Remember the Berpop?

racing fxgt · 28 Jun 2002, 09:39 (Ref:323411)

I remember watching the Kincraft at brands a few times,the sound and power was something to talk about at the time,I always thought it was painted white.Anyone remember this car.

TimD · 28 Jun 2002, 10:03 (Ref:323427)

So that's what the Berpop looked like! I've got lots of references to it in programmes and things, but never seen a picture before.

Sheer delightful madness. Wonder where it is now?

Andrew Kitson · 28 Jun 2002, 10:07 (Ref:323431)

Yes of course! The Berpop.
I remember it from 1968/69 in Special saloons.
It had a 1650 Ford engine and was sometimes driven by John Wales aswell as owner Mike Berman.
I recall it being a dark green but think it was blue for a while too. Looks more suited to drag Racing than circuits!
Do you have any more old pics like this of great club cars from the time?
The Kincraft was definitely red. The other hairy libre cars regularly around at the time were Carlos Avallone's F5000 Lola T190(white) and Willie Forbes yellow version.

Rob29 · 28 Jun 2002, 11:21 (Ref:323483)

The Lola T190s were much later c.1970.

Vitesse · 28 Jun 2002, 11:34 (Ref:323494)

Yes, by the time Avallone got his it was probably about 1971-2. IIRC there were a number of old F1 Coopers running in FL with Ford and Chevy engines in the late 60s, some of which went on to run occasionally in F5000 in 1969: Chris Lawrence comes to mind here, or am I thinking of the Cooper-Ferrari?

racing fxgt · 28 Jun 2002, 11:47 (Ref:323502)

Here's another one

Andrew Kitson · 28 Jun 2002, 12:07 (Ref:323519)

Ooops!! I meant Lola T142 - 1969. Kincraft was still running then in F.Libre.
Nice shot of George Whiteheads WRA Engineering Anglia. My Dad was a mechanic at the time on another Lotus engined Anglia in the Redex and Osram special saloon Championships. It was a metallic green owned by John Bond-Smith.The driver was Stan Matthews who then went to the JRRDS at Snetterton to learn to race properly!
He came on quite well and got into F3 and F.Atlantic with a few podiums ( never won in F3 though).
Any photos of Stan by any chance?

racing fxgt · 28 Jun 2002, 12:28 (Ref:323537)

Is it this one

Andrew Kitson · 28 Jun 2002, 12:44 (Ref:323556)

No, not that one - it was definitely a lightish metallic green with silver wheels and black number roundels. Don't know who that is in the shot - or the following Mini's! It's Mallory though, Devil's Elbow.

RX3 · 11 Aug 2002, 22:41 (Ref:355591)

It was with some surprise that I saw the heading, 'Do you remember Berpop.'

As a car mad teenager living in Kingston, surrey during the sixties, anything that raced was of great intrest. I cant remember which year, or years, it lived there, it was probably between 63 and 66. There was a small, shed like garage in Elm road, Kingston. We used to stop and look at this strange looking pop and try to work out how they got the Morris 8 series E wings on it. It had Berpop painted on it and was a dark colour that I can't rmember. The wheels were wide, but not as wide as shown in your picture.

It was because of this car,(and because they were so cheap), that my first 3 cars were Pops.

Sorry I can't remember more, but I will have a word with my mate at the time and see what he remembers.

Thanks for awakening an old memory.

Lloyd

TimD · 11 Aug 2002, 23:03 (Ref:355604)

Wow! Thanks for the reminiscences, Lloyd. And welcome to the forum.

Hopefully you'll find some more delights to jog your memory amongst the threads.

racing fxgt · 12 Aug 2002, 08:19 (Ref:355810)

Here's another picture of the Berpop.

racing fxgt · 12 Aug 2002, 08:28 (Ref:355813)

Here's another picture of the Berpop.

racing fxgt · 12 Aug 2002, 08:36 (Ref:355816)

Bit of a cock up with the post I'll try again

racing fxgt · 12 Aug 2002, 08:38 (Ref:355817)

And this one of it's 130hp 1650 engine.

