The
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 ...
S is a heavy lorry produced in Great Britain between 1950 and 1959.
Description
The S was launched at the Commercial Vehicle Show in 1950.
Known as the "Big Bedford", it was the largest Bedford lorry available at the time, with a gross vehicle weight of .
Propulsion
At introduction, the lorry was fitted with a 6-cylinder Bedford petrol engine that produced at 3200 rpm.
Drive was through a four-speed
manual gearbox featuring synchromesh on the top three gears, and final drive in the rear axle was by
hypoid gears. The
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 ...
R6 diesel engine was made an option in 1953, soon joined by the
Leyland O.350, and Bedford's own diesel in 1957.
Use
The Bedford S was used extensively by haulers and general trades through the 1950s and 1960s. The chassis was used for
fire engine
A fire engine (also known in some places as a fire truck or fire lorry) is a road vehicle (usually a truck) that functions as a firefighting apparatus. The primary purposes of a fire engine include transporting firefighters and water to an i ...
s and to carry the first liquid egg
tanker.
See also
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Bedford RL
The Bedford RL was the British military's main medium lorry, built by Bedford from the mid-1950s until the late 1960s. The lorry was based on the civilian Bedford S type, first introduced in 1950. They superseded the Bedford QL, and were in tu ...
*
Bedford SB
The Bedford SB was a front-engined bus chassis manufactured by Bedford in England. It was launched at the 1950 Commercial Motor Show as the replacement for the Bedford OB.
It was the first Bedford vehicle to have a "forward control" design, wit ...
*
Green Goddess
References
S type
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