View of the front end of a 1956 SB Bedford Duple Vega Vintage Coach, at the 2015, Regents Street Motor Show,
Duple Bodies & Motors Ltd was formed in 1919 by Herbert White in Hornsey, London. Before World War I, he had briefly built cars under the Bifort name in Fareham, Hampshire. The name 'Duple' is intended to convey the principle of a single vehicle being suitable for a dual role, an idea Mr. White developed. The Bedford SB is a front-engined bus chassis that was built by Bedford in the United Kingdom. It was launched at the 1950 Commercial Motor Show as the replacement for the Bedford OB. It was the first Bedford vehicle to have a "forward control" design, with the driver's seat located at the right of the engine and the front axle underneath. It used a four-speed synchromesh gearbox, with five-speed gearboxes offered later. It could be fitted with Bedford's own petrol or diesel engine, with the Perkins R6 and Leyland and engines also being offered during the 1950s and 1960s. Wheelbase length was originally 17 ft 2in ( m), but from 1955 an 18 ft ( m) option was also offered. Bodywork was provided by a wide range of builders, including Duple, Plaxton, Harrington, Willowbrook and Marshall of the United Kingdom, Hawke Coachwork, Coachwork International and New Zealand Motor Bodies of New Zealand, and many more.
Size: 3744px × 5616px
Location: Regents Street, London,
Photo credit: © John Gaffen 2 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1956, bedford, coach, coaches, lodge, motor, regents, sb, show, street, vega, vintage
