A further 80th birthday celebration for the Bedford OB has been announced.
The Gloucestershire Vintage & Country Extravaganza will be hosting the 80th Anniversary Bedford OB Get-Together as part of its event taking place on 2-4 August at South Cerney Airfield, near Cirencester in Gloucestershire. [wlm_nonmember][…]
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The Extravaganza is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year and this is the third time that it has held an event for OBs. Last year’s event attracted 13 examples, making it the largest display of the type in the country in 2018.
The Bedford OB was used by all sizes of coach and bus operators throughout the country. It was mainly built as a coach, but a small number were built for stage carriage use, mainly on narrow rural routes.
The chassis type was introduced in 1939, but only 73 were built before production was halted by the Second World War. In 1942 the government authorised production of a variant built to wartime specification known as the OWB. This was the only single-deck type authorised to be built during the war and a total of 3,398 were assembled. Production of the OB recommenced in 1945 and continued until a total of 12,766 had been built. The type was powered by Bedford’s own 27hp six-cylinder petrol engine or later the Perkins six-cylinder diesel engine. At least 75 Bedford OBs are thought to survive although not all are roadworthy.
If you have a Bedford OB and would like to take part in the 80th Anniversary Bedford OB Get-Together or would like to know more about the event, please contact John Hitchings, Bus & Coach section leader at [email protected] or www.glosvintageextravaganza.co.uk
As Industry Heritage has highlighted, a BedfordCoach Day also celebrating the OB is planned at Lodge Coaches’s High Easter premises. This will take place on Sunday 8 September, not 18 as previously mentioned. Details on 01245 231262 or www.lodgecoaches.co.uk
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