More and more, I find myself drawn to unusual cars like this 1958 Berkeley SE 328. I’ll admit that I haven’t followed many of these independent, low-production manufacturers, but when you look at what’s happened to collectible Chevies, Fords, Dodges, and Plymouths, with their ridiculous price schemes and overwrought sales pitches, it makes curiosities like this Berkeley all that more interesting. Located in Lenoir City, Tennessee where Chuck F. found the listing for this British two-seater, it’s available here on Facebook Marketplace for $7,000.

Berkeley only lasted about four years, spanning model years ’57 to ’60, and realized a total production of about 4K units. Several models were available, and our subject car, the SE 328, is one of less than 100 assembled in Biggleswade, Great Britain. Small is an understatement as this two-seater roadster is about 123″ in length, rides on a 68″ wheelbase, and with a fiberglass body, only weighs 700 lbs. soaking wet. Some of that is due to its powerplant, or maybe “movement source” would be a more apt description as we’re talking about a two-stroke, two-cylinder, air-cooled, 18 HP, 328 CC engine that drives the front wheels using a motorcycle-style chain and a three-speed gearbox. The seller states that this Berkeley is a “Running, driving project…car has had a fairly thorough mechanical refresh.”

It’s also stated that the body needs, “a little fiberglass work, paint, and finish(ing).” The fiberglass looks mostly sound, from what’s revealed, but there appears to be quite a bit of trim and other finishing parts that are missing and might keep one from the finish line. Specifically, the bumpers, headlight buckets, windshield, door panels – things like that are missing. There are no posterior images so there may be additional missing items to consider out back.

The interior features a bench seat, I was expecting buckets, and it shows as being reupholstered while the steering wheel reminds me of an aftermarket piece that I bought at a Uniroyal tire shop for $9 back in ’72. The gauges are all present and accounted for though there may be some switchgear vacancies. It’s about as simple an environment as you’ll find in a sports car. My thought is that there should be a tonneau cover but no mention of that item is made.

The most significant thing about this SE 328 is probably the creation and collapse of Berkeley itself. These micro sports cars were born in an era where imagination and capital were the only limits. Capital still is but the mountain of regulations, regardless of where one builds and sells cars, and shifting market tastes, will impede, probably stop, the market entry of another independent like Berkeley – and that’s unfortunate.  And that creativity and dreaming are the primary draw that cars like this have on me; it would have been great to have been a fly on the wall in the days when unusual, craft manufacturers like this Berkely gave it a go, wouldn’t you agree?