Bedford OYD. Green version
Bedford Vehicles, usually shortened to just Bedford, was a brand of vehicle manufactured by Vauxhall Motors, then a subsidiary of multinational corporation General Motors. Established in April 1931, Bedford Vehicles was set up to build commercial vehicles. The company was a leading international lorry brand, with substantial export sales of light, medium, and heavy lorries throughout the world.
Bedford’s core heavy trucks business was divested by General Motors (GM) as AWD Trucks in 1987, whilst the Bedford brand continued to be used on light commercial vehicles and car-derived vans based on Vauxhall/Opel, Isuzu and Suzuki designs. The brand was retired in 1991.
The van manufacturing plant of Bedford, now called GM Manufacturing Luton, is now owned and operated by Stellantis, following Vauxhall’s acquisition by PSA Group in 2017.
The Bedford OYD is an army lorry for the British Armed Forces and introduced in 1939. It was based on Bedford’s O-series commercial vehicles with a modified front end and single rear tyres.
It was designed for a 3-ton payload. The OYD was a general service vehicle, while the OYC was a tanker version for carrying water or petrol. These vehicles were widely used during, and after, World War II but were later superseded by the Bedford RL.
Made in UK (Luton)
Years of production: 1939-1953
Production: 72,385
Engine: 6 cylinders; 3500 cm³
Power: 75 HP
Weight: 6,568 kg
