The Bedford CF was a range of
full-size
Full-size car—also known as large car—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than mid-size cars, it is the largest size class for cars. In Europe, it is known as E-segment or F-segment.
Af ...
panel van
A panel van, also known as a blind van, car-derived van (United Kingdom) or sedan delivery (United States), is a small cargo vehicle with a passenger car chassis, typically with a single front bench seat and no side windows behind the B-pillar. ...
s produced by
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
. The van was introduced in 1969 to replace the
CA model, and was sized to compete directly with the
Ford Transit
The Ford Transit is a family of light commercial vehicles manufactured by the Ford Motor Company since 1965, primarily as a cargo van, but also available in other configurations including a large passenger van (marketed as the Ford Tourneo in ...
, which had entered production four years earlier. Its design was similar to its American counterpart, the
Chevrolet Van (1971–1995).
Bedford was a
General Motors
The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...
subsidiary, and in some markets outside the United Kingdom and Ireland the CF was sold through
Opel
Opel Automobile GmbH (), usually shortened to Opel, is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Grou ...
dealers as the Opel Bedford Blitz from 1973 on when the original
Opel Blitz
Opel Blitz (''Blitz'' being German for "lightning") was the name given to various light and middle-weight trucks built by the German Opel automobile manufacturer between 1930 and 1975. The original logo for this truck, two stripes arranged loose ...
was phased out. In other markets such as in Norway the CF retained its original name.
The CF was notable for being the last solely
Vauxhall
Vauxhall ( ) is a district in South West London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. Vauxhall was part of Surrey until 1889 when the County of London was created. Named after a medieval manor, "Fox Hall", it became well known for ...
-engineered vehicle when it was discontinued in 1987 (the last Vauxhall passenger car had been the
HC Viva which had ceased production in 1979); since all Vauxhall models by that point had switched to being based on Opel platforms. The Bedford brand continued on certain
badge engineered
In the automotive industry, rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a manu ...
light van designs from
Isuzu and
Suzuki
is a Japan, Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Minami-ku, Hamamatsu, Japan. Suzuki manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, All-terrain vehicle, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard motor, outboard marine engines, wheelchairs ...
, before being retired in 1991.
CF
Introduced in November 1969
to replace the 17-year-old
Bedford CA
The Bedford CA was a distinctive pug-nosed light commercial vehicle produced between 1952 and 1969 by Bedford in Luton, England.
It was manufactured in short-wheelbase and long-wheelbase forms, each form available in either a 10–12 ...
, the CF
van
A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some varying in the scope of the word across th ...
variants soon became 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,
[ and it was generally with this layout that the van was also commonly used as a base vehicle for a caravanette.]
The engine was the well-proven Slant Four engine which had been introduced for the Vauxhall FD Victor models in 1967. Apart from an increased engine capacity from to and from to in 1972, the power units remained unchanged. A four-cylinder Perkins
Perkins is a surname derived from the Anglo-Saxon corruption of the kin of Pierre (from Pierre kin to Pierrekin to Perkins), introduced into England by the Norman Conquest. It is found throughout mid- and southern England.
Another derivation com ...
diesel engine
The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-call ...
could be specified for an extra £130 (1969),[ while a larger version was used for heavier versions. These units were rated at DIN. In 1976, a ]overhead valve
An overhead valve (OHV) engine, sometimes called a ''pushrod engine'', is a piston engine whose valves are located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier flathead engines, where the valves were located be ...
(OHV) diesel engine from Opel
Opel Automobile GmbH (), usually shortened to Opel, is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Grou ...
replaced the outdated Perkins units.
In Australasia
Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologica ...
n markets, the CF could be optioned with Holden six-cylinder units, in and forms. This was as an answer to the rival Ford Transit range, which in Australia used six-cylinder engines from the Ford Falcon
Ford Falcon is an automobile nameplate applied to several vehicles worldwide.
* Ford Falcon (North America), an automobile produced by Ford from 1960 to 1970.
* Ford Falcon (Argentina), a car built by Ford Argentina from 1962 until 1991.
* Fo ...
.
The Bedford used the same basic suspension lay-out as the Vauxhall Victor
The Vauxhall Victor is a large family car produced by Vauxhall from 1957 until 1976. The Victor was introduced to replace the outgoing Wyvern model. It was renamed Vauxhall VX Series in 1976 and continued in production until 1978, by which time ...
