1. Bedford PC Coupe Utility.
I've a soft-spot for these Bedford Coupe Utilities, or utes, having bought three utes (2x PC and 1x JC version) from New South Wales (NSW) in 2006. Brian Battle sent this old photograph over of a 1/2 ton Bedford ute that belonged to his father-in-law Ron. Coincidentally his ute was also registered in NSW, BPM 091, but none of mine came with any record of their original registration numbers. This is the first Bedford PC I've seen fitted with a rear canopy - Ron ran his own painting and decorating business, and used the Bedford for this. It must have been quite an improvement over the motorcycle and sidecar that he previously used for transporting his ladders around.
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The HC, JC and PC utes were built up in Australia using chassis and front end panels shipped over in kit form from the UK. The cab, with its split windscreen, the suicide doors, and the integral pickup body were built up by Holden and fitted to the English running gear. In the UK, there was no pickup version of the late 1940s, early 1950s, 10/12cwt Bedfords, just a van. Estate car variants were built by outside firms such as Martin Walter. A PC Utilecon by M-W can be seen on the classic estate cars page, while two rare photos of an Australian station wagon based on the Holden-bodied panel van can be found here.
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2. David's circa 1950 Bedford.
Some rare colour shots of a Bedford PC Ute now, kindly sent over by David in Indooroopilly, Australia. His father purchased the ute secondhand in October 1955, then passed it on to him in 1962. David ran it for a couple of years, then part-exchanged it against a Mini. The first of the photographs sees the smart pale blue/grey Bedford parked at the roadside in Warwick, 1963. Aftermarket orange turn indicators have been fitted to the front of this example. Very smart. Small badges, reminding passers-by that the utility bodywork was produced by Holden, would have been fitted to the scuttle, just behind the lower rear edge of the front wings.
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There then follows a rear view of the PC, taken in February 1964. The single original stop/tail lamp can clearly be seen, alongside the registration plate (502-795). Tiny flashing
turn signals can just be made out, as can stick-on reflective strips. The illegible badge in the centre, above the registration plate, is the manufacturer's emblem.
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Next, a rear three-quarter view of the Bedford, parked at the Central Motel, with a VW for company.
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Finally in this set, a side view of the fully-laden load bay. Thanks to David for allowing me to share his photos on this page.
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Return to vintage car photos - Page 10.
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