For potential buyers, kit cars have always been a hit-or-miss proposition. Build and finish quality can range anywhere on the scale between the pretty stunning and the pretty awful. The Blakely Bernardi ranks at the upper end of the scale, with panel fit and finish that is a match for quite a few volume manufacturers. This 1982 example was the pride and joy of a dedicated owner until they recently passed away. It has been sitting for at least the past six months, but the time has come for it to head to a new home. Located in Lutz, Florida, the Blakely has been listed for sale here on eBay. The interest in the Bernardi has been quite extraordinary, with 35 bids submitted. This has pushed the price to $6,188 in this No Reserve auction.

One of the key characteristics that separate the Bernardi from most other kit cars is that its stylish body does not sit on a Volkswagen Chassis. Blakely Auto Works developed their own frame for the Bernardi and topped it with an elegant body built out of a fiberglass/plastic sandwich. That construction technique made the Bernardi heavier than most equivalent kit cars, but it also allowed for a superior fit and finish level. Buyers could choose to take delivery of their Bernardi in kit form, although they were also available as a turn-key proposition from the factory. This level of quality is evident in this car, with tight and consistent panel gaps across the entire vehicle. The seller supplies some decent photos of the Blakely’s underside, and the frame looks to be particularly clean. The trim and chrome look good, and the wire wheels add a touch of character. The Black paint holds an impressive shine, but closer inspection reveals some noticeable deterioration. There are many small marks and chips, and while some of these could potentially polish out, I suspect that a repaint will be on the cards if the buyer is seeking a spotless presentation. There is also a chip at the bottom of the windshield, and this will eventually need to be replaced. I’ve searched in a bid to find one, but I haven’t had any luck. My search was pretty brief, so someone with a bit more time might hit the jackpot.

Apart from the questionable exterior finish, it has traditionally been the interior that has revealed the true heritage of many kit cars. The Bernardi is better than most, but you still won’t mistake the interior for something produced by Ferrari. This interior is tidy and serviceable, but it shows all of the hallmarks of a Blakely that wasn’t bought as a factory turn-key vehicle. The upholstery is a mish-mash of different materials and patterns, while the dash has a very homemade look to it. Adding to this impression is the gauge cluster, which featured gauges of varying styles from different manufacturers. I’m not sure how I would tackle this because the potential value of the Blakely does not justify the expense of a professional retrim. It comes down to a choice of living with it as-is or having a skilled friend with an industrial sewing machine who is willing to do you a favor. There are plenty of photos floating around on the internet of factory-finished Bernardis, so the buyer could use those as the inspiration for a retrim on a budget.

There’s no flipping the hood forward on a Bernardi to find a mighty VW “Dak-Dak” occupying the engine bay. The drivetrain and much of the suspension for the Bernardi was sourced from a mid-1970s Ford Pinto. That includes the 2.3-liter 4-cylinder engine and the 4-speed manual transmission. The engine was usually left unmodified, meaning that the driver had about 92hp at their disposal. That isn’t a lot, but because the Bernardi’s weight was considerably less than the donor car’s 2,595lbs, you can pretty sure that this little kit car could blow the Pinto’s 18.8-second ¼-mile ET into the weeds. This Blakely has been sitting for a little while, and the owner recommends that it undergo a full mechanical inspection before it hits the road again. However, I have included a YouTube clip at the bottom of this article. You get to hear that little 4-pot running, and it sounds like it is in good health.

Blakely Auto Works was sold in 1979, and in 1985 the new owners changed the name to Bernardi Auto Works. It was only a few short years later that the company folded, and with it went its production records. No-one knows how many kits the company sold or how many completed cars rolled out of their factory in Princeton, Wisconsin. We have seen a few of these little cars come across our desks here at Barn Finds, but we haven’t been flooded with them. I think that it would be fair to say that of all of the brands of kit cars that we have featured over the years, the rarest has been the Blakely Bernardi. However, rarity doesn’t necessarily equate to inflated values, meaning that it is a rare occurrence to see one of these sell for more than $9,000. The general price range falls between $7,500 and $8,500 for an excellent example, which means that I think that this one has probably reached the upper end of its bidding war. If a classy roadster is on your wish list, it still might be worth submitting a sneaky bid. You never know, but you might be lucky.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liE24hZOwk0&feature=emb_title