, though married to greater wheel arch clearances and calibrated for greater weight carrying capacity. 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
A beam axle, rigid axle or solid axle is a dependent suspension design in which a set of wheels is connected laterally by a single beam or shaft. Beam axles were once commonly used at the rear wheels of a vehicle, but historically they have als ...
and traditional long single-leaf springs.[
Several different ]manual transmission
A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission (mechanics), transmission ...
s were used: the Vauxhall three-speed, four-speed, Bedford four-speed, ZF four-speed, ZF five-speed, and the General Motors
The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...
automatic. The Laycock type of overdrive
Overdrive may refer to:
Organizations
* OverDrive, Inc., a digital distributor of entertainment media
** OverDrive Media Console, a media player developed by OverDrive, Inc.
* Overdrive PC, a subsidiary of Velocity Micro
Technology
* Overdrive ...
was available to order or on the later Vauxhall four-speed models.
There were three CF1 body styles. A standard panel van which was intended to rival the Ford Transit
The Ford Transit is a family of light commercial vehicles manufactured by the Ford Motor Company since 1965, primarily as a cargo van, but also available in other configurations including a large passenger van (marketed as the Ford Tourneo in ...
; 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
Dormobile is a 1950s-era onwards campervan (motorcaravan, motorhome) conversion manufactured by the coachbuilder Martin Walter of Folkestone in Kent.
Initially based on the Bedford CA van, the name is associated more with those and subsequent ...
(caravanette).
CF1
The CF series 1 facelift was introduced in 1980, introducing the Opel
Opel Automobile GmbH (), usually shortened to Opel, is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Grou ...
23D diesel engine with .
Units exported to Germany (Bedford Blitz) received a smaller, diesel, producing . This engine was also installed in many other export markets where tax categories suited engines with less than two litres of displacement, such as the Benelux countries
The Benelux Union ( nl, Benelux Unie; french: Union Benelux; lb, Benelux-Unioun), also known as simply Benelux, is a politico-economic union and formal international intergovernmental cooperation of three neighboring states in western Europe: B ...
and Finland. The 1.8 and 2.3 litre petrol units remained the same.
The restyled front end was engineered so that by removing 8 bolts the whole front panel could be completely removed, providing easy access to the engine so it could be removed from the front instead of from underneath like on the CF1.
The CF1 "facelift" is often confused with being a CF2 because it's difficult to tell them apart from the exterior.
The easiest visual check is that the CF facelift will have the same old metallic door handles and mirrors as the CF1 while on the CF2 have new plastic ones.
CF2
In 1984 the CF was renamed CF2 and basically only received mechanical upgrades. The diesel engines remained the 2.3 (with the 2.0 available in continental Europe) but the old Vauxhall slant fours were replaced by a , version of the Opel CIH four cylinder.
New transmissions were also available:
* 4-speed GM all-synchromesh gearbox on short-wheelbase models;
* ZF 5-speed overdrive all-synchromesh gearbox standard on all long-wheelbase models and optional on others;
* GM automatic transmission optional on most models;
* Choice of axle ratios on nearly all models.
And new efficient brakes:
* Front disc brakes with self-adjusting rear drums on CF2/230 to CF2/280;
* Self-adjusting drums all around on CF2/350 models;
* Load-sensing valve standard on all models.
In 1985 the CF2 was sold side by side in UK with the Bedford Midi
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst t ...
- a smaller, badge engineered
In the automotive industry, rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a manu ...
version of the Isuzu Fargo
The Isuzu Fargo is a light commercial van manufactured between 1980 and 2001 by Japanese automaker Isuzu in Japan. The Fargo spanned two generations, the first of which was sold between 1980 and 1995 as both van and pickup body styles, with ...
which was locally built at the newly established IBC Vehicles
IBC Vehicles Limited is an English automotive manufacturing company based in Luton, Bedfordshire and since 2021 a wholly owned subsidiary of the multinational corporation Stellantis. Its principal operation is an assembly plant located in Lut ...
venture with Isuzu.
By then the CF's replacement was put on hold and then ultimately dropped when Bedford decided that rebadging other GM owned brands was much cheaper. The last CF2s were sold in the UK in 1987 and marked the end of original Bedford designed vehicles.
