The Bedford Chevanne was the van version of the Vauxhall Chevette, based on the estate and sold under General Motors’ Bedford commercial vehicles marque. It was introduced in September 1976 and remained in the range until the Opel-based Bedford Astravan and Astramax replaced it in September 1982.
Bedford Chevanne at a glance
| Maker | Bedford |
|---|---|
| Based on | Vauxhall Chevette estate |
| Introduced | September 1976 |
| Body | van without rear side windows and rear seats |
| Engine | 1,256 cc overhead-valve four-cylinder |
| Drive | rear-wheel drive |
| Gearbox | four-speed manual |
| Replaced | began to supplant the Bedford HA van in 1976 |
| Replaced by | Bedford Astravan / Astramax, September 1982 |
| Badge | Bedford commercial vehicles marque |
This page is based on English Wikipedia only. Only the Bedford Chevanne material from the Vauxhall Chevette article is used; the rest of that article describes the car range.
History of the Bedford Chevanne
A van from the Chevette range
The Vauxhall Chevette was Vauxhall’s version of General Motors’ T-car family and was based primarily on the Opel Kadett C. Its British range eventually included hatchback, saloon and estate models, and a van version based on the estate was also built. This was the Bedford Chevanne, badged as part of GM’s Bedford commercial vehicles marque.
The Chevanne was introduced in September 1976, at the same time as the Chevette L estate. It was similar to the Chevette estate but had no rear side windows and no rear seats, which turned the rear of the body into a load area. The Chevette itself used the 1,256 cc overhead-valve engine from the Viva HC rather than the Kadett’s 1,196 cc Opel engines, and it kept the Kadett’s rear-wheel drive, independent front suspension and rack-and-pinion steering.
A short career
The Chevanne was short lived. It began to supplant the Bedford HA van in 1976, but it was itself replaced by the Opel-based Bedford Astravan and Astramax in September 1982. The HA continued to be available for another year as a simple, low-cost alternative with maximum interior space, so for a time Bedford offered three small van lines side by side.
Design and features
- Estate-based body: the Chevanne used the Chevette estate shell, which gave it a square load area behind the cab.
- No rear side windows or rear seats: the rear of the body was given over to cargo.
- 1,256 cc overhead-valve engine: the Vauxhall unit from the Viva HC, as used in the Chevette.
- Rear-wheel drive: the Chevette kept the Kadett C’s rear-drive layout, independent front suspension and rack-and-pinion steering.
- Bedford commercial badge: the van was marketed as part of Bedford’s commercial vehicle range, not as a Vauxhall.
Bedford Chevanne versions
- Bedford Chevanne van: the only body style, based on the Chevette estate.
- Vauxhall Chevette estate: the passenger-car base for the van, with rear side windows and rear seats.
- Bedford Astravan / Astramax: the Opel-based replacement that arrived in September 1982.
The Chevanne followed the Bedford HA in the small-van range and sat below the larger Bedford CF. More Bedford vans are in the Bedford collection.
Sources
- Vauxhall Chevette, English Wikipedia: Chevanne introduction, body, engine and chassis
- Bedford HA, English Wikipedia: replacement by the Chevanne and Astravan
