1951 Bedford OS
Bedford OS 1951
Registration number: B-79252
Engine capacity - 3500 cc
Transmission - a four-speed
Conical rear axle
Hydraulic brakes
www.nationaltransportmuseum.org
From their establishment in 1931, Bedford - the Luton-based British arm of General Motors - swept the boards with a series of simple, rugged and reliable lorries and buses. They were all powered by a development of the Chevrolet six-cylinder petrol engine, known as the Cast-iron Wonder. McCairns Motors, assemblers and distributors of Bedfords in the Irish Free State (later the Republic of Ireland) for over forty years, successfully promoted the marque, selling them to virtually every sector of business and the public services.
The main competition for Bedford came from the American Ford and its British Fordson cousins, but in what would today be regarded as the lightweight division (up to five tons) there were at least ten other makes available in Ireland during the thirties and forties.
Introduced in 1939 with the rather dated cab of its predecessor, the OS (short wheelbase) and OL (long wheelbase) series was soon afterwards offered with a more streamlined cab, fronted by a short bonnet and distinctive grill which gave it the "bull-nosed" sobriquet.
The O type Bedford had a 3.5-litre engine, four-speed gearbox, spiral bevel rear axle and hydraulic brakes; there were several variations of the basic specification. During the Second World War, a military (OY) version with a flat panel incorporating the radiator grille and headlamps, was built; a similar vehicle, the OW, was later available for vital civilian war work, continuing in production until 1945. The early CIE fleet included several OWs.
"O" models reverted to their original frontal appearance from 1945 and continued in production until replaced by the TA model in 1953.
Registration number: B-79252
Engine capacity - 3500 cc
Transmission - a four-speed
Conical rear axle
Hydraulic brakes
www.nationaltransportmuseum.org
From their establishment in 1931, Bedford - the Luton-based British arm of General Motors - swept the boards with a series of simple, rugged and reliable lorries and buses. They were all powered by a development of the Chevrolet six-cylinder petrol engine, known as the Cast-iron Wonder. McCairns Motors, assemblers and distributors of Bedfords in the Irish Free State (later the Republic of Ireland) for over forty years, successfully promoted the marque, selling them to virtually every sector of business and the public services.
The main competition for Bedford came from the American Ford and its British Fordson cousins, but in what would today be regarded as the lightweight division (up to five tons) there were at least ten other makes available in Ireland during the thirties and forties.
Introduced in 1939 with the rather dated cab of its predecessor, the OS (short wheelbase) and OL (long wheelbase) series was soon afterwards offered with a more streamlined cab, fronted by a short bonnet and distinctive grill which gave it the "bull-nosed" sobriquet.
The O type Bedford had a 3.5-litre engine, four-speed gearbox, spiral bevel rear axle and hydraulic brakes; there were several variations of the basic specification. During the Second World War, a military (OY) version with a flat panel incorporating the radiator grille and headlamps, was built; a similar vehicle, the OW, was later available for vital civilian war work, continuing in production until 1945. The early CIE fleet included several OWs.
"O" models reverted to their original frontal appearance from 1945 and continued in production until replaced by the TA model in 1953.
