Bedford SB
The name refers to a Bedford SB bus chassis of the British manufacturer Bedford Vehicles. 1950 presented at the Commercial Motor Show for the first time, it replaced the older Bedford OB. It was produced until 1987. He was replaced by the VA series, but was made a while parallel to it.
Basis for the SB was the chassis of the S -type, was first developed by a Bedford chassis for the 7-ton class. Also known as " Big Bedford " is known, it has been used as a chassis for trucks Bedford RL.
The SB ( the B stood for bus) was the first cab-over of Bedford. Originally designed for buses with 33 seats, it was the largest chassis for buses, Bedford had developed up to that point. The SB was also the first chassis of Bedford, which was offered at different engine variants.
For use came a manually -switching, synchronized four-speed transmission, a five-speed gearbox was available as an option from 1960 onwards. Normally, a six-cylinder gasoline engine with a displacement of 4.9 liters was installed six-cylinder diesel engines were also offered. In 1953, the Perkins R6 stood at 5.6 l capacity available, from 1957, he was replaced by a diesel engine with 4.9 l displacement of Bedford. The powerful Leyland O.350 5.8 l displacement was preferred by the larger bus operators. Starting in 1962, a larger Bedford diesel engine with 5.4 l displacement was offered from 1963, the even more at Leyland O.370 6.1 l displacement.
The wheelbase of the chassis was initially 17 feet and 2 inches and was raised in 1955 to 18 feet. The bodies came primarily from duple, Marshall, Plaxton, Strachan, Thurgood, Willowbrook, Wright, Yeates, Harrington, Mulliner and Burlingham. Above all, the Super Vega and Super Vista by Duple has become generally known. Today, there are still some buses with this structure on the island of Malta in public transport in use. Some chassis also received special bodies, such as a mobile library or mobile cinema.
Variants
Bedford SB with Riviera - building Yeates
Bedford SB3 with a structure as a mobile cinema by Plaxton, built in 1967
Bedford SB with heavily modified Super Vega - building Duple in Malta