A Janus-like look at Bedford
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ceedingly popular, would pass out of production," we stated.
"There is not an atom of truth in such stories. The Bedford is in a different class, having a Vauxhall overhead-valve engine with four-bearing crankshaft, a fullfloating rear axle and other features of distinction.
"Both Bedford and Chevrolet are British-built chassis throughout."
In fact, the two-tonner was produced in 10ft 11in and 13ft 1in wheelbase forms. The cost? For the former, Type WHS, £198; and the latter, WHL, £210.
So this was the year when Bedford's major influence on the world transport scene began — almost half the two million production has been exported.
In the days before the Bedford, Britain's commercial goodsmover — and, for that matter, people-mover — was basically the heavy, ponderous, primitive road-truck born in the solid-tyre era. When the Bedford name (taken from the county of manufacture, though coincidentally there had been a General Motors association with the name, through a Buick-based Bedford car, in the UK before) was brought to the transport scene by that first two-tonner in 1931, it introduced a new concept in lorries — economical in weight, car-like to drive, setting new standards of reliability.
In that very first year of 1931, the marque's reliability enabled Bedford dealer Atlas of Newport to run successfully a fully laden Bedford non-stop for three days and nights, fuelling on the move.
A CM road test reported 1 5.2 5mpg at an average 2 4.6 6mph with a two-ton payload.
Our road tester reported: "In brief, the main ideas that have urged the designers are simplicity and the employment of an engine of adequate capacity, economy being obtained, not by using a small engine — always a dangerous practice — but by a larger engine having high output at low speeds; in short an easygoing engine. Accessibility is another outstanding feature of this sound British chassis."
Bedford, too, has long been an important name in the psv world. In the last quarter of 1931, 52 per cent of the 14/20-seater coaches and buses registered in Britain were Bedfords.
But what, then, of Bedford in the future? Many ideas generated in engineering and design shops and studios never reach the market place but frequently influence the specification of future vehicles, said a spokesman.
But in recent years backroom ideas have started to be disclosed more to outside eyes. More and more this will be the shape of things to come.
"The wealth of expertise within General Motors," he said, "will continue to keep Bedford in the front line of transport in the future as Bedford's design and engineering experts work with other GM divisions in the co-ordinated activity of the GM Truck Project Center in the United States."