CF Electric
One noteworthy variant, the CF Electric was introduced in 1982. It was the first mass-produced electrically powered vehicle based on a fossil fuel vehicle platform. It was built in partnership between Bedford, Lucas
Lucas or LUCAS may refer to:
People
* Lucas (surname)
* Lucas (given name)
Arts and entertainment
* Luca Family Singers, also known as "lucas ligner en torsk"
* ''Lucas'' (album) (2007), an album by Skeletons and the Kings of All Cities
* ''L ...
, Chloride Group
Chloride Group, a business of Vertiv, is the UK's largest supplier of secure power systems to hospitals and other public buildings and facilities. Formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of FTSE 250 index, the company has ...
and the UK government
ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd
, image = HM Government logo.svg
, image_size = 220px
, image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg
, image_size2 = 180px
, caption = Royal Arms
, date_es ...
on a 5-year grant scheme. The batteries were housed in a compartment below the floor and the traction came from a motor placed at the rear with a step down reduction gearbox coupled to the CF's standard differential, but turned through 180'.
The motor control system was housed under the bonnet and a small diesel heater provided cabin heating. The system also featured regenerative braking, however this could be turned off as it was found that in wet conditions the motor could lock the rear wheels up in a similar way as applying the handbrake. Most were sold to government agencies, the Royal Mail
, kw, Postya Riel, ga, An Post Ríoga
, logo = Royal Mail.svg
, logo_size = 250px
, type = Public limited company
, traded_as =
, foundation =
, founder = Henry VIII
, location = London, England, UK
, key_people = * Keith Williams ...
and local authorities. However, with a price tag much higher than a standard CF, and battery technology at the time not advancing the government scheme wound down in 1987, and the model was withdrawn and spares for it soon dried up.
A heavily modified version of the CF Electric was also exported in left-hand drive form into the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
where it was rebadged and sold as the GMC Griffon. It had a payload of around 1,000 kg and a GVW of 3401 kg, being much heavier than the original British van, sitting at a curb weight of around 2,494 kg which was made so it could be slotted with the full-size Chevrolet Van and GMC Vandura
GMC may refer to:
Government India
* Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation, in Gujarat
* Gobichettipalayam Municipal Corporation, in Tamil Nadu
* Guntur Municipal Corporation, in Andhra Pradesh
* Guwahati Municipal Corporation, in Assam
* Gwalior ...
lines, although it was slightly shorter in length compared to its American counterparts. Over 30 of these vans were exported but the program was presumably cut alongside its British variant in 1987 due to the van being withdrawn from the market. This version was notable for being the first electric van sold by GM in the US, a position they would not come back in until VIA Motors
VIA Motors is an American electric vehicle development and manufacturing company founded in 2010. VIA Motors started out converting GM vehicles into plug-in hybrids (PHEV), but now produces fully electric commercial vehicles for fleet managers. ...
started converting Chevrolet Express
Chevrolet ( ), colloquially referred to as Chevy and formally the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors Company, is an American automobile division of the American manufacturer General Motors (GM). Louis Chevrolet (1878–1941) and oust ...
vans into electric vehicles as the VTRUX Van.
Commercial
The Bedford CF van was the second most popular van in the UK, second only to the Ford Transit
The Ford Transit is a family of light commercial vehicles manufactured by the Ford Motor Company since 1965, primarily as a cargo van, but also available in other configurations including a large passenger van (marketed as the Ford Tourneo in ...
. Along with the Transit, the CF was usefully wider than competitor vehicles from Austin-Morris, Rootes and Volkswagen
Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German Automotive industry, motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a ...
. It was also the most common caravanette. CFs were popular with customisers throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
Users
The Bedford CF was widely used. British police forces, in particular, used them for prisoner transport and as riot vans. They were also used by the Garda Síochána
(; meaning "the Guardian(s) of the Peace"), more commonly referred to as the Gardaí (; "Guardians") or "the Guards", is the national police service of Ireland. The service is headed by the Garda Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Gover ...
(Republic of Ireland police). Some ambulance services kept them in service for longer than usual after production ended as they were liked by crews. The British Military
The British Armed Forces, also known as His Majesty's Armed Forces, are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, su ...
also had a fleet of CFs. They were used by builders and builders' merchants, as well as by courier services and the Post Office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...
. They were also a popular caravanette due to their space and reasonable fuel consumption. They were used as ice cream van
An ice cream van (British) or ice cream truck (North American) is a commercial vehicle that serves as a mobile retail outlet for ice cream, usually during the spring and summer. Ice cream vans are often seen parked at public events, or near ...
s in Britain and Australia.
