictured in 2014 before the restoration, after being stashed away since the end of the 1960s
Ryan Lockett (pictured in the car), of Ashley Automotive, said: ‘Berkeley cars were the fastest of the micro cars of the 50/60’s and had a lot of success on the race tracks’
‘The previous owner had planned to do the bodywork last but sadly had to sell due to ill health. I think the patina gives her a lot a character.
‘This car runs and drives exceptionally well, with lots and lots of new parts that the previous owner spent a very long time sourcing or having made.
‘She comes with a box full of history, manuals and books, including photos of when first purchased back in 2014 before she was brought back to life.’
Microcars – a term used for the smallest size of car, often with an engine smaller than 700cc – emerged in the late 1940s.
Many have three wheels. However by the 1960s production had largely ground to a halt, in part due to the introduction of the Mini.
The exemption for historic cars – those older than 40 years – from Ulez charges means demand for classics like this is currently booming in London.
