Burlington Berretta

Having built a Burlington Berretta I can say with authority that it was a worthwhile project, the car was designed by Hayden Davis under the banner of the Burlington Motor company, the cars were only ever supplied as a set of drawings and partial kit from Hayden. The original design called for a Triumph Herald as the donor car but many cars were also built from Spitfires and GT6's as well. Engines range from the herald's 1200 to the Spitfire GT6 2000 straight six as well as some TR3/4/5s being used. Performance is not the best if using the herald engine unless its a vitesse but overall it's good fun to drive.

The car is styled on a 1930's Triumph roadster but the finished product varies according to the builders abilities and design skills which make every car different. Not the most comfortable of cars to drive and not the safest due to the plywood body and small box frame, but then again its a summer jaunt car for taking to shows and Sunday driving along quiet country lanes rather than an every day car.

Very cheap to build as old heralds and spitfires are still available relatively cheaply and the overall cost to build is relatively cheap compared with a finished value of up to £7000 not uncommon for a well built example.

I rather think the other review's have missed the point of building/owning a Burlington, they are not kit cars or built in the 1930's. But built from the 1980's onward from a set of plans that can be modified to your own taste or ablity by people that have a genuine interest in building something from scratch and in a way that they want to do it and not that of anyone else! what better way of re-cycling the parts from an old Triumph Vitesse! Mine was build somebody else but none the less I enjoy working on it and am in the process of making it mine! Their is something about building/creating something that even if it turns out to be of no use to man or beast but its yours! and if others dont like it then tough! but as it happens its turned out to be something different not the run of the mill, It's not the fastest thing on four wheels but it makes people look and where ever I park it their is always someone wanting to talk about it.

i have owned one of these Burlington Berrettas and thought it was the biggest waste of money i have ever made

This is not a 1930's kit car. It was designed by a man who lived until recently in Hawksbury Upton about 4 miles from where I live. It was designed for a modified Triumph Herald chassis and running gear.

The Berretta was built in the 1930's, which at the time I suppose would make it very classy, sporty and worthwhile. But for me actually thinking about it, combining both these aspects of the car it leaves me puzzled. I cant work out the need/purpose of the car. I personally think it's ugly, yet it has beautiful attributes.Obviously this review is very confusing and thats because I am, and I know people will argue Well why review it then, but this is the reason I am reviewing it. A car should not leave you puzzled, it should not leave you thinking its going to be slow, sound horrible and look ugly. Even though for the time ther Berreta was a very nice cool kit car.Therefore I conclude that I can not approve this car because I dont agree with it...