A heavily modified CF was used as the Mystery Machine in '' Scooby-Doo: The Movie'' 2002.
File:ConeQueenTruck-Rainbow.JPG, A Bedford CF in use as an ice cream van
An ice cream van (British) or ice cream truck (North American) is a commercial vehicle that serves as a mobile retail outlet for ice cream, usually during the spring and summer. Ice cream vans are often seen parked at public events, or near ...
in Brisbane, Australia
File:ConeQueenOperator.JPG,
Discontinuation
Initially, Bedford wanted to enter a joint venture with Leyland Motors
Leyland Motors Limited (later known as the Leyland Motor Corporation) was a British vehicle manufacturer of lorries, buses and trolleybuses. The company diversified into car manufacturing with its acquisitions of Triumph and Rover in 1960 and 1 ...
to produce a replacement for the Bedford CF but these plans never caught on, since the British government did not want one of their major truck manufacturers to be controlled by a foreign company. Following economic problems and declining sales by Bedford, it was decided to divest the once legendary company with the Luton
Luton () is a town and unitary authority with borough status, in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 census, the Luton built-up area subdivision had a population of 211,228 and its built-up area, including the adjacent towns of Dunstable an ...
plant being re-organized as a joint venture
A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acces ...
with Isuzu and renamed to IBC Vehicles
IBC Vehicles Limited is an English automotive manufacturing company based in Luton, Bedfordshire and since 2021 a wholly owned subsidiary of the multinational corporation Stellantis. Its principal operation is an assembly plant located in Lut ...
while the Dunstable plant was sold to AWD Trucks
AWD Trucks was a British truck manufacturer that produced Bedford trucks from 1987 to 1992, until it was merged with Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group. The last truck of the company was discontinued in 1998, and so the Bedford name became e ...
. In 1986, the Isuzu Fargo
The Isuzu Fargo is a light commercial van manufactured between 1980 and 2001 by Japanese automaker Isuzu in Japan. The Fargo spanned two generations, the first of which was sold between 1980 and 1995 as both van and pickup body styles, with ...
started getting produced by IBC as the Bedford Midi
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst t ...
with local modifications for the European market. GM Europe
General Motors Europe (often abbreviated to GM Europe) was the European subsidiary of the American automaker General Motors ("GM"). The subsidiary was established by GM in 1986 and operated 14 production and assembly facilities in 9 countries, a ...
would not return in the large panel van market until 1997 and 1998 when production of the Renault
Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufactured ...
-based Opel/Vauxhall Arena and Movano started, both of which serve as the true successors to the CF range. Vauxhall continued producing the taillights for the CF until 2000 (by which time the Arena and Movano came out) in order to supply them to Bristol Cars
Bristol Cars were manufacturers of hand-built luxury cars headquartered in Bristol, England. After being placed in receivership and being taken over in 2011, it entered liquidation in February 2020.
After the Second World War, the car division ...
for use in the Bristol Britannia
The Bristol Type 175 Britannia is a retired British medium-to-long-range airliner built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1952 to fly across the Commonwealth. During development two prototypes were lost and the turboprop engines proved sus ...
.
Technical specifications
1969
1972
107.4 cu. in. (1759 cc) and 139 cu. in. (2279 cc) Vauxhall low compression OHC engines introduced from chassis number 2V610007.
1973
1978
From chassis number HY600001
1979
1982[Vauxhall Motors TS1136/6 August 1982, TS1282/1 September 1983]
Facelift models introduced (preceded by Facelift dash and wiring introduced 1981)
1984
CF2 models introduced.
Opel 1979 cc CIH petrol engine replaced Vauxhall 1759 cc and 2239 cc OHC petrol engine.
References
External links
Bedford CF Org
Furthering interest in the preservation, history and active use of the Bedford CF
UK Bedford CF Van Club
UK technical/enthusiasts/members website.
CF-UK: The Bedford CF Web Site
- CF enthusiasts' forum and website
; Video clips
1972 Bedford CF1
1975 Bedford CF1
; Images
CF1 Flat bed
CF2 Dormobile
CF2 Special body Caravanette.
Late CF2 camper
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bedford Cf
CF
Rear-wheel-drive vehicles
Vans
Vehicles introduced in 1969
Minibuses
Road vehicles manufactured in the United Kingdom