Lloyd.L · 20 Jun 2011, 10:35 (Ref:2902312)

I just came accross this old thread in which I posted as RX3, which I had totally forgotten about and, in hindsight, got the date a bit wrong I think! It just happens that I am now making a 1/43 model of Berpop in the form shown and was looking for colour photos. racing fxgt's colour photo helps a lot but if anyone has any other photos I would be very grateful.

Regards, Lloyd

RTH · 22 Jun 2011, 07:54 (Ref:2903298)

That chassis looks a bit Triumph Herald ?

terence · 22 Jun 2011, 14:18 (Ref:2904269)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lloyd.L

I just came accross this old thread in which I posted as RX3, which I had totally forgotten about and, in hindsight, got the date a bit wrong I think! It just happens that I am now making a 1/43 model of Berpop in the form shown and was looking for colour photos. racing fxgt's colour photo helps a lot but if anyone has any other photos I would be very grateful.

Regards, Lloyd

Unfortunately the colour shot comes over as a little blue,I seem to remember Mike telling me it was a Rootes group colour,Sherwood Green.[Chrysler were not really known over here in those days]

morninggents · 22 Jun 2011, 14:27 (Ref:2904273)

It was an amazing creation and I had the pleasure of racing against it in a Supersaloon race at Mallory Park in April 1974. I think by this time it had a V8 (Rover?) engine and was driven by Martin Sellicks. As I exited the Esses on the opening or second lap I was confronted by the Berpop spinning wildly all over the track. I'm not sure if it was driver overexuberance or a mechanical problem but it retired with only 1 lap completed.

I'm not sure if it ever raced again after that.

VIVA GT · 22 Jun 2011, 15:19 (Ref:2904285)

Quote:

Originally Posted by morninggents

It was an amazing creation and I had the pleasure of racing against it in a Supersaloon race at Mallory Park in April 1974. I think by this time it had a V8 (Rover?) engine and was driven by Martin Sellicks. As I exited the Esses on the opening or second lap I was confronted by the Berpop spinning wildly all over the track. I'm not sure if it was driver overexuberance or a mechanical problem but it retired with only 1 lap completed.

I'm not sure if it ever raced again after that.

Yes, it was Rover V8 engined in the end. I was there spectating that day and seem to remember it was caused by (or the excuse was) oil on the back tyres... (Also, wasn't it painted dark brown by this stage, and possibly sponsored by the British Shoe Corporation, or one of their companies - Freeman Hardy & Willis who's offices were based in Leicester at that time?)

morninggents · 22 Jun 2011, 22:14 (Ref:2904488)

It was certainly a dark colour and could well have been chocolate brown though I can't remember the signwriting. I think there was a picture in one of the weekly comics at the time.

911thillclimber · 23 Jun 2011, 21:24 (Ref:2904952)

I could be very wrong, but was there not a really good thread on the car on here? (a zillion pics too?)
Last i saw of it was with a 'new' front end in the style of the E93A and in silver.

Gerry Taylor · 23 Jun 2011, 22:09 (Ref:2904971)

Hi guys can I let some light into this discussion. Mike Berman was a friend of mine, and the Berpop began life as a road smoker, and we used to drive down to Silverstone in it, from Mikes garage in Oadby, Leicestershire. Mike Berman was an engineer by trade, and built the Berpop just for fun, hence he let other people drive it, and he was such a nice bloke that often he would have all kinds of cadgers asking him if they could race Berpop, and of course Mike said yes.
The car was a dark blue. For the gentleman asking for information on Berpop, then I suggest he asks Mike, who has a theatrical costumiers in Leicester.
He is a quiet unassuming kind of chap, and if you do get to speak to him, tell him I said Hi!
Good Luck.

dave vass · 23 Jun 2011, 22:42 (Ref:2904979)

Could this be Mike Berman's prototype then? I took this photo at Castle Combe on 21st August 1965. It says in the programme that the driver is P. Clarke and the car is an LMB Ford 1172cc.

911thillclimber · 24 Jun 2011, 06:07 (Ref:2905055)

Good to know he is still about!

I remember the car from my old 70's Hot Rod days and i think a feature in Custom or Hot Car magazine.
If you google the Berpop name it springs-up a lot of info and pics.

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