Sep
25
This first volume of a two-part history of Bedford provides an account of Bedford from the first imports of Chevrolets in 1923 and the purchase of Vauxhall in 1925, which in turn led to assembly of the Chevrolet commercial chassis at Hendon being transferred to Luton, with the first British-built Bedford lorries being produced in 1930, followed by the first Bedford PSVs in 1931. It finishes at 1950. There is a summary of the origin of General Motors and its Chevrolet subsidiary. How GMC became established in the UK, the failure to agree terms for Austin and then the expansion at Luton are a necessary introduction to the history of Bedford and its vehicles.
The biographical details of the major personalities involved show how fortunate Bedford were to have such talent available. In the reference to P. Stepney Acres, it is a pity the author felt constrained about mentioning how Austin under Leonard Lord’s initiative reentered the commercial vehicle market with their `Brummagem Bedford’.
The WT range, introduced in 1934, established Bedford’s reputation and many haulage companies and `own account’ operators gave the credit for their survival, despite the difficult trading conditions of the period, to their choice of Bedfords and their dependability. Operators ranged from one-man businesses to Pickford’s, who placed hundreds in service. They were particularly used by carriers for long-distance journeys, the 30 m.p.h. limit making them economic for such traffic. Any reader who has seen the excellent video Story of Shap may have noticed a London-based Rockman Brothers Bedford WTL van. These regularly made the return journey over Shap. A first impression was of a disproportionate number of photographs, about a third, of PSV models. After reading the text this proved unfounded; the Chevrolet and successive Bedford buses and coaches were a major factor in enabling smaller operators to compete with the larger independents who were able to invest in the products of the ‘quality’ chassis builders. The lower cost Bedford chassis also enabled smaller bodybuilders to compete.
The comprehensive account of Bedford’s outstanding contribution to war production is enhanced by illustrations, general arrangement drawings, particularly of the QL, and reproduction of an official booklet giving details and identification of twenty-seven military vehicles, and eighteen other types of vehicle. The story behind the production of the Churchill tank is particularly interesting. The section `Bedfords that did not make it’ is a tribute to the company’s technical ingenuity. The decision to stop further development of the BT tractor had a sequel. Three of them were sent to a Ruddington army surplus auction, to be purchased by a Sussex timber haulier. One was put to work straight away, proving a great success. Unfortunately it transpired that the BTs should not have been sold, as the Ministry wanted to continue to treat them as experimental vehicles. They were peremptorily taken back. Other surplus disposals were happier, not least the use of QL chassis by Southport corporation to provide a popular seafront bus service. This first volume concludes with post-war developments, including the OB PSV chassis. Among non-PSV uses of these was as mobile libraries.
The result of much research, this history of Bedford vehicles should satisfy Bedford enthusiasts and those interested in the commercial vehicle industry. Attractively produced, the largely original photographs are clearly reproduced, with informative captions. The only, small, error noted was the attribution of the post-war OLBD for a pre-war OLD/40.
Gordon Mustoe
