\nMaximum speed [estimated]<\/td>\n | 63-65 mph<\/td>\n | 80 mph<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n The gear lever is floor mounted, the change being made in a straight \u2013through movement, motor cycle style .it has extremely attractive lines and all-weather equipment \u2026……at brands Hatch one of these little cars lapped at an average of 58.28 mph establishing a 350cc lap record and demonstrating its extreme roadworthiness and handling properties in recording an average speed very near its maximum<\/p>\n As produced for the home market, the Berkeley has its headlamps fitted behind acetate fairings incorporated into the front wings. For export to the US the lamps are mounted on stalks above the wings, due to the American lighting restrictions on height\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026……….three-cylinder engines bare weight a mere 98lb<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Figure 5. A&R Collection<\/p>\n Learning Opportunities<\/strong><\/p>\nOur learning \/educational opportunities are intended to be challenging thought provoking and requiring additional research and\/or analysis.<\/p>\n These opportunities are particularly designed for a museum\/education centre location where visitors would be able to enjoy access to all the structured resources available in conjunction with any concurrent exhibition.<\/p>\n In this instance we suggest the following might be appropriate: –<\/p>\n \n- See subjects in Bond and related 1950\u2019s articles<\/li>\n
- Which designers have contributed design \/input to more than one car marque or other branches of Industrial Design?<\/li>\n
- Make an exploratory sketch of the Berkeley \u201cHull\u201d body\/chassis unit<\/li>\n
- Suggest into what other areas of leisure or hobby Berkeley might have diversified<\/li>\n
- Study history of British light Cars and or three wheelers \u2013what do they share in common?<\/li>\n
- List marques that have produced three wheelers<\/li>\n
- Which car marques past and present have adopted motor cycle engines?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Exhibitions, Education, Economics and Entertainment<\/strong><\/p>\nIn the museum context the editors believe that commercial considerations are both necessary and complementary with its educational objectives.<\/p>\n For these reasons our suggested outline Business Plan includes provision for promoting products and services which share Chapman\u2019s ideals of mechanical efficiency and sustainability. In addition, we propose merchandising that explain and interprets the social and cultural context of Chapman\u2019s designs in period. It\u2019s suggested there will be catalogue for on line purchasing.<\/p>\n In this instance we suggest the following might be appropriate: –<\/p>\n \n- See subjects in Bond and related 1950\u2019s articles<\/li>\n
- Cornering on Three wheels<\/li>\n
- Light Cars: Light Years ahead?<\/li>\n
- Petrol and Plastic: Cars in Crisis<\/li>\n
- Berkeley: Bonded Plastic<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\nThe A&R has produced a series of near forensic examination of Britain in the fifties. We have done so to provide a better means for analysing and interpreting Chapman \/Lotus achievements in context.<\/p>\n Our conclusions here can be relatively brief and are partly covered in the articles mentioned.<\/p>\n Britain post second world war produced some exceptionally talented Industrial Designers and Entrepeneur’s.They often adopted or mutated technologies and materials developed during the war, incorporating them into new products.<\/p>\n They did so to meet popular demand. This was not an easy task as the affordability was a major concern.<\/p>\n Motoring and mobility \/ freedoms was a growth area and several manufacturers attempted to diversify into this field; often responding to European entry to market [ see Vespa for example].<\/p>\n Laurie Bond was gifted designer whose name had a reputation. To Berkeley he brought this publicity, experience, driver skill feedback and momentum plus contacts within the industry. The Berkeley might be considered as an upgraded or advanced Bond \u2013 with its sporting pretentions perhaps focused to a younger audience \u2013 but still cost conscious.<\/p>\n The concept was honourable and the business plan reasonable.<\/p>\n However, in a free market these relatively small specialists were in competition with mass producers, economies of scale from both home and abroad.<\/p>\n Towards the end of the 1950\u2019s several major events coalesced:<\/p>\n \n- mass production and shared components platforms that permitted the Mini and Austin Healey Sprite Mk.1<\/li>\n
- along with credit ie Hire Purchase<\/li>\n
- Baby boomers, young families and teen market, rising standards of living, expectations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
These tended to overtake the specialists.<\/p>\n Although perhaps overlooked; the specialists had very honourably attempted to mobilise the low income in their incorporation of radical specifications .They also continued to innovate and offer new products<\/p>\n In the case of Laurie Bond and Berkeley they possibly inspired or informed Chapman to be even more ambitious and to conceive the Elite. When forensically examined this car like some of the specialists mentioned suffered commercially against a more conservative but significantly cheaper mass-produced mainstream. Chapman like Bond possibly believed they could produce superior products at lower cost.<\/p>\n Both Bond and Chapman would learn from experience. Both produced further cars \u2013The Bond Equipe and Lotus Elan [ see dedicated article on Bond for fuller analysis]<\/p>\n The microcars of the 1950\u2019s have a relevance today in their addressing of fuel economy and sustainability and as such deserve study. Its worth noting too how manufacturers like Caterham have almost returned to the 1950\u2019s with motor cycle engines for a similar basket of motives.<\/p>\n Reference:<\/strong><\/p>\nSee Bond cars article<\/p>\n Classic Sports Cars. Posthumous & Hodges.Ivyleaf.1991.<\/p>\n ISBN: 0863630235<\/p>\n A-Z of Cars of the 1970\u2019s. Robson. Bayview.1990.<\/p>\n ISBN: 1870979117<\/p>\n A-Z of Cars 1945-1970.Sedgwick & Gillies.Bayview.1986.<\/p>\n ISBN: 1870979095<\/p>\n Racing Cars of the World. Roberts.Longacre.1962.<\/p>\n The Racing Car. Jenkinson.Batsford.1962.<\/p>\n The World\u2019s Racing Cars. Armstrong. Macdonald.1959.<\/p>\n British sports cars. Watkins. Batsford.1974<\/p>\n ISBN: 0713404728<\/p>\n The Sports Car. Boddy. Batsford.1963.<\/p>\n European Sports > Cars. Robson. Foulis.1981.<\/p>\n ISBN: 085429281<\/p>\n Guide to Used sports Cars. Vol 1. Haynes. Haynes.c 1964<\/p>\n Please note the editors of the A&R attempt to give the broadest spectrum of references but not all are available for consultation in an article. However, by noting their existence it may assist students in their research.<\/em><\/p>\n*Items in italics non-A&R library books.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Berkeley: Bonded Plastic Introduction This article is a consequence and inspired by : – The editor visiting the Bubblecar Museum The significance of Laurie Bond as an Industrial Designer and Entrepeneur The context of motoring and social demands of 1950\u2019s and an opportunity to offer a prism on the 1950\u2019s The possibility that the Berkeley […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":280,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.colinchapmanmuseum.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3236"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.colinchapmanmuseum.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.colinchapmanmuseum.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.colinchapmanmuseum.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.colinchapmanmuseum.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3236"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.colinchapmanmuseum.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3236\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3243,"href":"http:\/\/www.colinchapmanmuseum.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3236\/revisions\/3243"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.colinchapmanmuseum.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/280"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.colinchapmanmuseum.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} |