Tiny Berkeley sports car needs someone to refresh Royal Enfield Interceptor motor

Royal Enfield Interceptor motor powers this small car.

 Dave Perry, restorer of vintage race cars, needs someone in the Southeast United States to "freshen" the 736cc Royal Enfield Royal Enfield Interceptor motor in his Berkeley sports car. 

If you are that someone, or know someone who can do it, email Dave Perry at bare-metal@hotmail.com 

Perry and his car are located at his OldSchool Restorations shop in North Alabama. 

If you grew up gazing longingly at car magazine photos of sexy plastic bodies for kit cars by Devin, Glasspar or Fiberfab, you'll appreciate the mission of OldSchool Restorations. 

It's "Dave Perry's home of sportrods, vintage racecars, vintage kit cars... Dave Perry began using fiberglass in 1954... Fiberglass body repair and restoration of many vintage fiberglass body cars is Dave Perry's interest."

The largely fiberglass Berkeley is certainly interesting.

Made in Biggleswade, England from 1956 to 1960, the Berkeley originally appeared as a sleek two-seater with a 322cc two-stroke, three-cylinder motor. Headlights were faired in, drive was to the front wheels, and the transmission was a three-speed Albion gearbox with reverse. There was electric start.

The 1958 change to the big four-stroke Royal Enfield motor necessitated a hood bulge and blunt front end that spoiled the sexy look of the first Berkeleys. They're still pretty sharp looking, especially in red.

Lots of motor under small hood.

I've written about this particular red Berkeley before, when it appeared for sale. It is one of very few built with left-hand steering wheel. The micro sports car could have originally been powered by the 692cc twin-cylinder motor from a Royal Enfield Super Meteor or Constellation, as later Berkeleys were.

But Dave Perry tells me the motor is now the larger Interceptor twin.

"Certainly someone who follows your blog in the Southeast may know who might freshen my engine," he wrote.

Perry likes race cars, so the freshening he has in mind probably leans toward speed. This particular Berkeley is set up for racing. It doesn't have doors.

A Berkeley with the Constellation motor was said to be good for 100 mph. What is your courage good for?

Something so small might be safer on a race track than an expressway. It's just over 10 feet long, narrower than a double bed, and weighs less than 900 pounds.

There is no roof for little red racer.

Fun fact: Glasspar built the fiberglass bodies for Disneyland's Autopia automobile ride. Those were powered by a real governed gas motor, and gave kids (including me) a thrill since they were steerable, (between guard rails), had brakes, and an accelerator.

Reportedly, the early builders once removed the governor and unleashed an amusement park car on the streets of Newport Beach, California.

If you've ever dreamed of driving a carnival ride on the road, the Berkeley might be your answer.