Now, you may have heard people say, “two cars, one price.” But have you ever heard, “two cars, one price, one garage space?” That’s what the seller of these two Berkeley roadsters is offering. The cars, a 1958 SE328 and a 1959 SE429, are located in Ventura, California. Both have titles, and the pair is listed here on Craigslist for $8,500.

Designed by aircraft engineer Lawrie Bond, whose later automotive work would include the Bond Minicar, and put into production by Berkeley Coachworks, whose main business was the manufacture of fiberglass caravans, the Berkeley roadsters were aimed to be affordable sports cars that were ready to race straight from the factory. Only produced for a little over four years, from October of 1956 to December of 1960, the cars were very competitive in their class. With modest power delivered by any one of several British motorcycle engines, performance came down to two main factors: front-wheel drive Berkeleys were unbelievably tiny and incredibly light. No model ever had a wheelbase longer than 78 inches, and the heaviest weighed in at under 900 pounds.

The cars we see here are two different models: a 1958 SE328 and a 1959 SE492. The better-preserved SE328 would have left the factory with a 328cc two-cylinder Excelsior engine– which appears to be in place– making 18 bhp. While the advertising claimed 60 mpg and 70 mph, though tests by journalists noted that the car fell considerably short of the mark on both counts. The actual top speed was likely closer to 60 mph, and while the two-stroke engine wasn’t thirsty, average miles-per-gallon was nearer to 45 miles to the US gallon. The SE492, on the other hand, would have come with a much larger three-cylinder Excelsior engine, putting out 30 horses at the front wheels. This improved performance considerably: sources differ as to whether a top speed of 80 or 90 mph was now possible, but in either case, we’re now talking highway speeds.

Sadly, the engine is missing from the younger car. While under ordinary circumstances, this and the overall state of the SE492 would relegate it to parts-car status, the differing body and missing components raises the question of how many parts are interchangeable and, of these, how many are left. An ambitious buyer might decide to take this one in another direction; many of these were raced, and raced hard, which means that they were often upgraded and altered through the years. Equipped with a period engine, this car might make an very cool vintage racer. Alternately, the resto-mod possibilities are limited only by your imagination and space constraints. To complement the larger project, the fuel-sipping SE328 would be an interesting option for around-town cruising– especially given the price of gas at the moment. Which just goes to show you, these quirky little roadsters might still offer a lot of fun on a limited budget, over sixty years after they first rolled off the factory floor.