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Bedford CF

The Bedford CF was a model of light commercial vehicle produced by Bedford Vehicles for almost twenty years from the late 1960s.

Contents

CF1

Introduced early during November 1969,[1] the CF van variants were some of the most popular light commercial vehicles on British roads.

The CF could be specified with a sliding door in the side panel directly behind the passenger door,[1] and it was generally with this layout that the van was also commonly used as a base vehicle for a caravanette.[2]

The engine was the well-proven Slant Four engine which was introduced for the Vauxhall FD Victor models in 1967. Apart from an increased engine capacity from the 1,598 cubic centimetres (97.5 cu in) and 1,759 cubic centimetres (107.3 cu in) units to the 1,975 cubic centimetres (120.5 cu in) and 2,259 cubic centimetres (137.9 cu in), the power unit has remained unchanged. A four cylinder Perkins diesel engine could be specified for an extra GB£130 (1969).[1]

In Australasian markets, the CF could be optioned with Holden six-cylinder units, in 2,850 cubic centimetres (173.9 cu in) and 3,310 cubic centimetres (202.0 cu in) forms. This was as an answer to the rival Ford Transit range, which in Australia used six-cylinder engines from the Ford Falcon range.

The Bedford used the same basic suspension lay-out as the Vauxhall Victor, though married to greater wheel arch clearances and calibrated for greater weight carrying capacity[3]. The front independent suspension featured a double wishbone layout with coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers, while the rear wheels were suspended by a combination involving a live axle and traditional long single-leaf springs.[1]

Several different manual transmissions were used, namely the Vauxhall three-speed, four-speed, Bedford four-speed, ZF four-speed, ZF five-speed, and the General Motors automatic. The Laycock type of overdrive was available to order or on the later Vauxhall four-speed models.[2]

There were three CF1 body styles. A standard panel van which was intended to rival the Ford Transit; the special van body (essentially a self-contained cab with a general-purpose chassis onto which a wide range of custom-built bodies or beds could be built), and the Dormobile (caravanette). The Automatic gearbox was a three speed. This made a very nippy SWB 2300cc Delivery Van.

CF2

The CF series 1 facelift was inroduced in 1980 and the CF2 was then introduced in 1984, with different engine and transmission options. The CF2 and facelift series 1 differed in looks slightly from the CF1, being squarer and having a plastic single piece grill. The Dormobile models had a unique body shape.

Commercial

The Bedford CF van was the second most popular van in the UK, second only to the Ford Transit. Along with the Transit, the CF was usefully wider than competitor vehicles from Austin-Morris, Rootes and Volkswagen.[4] It was also the most common caravanette. CFs were popular with customisers throughout the 70s and 80s.

Users

Like the modern-day Ford Transit, the Bedford CF was widely used. The British police, in particular, used them for prisoner transport and as riot vans. The British Military also had a very large fleet of CFs. They were very much favoured by builders and builders' merchants. Courier services and the Post Office used them. They were also a popular caravanette due to their space and reasonable fuel consumption. They were and still are very widely used as ice cream vans in Britain.[2]

A Bedford CF in use as an ice cream van in Brisbane, Australia

Technical specifications

Source[2]

model engine displacement designation wheelbase
14/18 cwt 1599cc / 1759cc 97100 106 in (2,692 mm)
22 cwt 1975cc / 2279cc 97300 106 in (2,692 mm)
25 cwt 1975cc / 2279cc 97500 126 in (3,200 mm)
35 cwt 1975cc / 2259cc 97700 126 in (3,200 mm)
35 cwt (code 350) 2279cc 97700 140 in (3,556 mm)

References

  1. ^ a b c d Charles Bulmer (Ed) (8 November 1969). "New Bedford Motor caravans [planned]". Motor (nbr 3516): page48.
  2. ^ a b c d Haynes Owners workshop manual Bedford CF van
  3. ^ "Taxi!:Autproject 3 [for the design of a Bedford based taxi)". Autocar 134 nbr 3923: 10•12. date 3 June 1971.
  4. ^ Maurice Smith (19 November 1977). "Can a van ... serve as a ...second car...?...."Sherpa, Hi-Ace, VW you ask? - These of course have their merits and their extra economy but they also have one or more shortcomings for our intended use. In particular there is a minimum width and internal capacity for transverse beds plus the main items of equipment we require, and these three vehicles fall short. We require a refrigerator and do not wish to cook or wash [dirty dishes] outside the van."". Autocar 147 (nbr 4228): pages 61•62.

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Categories: Bedford vehicles | Vans

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