Bedford TM (1984)
44 Ton 4x2
Reg No. B923 UBM
This Left hand drive (LHD) Bedford tractor unit was especially built for AC Delco of Dunstable to pull their exhibition/workshop trailer all over Europe. As it was to spend most of its life abroad it was also fitted with an extra wide sleeper cab.
The Bedford 44 ton model was designed for the continental markets (at the time 32 tons was the legal limit in the UK). The chassis was designed to take a tandem axle in order to pull the extra weight.
As this Bedford was only going to pull a 20 ton trailer the specification sheet requested only a single drive axle. In the place of the second drive axle, two extra large fuel tanks were manufactured; one was used for road fuel, and the other ran the large generators housed in the front section of the exhibition trailer.
An American Detroit engine with a special fuel management system and a turbo intercooler for better fuel economy powers this Bedford TM. This in turn created a quieter engine with out the normal roar of a Detroit. AC Delco made sure that the cleanliness and maintenance was always kept to a very high standard on the combination as it was the flagship of their company.
In 1986 General Motors instructed Vauxhall Motors to terminate all the Bedford truck manufacturing at the Dunstable plant. In the meantime General Motors had extended another arm of their vast empire by acquiring Delphi Electronics. In 1989 General Motors renamed AC Delco at Dunstable to "Delphi" chassis systems.
The Delphi Company carried on using this Bedford for approx another four years. Delphi was advised to replace it with a Volvo tractor unit as GM had brought shares in the Volvo Company. The management didn't want the Bedford to finish its working life as a shunt unit. So they contacted us to see if we wanted to preserve this Big Bedford. The only condition was that she must never be used as a workhorse again,
Some five years later Delphi decided to purchase a new exhibition trailer. They contacted us again to see if we would like the original trailer, without hesitation we accepted.
Now this Unique Big Bedford Rig combination is complete again.
The exhibition trailer is now stripped out of all the remnants of being a mobile engineering shop. It will be refitted to house a "we see them everywhere" Bedford history. As well as a living, dining/kitchen area that will be serviced by a silent running 12 K.V.A generator.
