160:. The short overhang at the front meant that the passenger entrance needed to be placed behind the front axle, as with the SB model. The short rear overhang was less of a problem, and the body builders usually added extension pieces to the rear of the main chassis frame, below which a luggage boot was usually fitted, bringing the overall length to around 23 feet 9 inches (7.24 m). Within this length, up to 29 seats could be accommodated: two alongside the driver, above the nearside front wheel; two behind the driver, opposite the entrance; five rows of four arranged as pairs either side of the central gangway; and a bench seat for five at the back.
17:
70:
inches (930 mm), a wheelbase of 164 inches (4.2 m) and a nominal rear overhang of 37 inches (940 mm). The engine and transmission were mounted above the front axle, with shaft drive to the rear axle. 16-inch (410 mm) road wheels were fitted. The driver's position was alongside the engine, the
77:
A choice of two engines was offered, giving rise to numeric suffixes to the model code: the VAS1 used a 300 cu in (4.9 L) diesel engine, and the VAS2 used a 214 cu in (3.51 L) petrol engine. Both had a four-speed synchromesh gearbox, but the ratios differed. In 1967, the
69:
The basic layout was similar to the SB model, but the wheelbase was shorter. The chassis frame had two longitudinal main members arched over the front axle; at the rear they were tapered upwards to clear the rear axle. The axles were mounted close to the ends, to give a nominal front overhang of 36.5
60:
replaced the OB in 1950, and was longer with a greater seating capacity - typically 33 to 41. However, some operators still felt a need for a smaller vehicle. Consequently, Bedford introduced a new model in 1963, the VAS, which provided an overall length of up to around 23 feet 9 inches
81:
A new system of model codes was introduced by
General Motors in 1968. Under this, the first letter (in this case, P) denoted the basic model range; the second letter denoted the engine type; and the third letter the gross weight range for a complete vehicle, which for a VAS was K, denoting
78:
VAS1 was replaced by the VAS5, which used a 330 cu in (5.4 L) diesel engine. A 300 cu in (4.9 L) petrol engine was offered from about 1972, and this was model VAS3.
32:
from 1963 until 1987. It was sold as a bare chassis including engine, transmission and driving controls, and was intended to be fitted with a bus or coach body from another manufacturer.
339:
44:
suitable for single-deck buses and coaches since 1931, with models such as the WHB, WLB and WTB produced until 1939, to be succeeded by the
583:
308:
289:
16:
332:
325:
56:, and provided up to 32 seats in an overall length of around 24 feet 6 inches (7.47 m). The
578:
82:
5,700–7,000 kg (5.6–6.9 long tons). Model codes for the VAS (now the P series) were as follows:
153:
53:
424:
377:
304:
285:
516:
440:
348:
29:
358:
71:
41:
445:
372:
572:
48:
in 1939 and, during the war, the OWB. The bodies were produced for these by outside
419:
49:
547:
542:
506:
501:
486:
414:
557:
552:
537:
532:
496:
491:
470:
465:
460:
455:
450:
409:
404:
399:
393:
57:
45:
157:
317:
152:
Several outside firms constructed bodywork for the VAS, primarily
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222:
220:
321:
282:
Bedford Volume 1: Bedford and
British Chevrolet 1923-1950
61:(7.24 m) upon which a 29-seat body could be fitted.
280:
Broatch, Stuart Fergus; Townsin, Alan (September 1995).
40:
The
Bedford subsidiary of Vauxhall Motors had produced
299:
Broatch, Stuart Fergus; Townsin, Alan (October 1996).
525:
479:
433:
386:
365:
264:
252:
240:
228:
211:
199:
187:
175:
333:
28:was a commercial vehicle chassis produced by
8:
340:
326:
318:
119:214 cu in (3.51 L) petrol
141:330 cu in (5.4 L) diesel
130:300 cu in (4.9 L) petrol
108:300 cu in (4.9 L) diesel
84:
20:Bedford VAS with Duple Vista 25 bodywork
15:
301:The Bedford Story, part two - 1950-1986
168:
7:
14:
303:. Glossop: Venture Publications.
284:. Glossop: Venture Publications.
1:
584:Vehicles introduced in 1963
600:
265:Broatch & Townsin 1996
253:Broatch & Townsin 1996
241:Broatch & Townsin 1996
229:Broatch & Townsin 1996
212:Broatch & Townsin 1995
200:Broatch & Townsin 1995
188:Broatch & Townsin 1995
176:Broatch & Townsin 1995
366:Cars and leisure vehicles
355:
21:
19:
202:, pp. 120, 122.
190:, pp. 84, 119.
87:
178:, pp. 33, 54.
85:
22:
566:
565:
526:military vehicles
378:Bedford Dormobile
231:, pp. 59–60.
145:
144:
591:
517:Bedford Y series
441:Bedford M series
349:Bedford Vehicles
342:
335:
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88:
30:Bedford Vehicles
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429:
382:
361:
359:Vauxhall Motors
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311:
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72:forward control
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42:rolling chassis
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12:
11:
5:
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463:
458:
453:
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446:Bedford S type
443:
437:
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427:
422:
417:
412:
407:
402:
397:
390:
388:
384:
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375:
373:Bedford Beagle
369:
367:
363:
362:
357:subsidiary of
356:
353:
352:
347:
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344:
337:
330:
322:
316:
315:
309:
296:
290:
275:
272:
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37:
34:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
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582:
580:
579:Bedford buses
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541:
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389:
385:
379:
376:
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368:
364:
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350:
343:
338:
336:
331:
329:
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320:
312:
310:1-898432-09-0
306:
302:
297:
293:
291:1-898432-06-6
287:
283:
278:
277:
273:
267:, p. 97.
266:
261:
258:
255:, p. 88.
254:
249:
246:
243:, p. 60.
242:
237:
234:
230:
225:
223:
221:
217:
214:, p. 16.
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133:
129:
126:
123:
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118:
115:
112:
111:
107:
104:
101:
100:
96:
93:
91:Original code
90:
89:
83:
79:
75:
74:arrangement.
73:
64:
62:
59:
55:
51:
50:coachbuilders
47:
43:
35:
33:
31:
27:
18:
511:
415:Bedford Midi
300:
281:
260:
248:
236:
207:
195:
183:
171:
151:
97:Engine type
94:Revised code
86:Model codes
80:
76:
68:
39:
25:
23:
548:Bedford OXD
543:Bedford OXA
512:Bedford VAS
507:Bedford VAM
502:Bedford VAL
487:Bedford JJL
26:Bedford VAS
573:Categories
558:Bedford RL
553:Bedford QL
538:Bedford OY
533:Bedford MW
497:Bedford SB
492:Bedford OB
471:Bedford TM
466:Bedford TL
461:Bedford TK
456:Bedford TJ
451:Bedford TA
410:Bedford HA
405:Bedford CF
400:Bedford CA
394:Bedford HC
274:References
58:Bedford SB
36:Background
425:Chevanne
148:Bodywork
52:such as
434:Lorries
158:Plaxton
420:Rascal
396:/JC/PC
307:
288:
65:Design
46:OB/OWB
480:Buses
164:Notes
154:Duple
54:Duple
387:Vans
305:ISBN
286:ISBN
156:and
135:VAS5
124:VAS3
113:VAS2
102:VAS1
24:The
138:PJK
127:PFK
116:PDK
575::
219:^
341:e
334:t
327:v
313:.
294:.
105:–
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