Bedford

Commercial

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

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 Arange 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 Bedofrds was produced - the 7ton S-type
1960 The TK range was launched
1968 The KM range up to 24ton gvw were produced
1972 Up to 32ton 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

Bedford production began in 1931, by 1939 Bedford claimed that 70% of buses and coaches with less than 26 seats in Britain were Bedford's.
The first models were goods vehicles.
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 72bhp against the former 64bhp 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.

Ian Allan - British Buses Since 1900 - Aldridge and Morris

British Lorries 1900-1992 by S. W. Stevens-Stratten. Pub. Ian Allen Publishing