Bedford CF: the full-size panel van that replaced the CA

The Bedford CF was a range of full-size panel vans produced by Bedford, the commercial vehicles division of Vauxhall. Introduced in 1969 to replace the Bedford CA, it was sized to compete directly with the Ford Transit and became one of the most popular light commercial vehicles on British roads.

Bedford CF at a glance

History of the Bedford CF

CF, 1969-1980

The CF was introduced in November 1969 to replace the seventeen-year-old Bedford CA. Its design was similar to its American counterpart, the Chevrolet Van, and it was larger and more usable than the vans from Austin-Morris, Rootes and Volkswagen. The van could be specified with a hinged door in the side panel directly behind the passenger door, a layout often used for caravanette conversions. The engine was the well-proven Vauxhall Slant Four, introduced in the Vauxhall FD Victor in 1967; capacities rose from 1.6 to 1.8 litres and from 2.0 to 2.3 litres in 1972, but otherwise the petrol units remained unchanged.

A four-cylinder 1.8-litre Perkins diesel could be specified for an extra £130 in 1969, while a larger 2.5-litre version was used for heavier versions; they were rated at 50 and 61 PS. In 1976 a 2.1-litre overhead-camshaft diesel from Opel replaced the Perkins units. In Australasian markets the CF could be ordered with Holden six-cylinder units of 2,850 and 3,310 cc, an answer to the Ford Transit, which used Ford Falcon sixes in Australia.

The CF used the same basic suspension layout as the Vauxhall Victor, with greater wheel-arch clearances and calibration for heavier loads: independent double wishbones with coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers at the front, and a live axle on long single-leaf springs at the rear. Several manual transmissions were used, including Vauxhall three- and four-speed, Bedford four-speed and ZF four- and five-speed gearboxes, as well as a General Motors automatic; a Laycock overdrive was available to order.

Three body styles were offered: a standard panel van intended to rival the Ford Transit, a special van body that was essentially a self-contained cab on a general-purpose chassis for custom-built bodies, and the Dormobile caravanette. On the CFL 350 chassis a small bus was also built from 1979 to 1982, with around 180 bodies from Reeve Burgess and 34 from Plaxton.

CF1 facelift, 1980-1984

The CF series 1 facelift arrived in 1980 with a squarer front, a new bonnet, headlamps and bumpers, and the 2.3-litre Opel 23D diesel engine of 61 hp. Units exported to Germany as the Bedford Blitz received a smaller 2.0-litre diesel of 60 PS, which was also installed in markets such as the Benelux countries and Finland where tax categories favoured engines below two litres. The restyled front end was engineered so that removing eight bolts allowed the whole front panel to come off, giving access to the engine from the front rather than from underneath as on the CF1. The facelift is often confused with the CF2; the easiest visual check is that it kept the old metal door handles and mirrors, while the CF2 has plastic ones.

CF2, 1984-1987

In 1984 the CF was renamed CF2 and received mainly mechanical upgrades. The diesel engines remained the 2.3, with the 2.0 available in continental Europe, but the old Vauxhall Slant Fours were replaced by a 2.0-litre, 78 hp version of the Opel CIH four-cylinder. New transmissions were available: a four-speed GM all-synchromesh gearbox on short-wheelbase models, a ZF five-speed overdrive gearbox as standard on long-wheelbase models and optional on others, and a GM automatic. Brakes were improved with front discs and self-adjusting rear drums on CF2/230 to CF2/280 models, self-adjusting drums all round on the CF2/350, and a load-sensing valve as standard. The last CF2s were sold in the UK in 1987.

CF Electric

One noteworthy variant was the CF Electric, introduced in 1982. More than 100 prototypes were built and tested at the Millbrook Proving Ground between 1977 and 1983. It was the first electrically powered vehicle planned for mass production based on a fossil-fuel vehicle platform.

Design and features

• Slant Four power: the Vauxhall engine family from the FD Victor, in 1.6, 1.8, 2.0 and 2.3-litre form.
• Removable front panel: on the 1980 facelift, eight bolts released the whole front for engine access.
• Victor-based suspension: double wishbones and coil springs at the front, a live axle on leaf springs at the rear, calibrated for heavy loads.
• Many transmissions: Vauxhall, Bedford and ZF manual gearboxes, plus a GM automatic and optional Laycock overdrive.
• Wide body range: panel van, special van and Dormobile caravanette.

Bedford CF versions

• CF panel van: the standard full-size van aimed at the Ford Transit.
• Special van: a self-contained cab on a general-purpose chassis for custom bodies.
• Dormobile caravanette: the camper conversion.
• Opel Bedford Blitz: the German-market version sold through Opel dealers from 1973.
• CF1 facelift: the 1980 restyle with the Opel 23D diesel.
• CF2: the 1984 update with Opel CIH petrol engines and revised brakes.
• CF Electric: more than 100 prototypes built and tested between 1977 and 1983.
• CFL 350 minibus: a 17-seat bus on the CFL 350 chassis, built from 1979 to 1982.

The CF replaced the Bedford CA; the smaller Bedford Midi later arrived alongside it. See the Bedford collection for more.

Video: bedford cf 280 2ème restauration par lesanges

Video by christophe moreau on YouTube.

Sources

• Bedford CF, English Wikipedia: models, engines, transmissions, CF Electric
• Bedford CF, German Wikipedia: CF1, CF2, Opel Bedford Blitz, CFL 350 bus
• Bedford CF, Italian Wikipedia: production history and market details
• Bedford CF, French Wikipedia: payloads, engines, restyling