50 years of Bedford advertising

Decades after the last truck to wear the Bedford name rolled off the production line not only do we still see them working on farms, and even on the streets adding some class to a modern world, but they still appear in ads on TV and in print. It seems companies that like to promote their product as 'natural' and 'farm-grown' lean towards a Bedford as the truck of choice. No argument here.

So, here we have an a trade ad from 1961 promoting the sense in buying Bedford and, as a small indication of the popularity and continuing appeal of the make, a current ad featuring a J1. Whether it's 1961 or 2011, you really do see them everywhere.

Sandown 2010 - when it rains, it pours Bedfords

The Historic Commercial Vehicle Club of Australia's annual display day, held at Sandown race course in Melbourne, was again threatened by rain this year but managed to shine on the day (Nov 28). A good selection of trucks attended, well over 200, and there were a number of Bedfords flying the flag. Unfortunately I didn't get photos of them all as we left by midday for the seven hour drive home. There's probably a good three of four at least that are not featured in the photos below.

I've tried to put them in age order - oldest to youngest - but am purely guessing in some places. Again, due to lack of time and my strategy for this year (concentrate on shooting the trucks moving), I do not have any detail shots of interiors for you to enjoy.

Some familiar faces below but hopefully some good new ones too.

Above: WL and K-type keeping each other company. Golly, I didn't even take photos of the placards for further information!

Below: OB in a reflective mood.

Above: the ACW Bedford convoy arrived with some fine examples of their earlier projects. The '68 or earlier TK is a regular attendee along with ACW's CDJ 'support vehicle' below.
Above and below: this KM was a distinct surprise when she arrived. I had not seen or heard of her before so I relished her GM as she idled past (drowning out the similarly-engined R190 that preceded her). Not the CF in the background. Unfortunately, I blew the photo out for this truck i.e. I stuffed it up. She was a tidy little thing with a good-sized tray and, making her a real truck, dual wheels.

Above: Southern Cross Recyclers operate a number of Bedfords and regularly have them serviced or rebuilt by ACW. Why wouldn't you operate good, solid trucks that don't cost an arm and a leg to simply pay interest on? Note the early W on her back. One of two at the show (although decidedly more complete than than the other one), yet another truck I can't for the life of me think why I didn't have a closer look.

"A good student but must try harder"! Gawd.

The Derelict Bedford - part one

With the large numbers of Bedfords built and sold, you'd expect to come across a variety of challenged examples in your travels. Some can be saved while others are too far gone and would even be doubtful as sources of parts. However, Bedfords are Bedfords no matter what their condition or how much or little they did in their working lives.

A well-restored Bedford is magnificent but a worn working example or even just a cab sitting in a paddock has just as much appeal. For those who appreciate old machinery, I know I'm preaching to the converted. Here's a few pics from Ian Storrie - working Bedford owner - who has a habit of turning up old trucks in the middle of nowhere. Hopefully they illustrate what I'm dribbling on about.

I hope to find out some more detail about each truck from Ian in the near future so for the time being I hope you enjoy the pics. A nice foil for the lovely shiny things in the preceding post too.

Still rolling after all of these years. While the A-frame attached to the front of this O-type is an indication she's more trailer than truck these days, it's good to see she's still useful.

I had forgotten about this O until I was going through Ian's old emails. I got rather excited as it's not every day you come across a complete truck with a van body such as this. A lot of preserved trucks these days are finished with trays because, let's face it, they're more useful that way. However of late I've noticed vans becoming a more popular restoration subject particularly in the UK where some new restorations have appeared wearing wonderful period livery. They are certainly refreshing when you are accustomed to trays - not that there's anything wrong with those of course.

A mate of mine has suggested we do our TK as an Arnott's truck. He even knows where there is a former Arnott's body that might be available. Of course me being the king of procrastinators...

Having said that, this O would be wonderful to park in the shed for one day in the future. Superb. I hope she is still with us.

A-types are rare the world over as they seem to have been cast aside when the TJ appeared - just like the majority of road-going (as opposed to the fire appliances etc) S and C-types when the TK was released. Always pleasing to see one.

What looks like a J1. This might have a fibreglass body as something similar - and in much better condition - was recently for sale on Ebay.

A 1968 or earlier (note the 'ridge' on the front panel) TK-style cab. Looks like she would still yield some decent bits.

Bedford Logo

Until I find a better one or take a photo myself, the TK-style logo at the top right of the page will do. I think I'd prefer some artwork so I'll throw the challenge open to whoever manages to find this blog! Can you comeup with a better logo image?

Welcome to Bedford Trucks Worldwide

I'm an old truck/lorry fan in Australia and already run another blog on the subject - Australasian Classic Commercials. Since I'm my own worst enemy I figured I didn't have enough on my plate already and decided to address the apparent lack of good Bedford truck information available on the net.

The plan here is to feature the range of Bedford trucks to be found in most corners of the world, talk to owners about their projects, share sources for parts and the various skills needed for operating vehicles that can be over 70 years old ... and basically spread the awareness of one of the most successful and prolific truck makes to turn a wheel.

We all know Bedfords tend to get some stick for being, well, Bedfords. However there are many still working and many continuing in their second (or third or fourth or...) lives on farms as paddock trucks, fire trucks etc ... and those of us who own them know they have character and their faults but...

I've cursed my Bedfords from time to time and I love any old truck from any country. For some reason, though, Bedfords just strike a chord with me. Leylands and Macks do the same but I'll stay small for the time being (having enjoyed the honour of owning a Mack in the past). Maybe it's the underdog status of the Bedford. Most tend to walk passed them and ogle over the Kenworth with all the chrome for example. It was the humble Bedford, though, that did everything from delivering the mail to transporting cars across the country.

If you own a Bedford or used to drive them for a living I'd love to hear from you. Photos of any Bedford are more than welcome. I'll even talk about b*ses and vans as Bedford was very strong in that area (don't know much about them though)! Let's increase the presence of these great vehicles on the worldwide web and make sure you can still see them everywhere!