Bedford Buses and Coaches: Illustrated History Books & Guides

Bedford Buses and Coaches

Until production ceased in 1986, Bedford buses and coaches were a familiar sight on roads across the world. From the ubiquitous Bedford OB and the distinctive six-wheeled Bedford VAL right up to the final model, the air-suspended turbocharged Venturer, the advertising slogan 'You see them everywhere' was perfectly suited to the company.

Covering the period from 1960 until the end of production, this book gives an overview of the majority of models produced during this period including the VAM, VAL and Y types. Containing a brief description of each chassis type and 180 photographs, most in colour and all with informative captions, it showcases the products of the Dunstable factory in their operating heyday.

Product details

Author:	Howard Berry
Details:	96 pages, 9.25 x 6.5 in (23.5 x 16.5 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	180 b&w and color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Amberley Publishing (GB, 2020)
ISBN:	9781445675688

Bedford Buses and Coaches

Bedfords were once a familiar sight on the roads not only of the United Kingdom, but throughout the world. They were produced in such volume that the advertising slogan 'You see them everywhere' was quite legitimately adopted by Vauxhall Motors, the manufacturer of Bedford vehicles.
This book provides a detailed review of the entire range of purpose-built Public Service Vehicle (PSV) bus and coach chassis that carried the Bedford name from 1931 until production ceased in 1986.

Fully illustrated thoughout with hundreds of photographs, the majority in colour, the book includes:
- The origins of Bedford, and its history from 1931 to 1986
- Detailed descriptions of the Bedford petrol and diesel engines and other manufacturers' engines used in Bedford bus and coach chassis
- Detailed specifications and production histories are given for all the full-size passenger chassis including the WHB/WLB, WTB, OB/OWB, SB, VAS, VAL, VAM, Y-series and the Venturer
- Descriptions of bodies and details of coachbuilders that built on Bedford chassis
- A survey of Bedford goods chassis adapted for passenger carrying
- Road tests and owners' experiences
- Advice on buying and restoring a Bedford bus and coach.

Pages of the book "Bedford Buses and Coaches"

Product details

Author:	Nigel R. B. Furness
Details:	224 pages, 10.25 x 8.5 x 0.83 in (26 x 21.5 x 2.1 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	50 b&w and 200 color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	The Crowood Press Ltd (GB, 2016)
ISBN:	9781785002076

Bedford Buses of the 1930s & '40s (Nostalgia Road)

In 1931 Vauxhall Motors began to design a new range of British built commercials under the Bedford name. Soon a series of good, reliable and cheap vehicles were being produced and by the end of the 1940s Bedford coaches were the predominant PSVs in Britain.

This book tells the story of these Bedford buses.

Product details

Author:	Alan Earnshaw, Robert W. Berry
Details:	52 pages, 7.9 x 8.25 x 0.2 in (20 x 21 x 0.5 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	96 b&w and 9 color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Crecy Publishing (GB, 2000)
Series:	Nostalgia Road
ISBN:	9781903016220

Bedford Buses of the 1970's & 80's (Nostalgia Road)

The third book in a trilogy on Bedford buses and coaches concludes the firm's history from 1970 to its demise in 1986. Having reached a zenith in the 1950s and 60s, the two decades that followed saw a decline in the reliability of the marque and consequently its share of the market place.

Product details

Author:	Alan Earnshaw
Details:	52 pages, 7.9 x 8.25 x 0.24 in (20 x 21 x 0.6 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	many b&w and color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Crecy Publishing (GB, 2001)
Series:	Nostalgia Road
ISBN:	9781903016237

Bedford Commercials of the 1930s (Nostalgia Road)

Something of a 'one-off' in that this book is a faithful reproduction of a publication the company intended to launch in 1939. The outbreak of war meant that 'You See Them Everywhere' never went to press and production was switched from commercial to military vehicles at Vauxhall Motors and its Bedford subsidiary, an omission that was put right 65 years later.

Product details

Author:	Robert W. Berry
Details:	52 pages, 8.1 x 8.25 x 0.2 in (20.5 x 21 x 0.5 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	116 b&w and 3 color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Crecy Publishing (GB, 2005)
Series:	Nostalgia Road
ISBN:	9781903016367

Chevrolet & British-built Chevrolet Buses (Nostalgia Road)

Prior to the start of the Bedford story in the early 1930s another, even more recognisable name pre-dated the Vauxhall Bedford brand. This was the famous American name of Chevrolet, which was an early supplier of trucks and buses to the British Isles. How the Chevrolet brand developed in Britain, and eventually progressed to become known as Bedford, is not widely appreciated, even though many of the early buses built at Luton were of an American design.

This book tells the story of the British Chevrolet buses.

Product details

Author:	David Hayward
Details:	52 pages, 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.2 in (20 x 20 x 0.5 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	116 b&w and 3 color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Crecy Publishing (GB, 2006)
Series:	Nostalgia Road
ISBN:	9781903016657

The Bedford VAL (Nostalgia Road)

One of the most iconic British motor coach chassis of all time was Bedfords VAL, which was introduced at the 1962 Commercial Motor Show. This was the first time that Bedford had ventured in to the large-capacity coach market, but it did it with style and a novel engineering approach. Employing a vertically-mounted Leyland engine, a low-height chassis, 16" wheels and a twin-steer front axle, it became the coach of the era. Its modest chassis price also enabled many smaller operators enter into the tour and excursion market.

This book tells the whole story of this Bedford bus.

Product details

Author:	Robert W. Berry, Alan Earnshaw
Details:	52 pages, 7.9 x 8.25 x 0.16 in (20 x 21 x 0.4 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	85 b&w and 11 color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Crecy Publishing (GB, 2007)
Series:	Nostalgia Road
ISBN:	9781903016732