Identification required.

[David Herbert]

Any idea why the cab was moved back Richard ? Possibly for better cooling or accessability ? I wonder if the engine enclosure in the cab was different and if the gear lever was modified by bending it backwards.

David

[Lang]

Here are some comparisons between short and long bonnet.

The longer bonnet has 3 long side vents while the short has them in 4 groups.

Below right is a photo of a Bedford 0 long wheelbase tipper that sold in UK a month ago for 3,400 pounds

Note how they used the same cab on the long nose with the guard shape still in it for the short nose. International did the same thing with their K1 - K5 shorter bonnet cab being used by the longer K6 - K11 long nose and the shape sticks out just like the Bedford.

[David Herbert]

Lang,
Good comparison between the short and long bonnets. Also your photo of the red truck showing the GM Holden cab / long bonnet combination shows just how far they moved the cab from the front mudguards (compare with the first photo in this thread).

I think also that the front is rather more rounded on the short nose trucks and flatter on the long nose ones making the nose look even longer - was all this just styling ?

David

[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.

[Lang]

Here are some military versions of the short nose Bedford. I have searched all over but can find no photos of the later long nose in military service.

[Lang]

Here is a good look at a short nose bedford (with a long nose cab on the tray).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=jLTjs4kLXgg

And look how much more roomy and comfortable the long nose cab is.

[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

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by David Herbert

Any idea why the cab was moved back Richard ? Possibly for better cooling or accessability ? I wonder if the engine enclosure in the cab was different and if the gear lever was modified by bending it backwards.

David

David,
It was only the lighter weight Bedfords that had the longer bonnet (engine forward of cab), the K type which was about 1 ton payload and the M type which was about 2 ton payload. The cab would have been more forward on the O types in order to increase the body length I guess. The British Army used K types and RAF had M type cargo trucks and of course there was the early WW2 ML army ambulance with the same Mann Egerton body as the Austin K2.

I think the photo that Lang initially posted is a K type because the body looks to be narrower than a M type. A picture of the wheels would confirm.

regards Richard

[David Herbert]

Thank you Lang and Richard.
When I responded to Richard's second post I had wrongly read it as the long nose was an export feature, not a 'K' or 'M' feature which is what he wrote. I must have seen K or M Bedfords at shows in the UK but never looked properly, I always assumed that they were a completely different cab and front end, actually quite an ingenious adaptation giving vastly more room and access.

David