Bedford

Bedford were a manufacturer of Lorries and Trucks and Buses from 1931 to 1992

Lorries

• 1902 The Vauxhall Iron Works produced marine engines and also petrol-engined cars
• 1931 Chevrolet trucks designed in the USA were produced by Vauxhall under the Bedford name
• 1939 A range from 12cwt to 5ton were available
• WW2 Production for the war department totalled 250,000 trucks with the 15cwt being the most numerous
• 1947 Civilian product was resumed
• 1950 The first of the Big Bedfords was produced - the 7ton S-type
• 1960 The TK range was launched
• 1968 The KM range up to 24 ton gvw were produced
• 1972 Up to 32 ton gvw produced
• 1976 The TJ bonnetted range introduced
• 1983 Control passed to General Motors' Worldwide Truck and Bus Group
• 1986 Decision made to stop heavy vehicle production
• 1987 Sold to AWD Ltd who acquired the Dunstable plant but they went to the receivers in 1992

Buses

• Production began in 1931, by 1939 they claimed that 70% of buses and coaches with less than 26 seats in Britain were made by them.
• In August 1931 the WHB 14-seater was produced and the WLB 20-seater.
• The WHB was dropped in 1933.
• In 1933 at The Motor Show a new 3-ton truck model was revealed, designed by Stepney Acres.
• In 1936 the WTL was replaced by the WTB a more purpose-built chassis with a longer wheelbase and six more seats.
• Duple had a long and successful partnership with Bedford.
• In the summer of 1938 an improved engine of 72 bhp against the former 64 bhp was introduced.
• The OWB was the most successful chassis built with 3,398 produced.
• Followed by the WTB with 2,320 produced, the WLB 1,895 produced, and the WHB where only 102 were produced.
• In 1935 Duple and others were offering coach bodies on the new WT truck chassis, introduced some time before WTB models.
• 1939 the petrol-engined OB was introduced this was a larger version of the WTB.
• 1942 the war stopped production but it resumed as the Utility version the OWB.
• 3,000 of these models were built by the end of 1945.
• Up to 1950 Yeates and Burlington converted chassis to forward-control.
• 1962 Bedford returned to the 29-seater concept though now the vehicle was in forward-control form.
• It was available in either petrol or diesel engine and stayed in their catalogue until the end of production.
• 1963 Bedford developed it's first vehicle that was suitable for 36ft coaches, named the Val, it featured power steering for which at the time was impressive.
• 1970 a new range was introduced the YRQ.
• 1978 at the Motor Show Bedford exhibited a small bus called the JJL, the engine was a vetical 330 mounted at the rear, however this vehicle never reached production.
• 1982 Bedford introduced turbocharging across their range, this increased power outputs and reduced emissions.
• 1986 the production of buses and coaches ceased.

Sources of Information

• British Lorries 1900-1992 by S. W. Stevens-Stratten. Pub. Ian Allen Publishing
• Ian Allan - British Buses Since 1900 - Aldridge and Morris