Identification required.

[Davistine Liddle]

Originally Posted by Lang

I would say almost certainly for access. The original design is hopeless from a maintenance point of view (seems to be an art form for British vehicles).

The long nose was a vast improvement.

These where manufactured under General Motors.Even this truck is having a GM engine 216 or 235 ..

Restored truck

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Davistine Liddle

These where manufactured under General Motors.Even this truck is having a GM engine 216 or 235 ..

Restored truck

The Bedford in your photos appears to be heavily modified, the back wall of the cab has been extended rearwards. The original engine was known as a Bedford 28hp and it was a much improved version of the GM/Chevrolet 216 with full pressure lubrication to the big end bearings.

[Lang]

Davistine

I think you may be confused by the fact General Motors is an American company. As the largest vehicle company in the world for a period of 50 years they owned (and still own) many subsidiary companies in many countries eg Opel in Germany, Holden's in Australia and Vauxhall/Bedford in UK. Each of these subsidiary companies went through periods of being the largest car/truck company in their own country in their own right.

Each of those subsidiary companies was so large they had their own complete design and production operations almost totally unrelated to the American design and production operations.

Of course there were a lot of parts interchanged between these companies as there is today with all car companies using engines, gearboxes and complete platforms between seemingly direct competitors, not just their own sudsidiaries.

The Bedfords we are looking at here were designed and built by Vauxhall/Bedford UK and the main connection they had with GM USA was a large percentage of profit flowed back to the parent company.

Lang

[Davistine Liddle]

Thank you Lang

Though i know that General motors has many subsidiaries companies.But i never know bedford ever manufactured under GM brand.Its a very good info for me.Once again thank you lang

Regards

Davis

[David Herbert]

Davis,

Bedford did not manufacture GM branded vehicles. Bedford was a British company owned by GM but independently building and selling its own products. For export to Australia and associated markets they just exported the chassis and Holden added their own design and built cabs. This vastly reduced the shipping space required. I believe that the Indian and African markets were supplied directly from the UK so standard Bedford cabs were fitted as in the UK market but sometimes with left hand drive (presumably built for sale to a country that drives on the right).

David

[Lang]

Richard

You mentioned only lightweight Bedfords had long bonnet. This looks heavier than that to me.

Second photo is a short bonnet currently every day driver for sale in Australia $9,500 which seems optimistic

Lang

[hrpearce]

We had 3 three toners in long nose and a five toner in short nose, it also had a two speed diff.
I got my licence in a three toner by driving left around the block to save me having to use the turn arm on the door.

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Lang

Richard

You mentioned only lightweight Bedfords had long bonnet. This looks heavier than that to me.

Second photo is a short bonnet currently every day driver for sale in Australia $9,500 which seems optimistic

Lang

Hi Lang,
On your original photo I could not see the wheels and thought it was the K type 30cwt model but can now confirm it is a ML 2/3 ton model. The next size up was the O types which had the cab further forward.
Here is a photo of an ML with Holden cab belonging to Lismore council in NSW.

regards, Richard