Review written on 8/1964.

The Sedan segment is not for everyone. But the Berliner may be the vehicle for you. Calboni sure hopes it is. So this week I took a trip down to Calboni's headquarters to test out the Berliner. Luckily we've also tested the Republique and the 772 this year. So we should be able to give you a verdict on how it stands in the Sedan community.


The first stop for the Calboni Berliner was the track. I won't lie. I was scared. This Sedan is built for performance. Calboni cut no corners when designing this vehicle for speed. The vomit stains on the carpet prove that the 122 hp @ 4348RPMs 4778 cc I3 engine roars this rocket to a top speed of 106 mph in an impressive 21.791s 0 to 60 mph. While the 118 lb-ft of torque you get is not insane it is more than enough to tow 22 lbs which was a decent amount for this class. I'm guilty wanting to steal this one for my self. On the track testing the Calboni Berliner did have some slight issues. Of course it was not designed to be a track car. But as a Sedan it should have better handling than it does. In most cases in the real world this shouldn't be any problem. But it is still sub-par at best.


After our series of track test, we look at the interior of the Calboni Berliner and what we find might shock you. This is one of the absolutely worst interior that we've ever seen. I have no idea what Calboni was thinking. Maybe they wanted to be cheap, but whatever they were thinking they need to rethink it. As it is now I can not recommend stepping foot inside the Berliner. It's that horrible.

The Calboni Berliner gives you a sense of home away from home. With 34 cu-ft of cargo and passenger space the Berliner feels like a second living room. Which was what Calboni was probably thinking when they made this vehicle. "Lets make a vehicle that people could live in." Well Calboni thank you, because after my wife threw me out, this is my new home. And let me tell you, it rocks!

The Berliner isn't exactly a well-made car. In fact, it's a poorly made car. It is unfortunate that Calboni did not invest a little more in build quality. Hopefully, future productions will improve the finished product.


Do expect major repairs over the life time of owning a Calboni Berliner. This is to be expected as it's not designed to be a life long vehicle.

The Calboni Berliner's fuel economy is impressive, but not in a good way. The Berliner's 17.1 mpg is one of the worst in class. This might not be troublesome when you look at the numbers, but it will be when you actually have to pay for it.

While being safe is important, Calboni did not believe it was a priority in the Berliner. The vehicle does provide enough safety features to be consider average for its class. It does not add anything more than that however.


The Calboni Berliner is one of those cars you would never buy new. In fact, it's the type of Sedan you try to avoid used. Only the down and out or the young will ever drive one of these. Preferably used.