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BEDFORD LIGHT COMMERCIALS 45/74

Bedford's commercial vehicles, a range of small coaches and service buses, were initially introduced in 1931. Developed by Vauxhall Motors, Bedford's origins were born from Chevrolet models of American design built in the United Kingdom and the Bedford Commercials were known as all-purpose vehicles.

Bedfords have been manufactured as trucks and buses and the military adapted the Beford as a standard 4-ton all purpose truck.

During the grim days of recession, Vauxhall Motors - which had been purchased by General Motors in 1925 - concentrated on imports to the UK of GM-built American vehicles. Public indignation soon arose over the fact that Vauxhall was importing cars from the United States while ignoring the millions of unemployed workers in the UK.

Political pressures within the UK forced Vauxhall to address this problem. Their answer was the Bedford which was a true British-designed and built commercial vehicle.

1937 BEDFORD UTILITY

Entry number 35 Driver Allen Murrell

This Ute is owned by Allen Murrell who restored it from the ground up, taking some two and a half years to complete. At the Holden 50th Anniversary Rally (Brisbane 98) it won the 'Best ute in Australia' and then backed up the win with a 'Runner up' at the National Vauxhall rally on the gold coast.

Club: All British Classic Car Club

After the war, production of Bedfords for non-military use resumed full force. From the beginning, Bedford vehicles established a reputation as well-constructed, reliable and economical to run. In fact, Bedfords were among the most popular haulage vehicles for companies and owner-operators.

Eventually, a slowing economy in the 1980s and foreign imports took a severe toll on sales of the Bedford Commercials and General Motors decided to shut down operations. The company's facility at Dunstable was sold to AWD, who managed to marginally compete - mainly through exports. Eventually, with sales slowing down and no major contracts, AWD was forced to close in mid-decade.

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