Bedford HC.
Initially I'd thought that the van below was another example of Bedford's PC van of the post-war years, so similar does it look. However, after closer inspection the van can be positively identified as the slightly smaller 5/6cwt Bedford HC, a model introduced in 1938 and based on the running gear of the contemporary Vauxhall 10hp saloon. This example belonged to Lodge Radiovision Ltd, and was fitted out as a speaker van, the conversion undertaken by Wensley, who, like Lodge Radiovision, were also from Wakefield in Yorkshire. The registration AHL 857 also hails from that area.
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The visual differences between the 5/6cwt HC and 10/12cwt PC are subtle - the latter has a higher roofline than the smaller model, and also has a longer wheelbase. For comparison, the JC of 1939 was a 10/12cwt van, with a floor change gearbox and 6 volt electrics. After various updates, such as a switch to column change and 12 volt electrics, the JC became the PC.
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Production of vehicles for civilian use ceased during WW2, with the HC re-entering production for a brief while following hostilities. The JC, and later the PC, continued in production until 1952 when the all-new CA was ready for release.
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The HC engine was a four-cylinder unit of 1,203cc, rated at 10HP, producing 34.5 bhp at 3,800rpm. Carburetion was by Zenith downdraught, while retardation was taken care of by Lockheed hydraulic brakes. A three-speed gearbox was standard fitment, with floor change. Torsion bar suspension featured up front, while leaf springs were fitted to the rear, at a time when many light vans featured leaf springs front and rear, or in the case of small contemporary Ford vans for instance, just a single transverse leaf spring at either end of the chassis.
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Return to Page 14 in the classic & vintage vehicle photo gallery.
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Examples of the slightly earlier ASYC/ASXC van appear on this page.
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