A few days ago, the Berkeley Bandit, presented at the 1960 London Motor Show, turned 60 years old. The pretty sports car was the last car to be built at Berkeley. Berkeley then had to close its doors, and only two examples of the Bandit were produced.
It would have been an interesting car with an overhead cam Ford engine, independent suspension all round, front disc brakes, plastic bodywork and low maintenance costs. But it was not to be.
New Bandit?
Martin Rees and Simon Scleater want to be the original Berkeley makers Lawrie Bond and Charles Parker. They want to bring Berkely Cars and Berkley Coachworks back to life. And they have pitched their "tents" in the same place as their predecessors, the Old Warden Aerodrome.
The chassis of the new Berkeley Bandit is based on a plant-based plastic, the engine is located behind the crew and various drive technologies - gasoline, hydrogen, battery electric - are conceivable. Two or four wheels are powered.
There will be a whole range of superstructures on the "organic chassis". Incidentally, the design of the new Bandit comes from Lithuanian designer Vladas Trakselis. It will be interesting to see what else Rees and Scleater come up with.
