Bedford VAS
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Bedford VAS was a commercial vehicle chassis produced by Bedford Vehicles from 1963 until 1987. It was sold as a bare chassis including engine, transmission and driving controls, and was intended to be fitted with a bus or coach body from another manufacturer.
The Bedford subsidiary of Vauxhall Motors had produced rolling chassis suitable for single-deck buses and coaches since 1931, with models such as the WHB, WLB and WTB produced until 1939,[1] to be succeeded by the OB/OWB in 1939 and, during the war, the OWB.[2] The bodies were produced for these by outside coachbuilders such as Duple, and provided up to 32 seats in an overall length of around 24 feet 6 inches (7.47 m).[3] The Bedford SB replaced the OB in 1950, and was longer with a greater seating capacity - typically 33 to 41.[4] However, some operators still felt a need for a smaller vehicle. Consequently, Bedford introduced a new model in 1963, the VAS, which provided an overall length of up to around 23 feet 9 inches (7.24 m) upon which a 29-seat body could be fitted.[5]
Design
The basic layout was similar to the SB model, but the wheelbase was shorter. The chassis frame had two longitudinal main members arched over the front axle; at the rear they were tapered upwards to clear the rear axle. The axles were mounted close to the ends, to give a nominal front overhang of 36.5 inches (930 mm), a wheelbase of 164 inches (4.2 m) and a nominal rear overhang of 37 inches (940 mm). The engine and transmission were mounted above the front axle, with shaft drive to the rear axle. 16-inch (410 mm) road wheels were fitted. The driver's position was alongside the engine, the forward control arrangement.[5]
A choice of two engines was offered, giving rise to numeric suffixes to the model code: the VAS1 used a 300 cu in (4.9 L) diesel engine, and the VAS2 used a 214 cu in (3.51 L) petrol engine. Both had a four-speed synchromesh gearbox, but the ratios differed.[6] In 1967, the VAS1 was replaced by the VAS5, which used a 330 cu in (5.4 L) diesel engine.[7] A 300 cu in (4.9 L) petrol engine was offered from about 1972, and this was model VAS3.
A new system of model codes was introduced by General Motors in 1968. Under this, the first letter (in this case, P) denoted the basic model range; the second letter denoted the engine type; and the third letter the gross weight range for a complete vehicle, which for a VAS was K, denoting 5,700–7,000 kg (5.6–6.9 long tons). Model codes for the VAS (now the P series) were as follows:[8]
| Original code | Revised code | Engine type |
|---|---|---|
| VAS1 | – | 300 cu in (4.9 L) diesel |
| VAS2 | PDK | 214 cu in (3.51 L) petrol |
| VAS3 | PFK | 300 cu in (4.9 L) petrol |
| VAS5 | PJK | 330 cu in (5.4 L) diesel |
