The Bedford J was a transportation bus made by the British manufacturer Bedford Vehicles. It had a capacity of 20 seats was is a forerunner of today's midi-buses.
Design[]
The bus was based on the light 2 ton chassis of Bedford TJ that Bedford produced between 1958 and 1976. The chassis was originally intended for the use of semi-forward bodies and was modified so that it could carry a cab-over design. The rear axle had double tires. The chassis was initially offered with a six-cylinder petrol engine with 3.5 litre displacement or a four-cylinder diesel engine, with 3.1-litre displacement. In 1960, the capacity of the diesel engine was increased to 3.3 litres, in 1967 to 3.6 litre. Also in 1967 a manually-switching, synchronized four-speed gearbox was used.
The bodies were made by Plaxton, Duple and Willowbrook. Before 1965, the bus was only available with a width of 7 feet and 6 inches. The windshield was split and had two side windows. A bus with a width of 8 feet was later introduced. This had the windscreen as a one-piece panoramic unit now which was interchangeable with the rear window.
Variants[]
During the 1970s and 1980s, many buses were converted to as motorhomes.