BEDFORD Trucks

Bedford Vehicles by Vauxhall

Bedford Vehicles

Industry	Automotive
Fate	Sold and renamed
Successor	AWD Trucks
Founded	1930
Defunct	1986
Headquarters	Luton, United Kingdom
Area served	Worldwide
Products	Trucks, buses, car-derived vans
Parent	Vauxhall Motors

Bedford Vehicles, usually shortened to just Bedford, was a brand of vehicle produced by Vauxhall Motors, which was ultimately owned by General Motors (GM). Established in 1930 and constructing commercial vehicles, Bedford Vehicles was a leading international lorry brand, with substantial export sales of light, medium, and heavy lorries throughout the world. It was GM Europe‘s most profitable venture for several years.

Bedford’s core heavy trucks business was divested by GM as AWD Ltd in 1987, whilst the Bedford brand continued to be used on light commercial vehicles and car-derived vans based on Vauxhall/Opel, Isuzu and Suzuki designs. The brand was retired in 1991; subsequent GM Europe light commercials were branded as either Vauxhall or Opel, depending on the market.

History

Until 1925, General Motors (GM) assembled trucks in Britain from parts manufactured at their Canadian works. This enabled them to import vehicles into Britain under Imperial Preference, which favoured products from the British Empire as far as import duties were concerned. Such trucks were marketed as “British Chevrolet”.

In 1925, GM took ownership of Vauxhall Motors, production was transferred from Hendon to Luton, Vauxhall’s headquarters, production commencing there in 1929.

1930s

Bedford ambulance

The AC and LQ models were produced at Luton from 1929 to 1931, and styled as the “Chevrolet Bedford”, taking the name from the county town of Bedfordshire, in which Luton is located. The AC was bodied as a light van (12 cwt), and the LQ in a wide variety of roles, including a lorry, ambulance, van and bus versions. The name “Chevrolet” was dropped, and the first “Bedford” was produced in April 1931. This vehicle, a 2-ton lorry, was virtually indistinguishable from its LQ Chevrolet predecessor, apart from detail styling of the radiator, and was available as the WHG with a 10 feet 11 inches (3,330 mm) wheelbase, or as the WLG with a longer wheelbase of 13 feet 1 inch (3,990 mm). However, the Chevrolet LQ and AC continued in production alongside the new product for a further year. In August 1931, a bus chassis was added to the range, and was designated WHB and WLB.

A large part of Bedford’s original success in breaking into the UK and British Empire markets lay in the overhead-valve (OHV) six-cylinder Chevrolet engine, now known as Chevrolet Stove Bolt 6 – well ahead of its time, this smooth running inline six-cylinder engine formed the basis of Bedford and Vauxhall petrol engines almost until the marque ceased building trucks and buses.

In April 1932, a 30 cwt lorry was introduced, together with a 12 cwt light delivery van, designated as the WS and VYC models respectively. Bedford continued to develop its share of the light transport market, with the introduction of the 8 cwt ASYC and ASXC vans, a close derivative of the Vauxhall Light Six car. The AS series of vans continued in production until 1939.

Bedford introduced the 3 ton WT series in November 1933. Again, a short wheelbase WHT (9 feet 3 inches (2,820 mm)), or long wheelbase WLG (13 feet 1 inch (3,990 mm)) version was offered. A change in design of the WLG produced the WTL, with its cab, internal combustion engine and radiator moved forward to allow a 14 feet (4.3 m) bodylength. In 1935, the WTB bus version appeared, and the WS and VYC models were updated – the latter being redesignated BYC as it was fitted with the engine and synchromesh gearbox of the Big Six Vauxhall cars. The 5–6 cwt HC light van was introduced in 1938, based on the Vauxhall Ten car, and the WT and WS acquired a newly styled grill.

Mid -1939 saw a complete revamp of Bedfords; with only the HC van continuing in production. The new range consisted of the K (30–40 cwt), MS and ML (2–3 ton), OS and OL (3–4 ton), OS/40 and OL/40 (5 ton) series, and the OB bus. Also on offer was a new 10–12 cwt van, the JC, derived from the new J Model Vauxhall car. Many of the trucks sold by Bedford between June and September 1939 were requisitioned for military use on the outbreak of the Second World War; many were abandoned after the retreat from Dunkirk, rendered useless to the enemy by removing the engine oil drain plug and running the engine. Because the German armed forces in 1940 were, contrary to their popular image, desperately short of motor transport, many of these captured Bedfords were repaired and pressed into service alongside Opel Blitz (also part of GM) trucks by the German armed forces – although the Bedfords mainly filled second-line roles, including civil defence.

Production of the new range ceased, apart from a few examples made for essential civilian duties, when Bedford went onto a war footing. Production resumed in 1945.

Second World War

1945 Bedford QL Breakdown truck 2800 cc

The war-time Bedford QL, with the driver perched above the engine in a forward control cab, foreshadowed post-war truck designs.

In 1935, Bedford began the development of a 15 cwt truck for the British War Office. This entered service as the MW in 1939, and 65,995 examples had been built by the end of the Second World War in 1945. The MW appeared in a bewildering range of roles, as a water tanker, general duties truck, personnel carrier, petrol tanker, wireless truck and anti-aircraft gun tractor – among others.

The War Office designated 15 cwt vehicles, such as the MW, as trucks, and larger vehicles as lorries.

The 1939 K-, M-, and O-series lorries were quickly redesigned for military use. This was largely a matter of styling, involving a sloping bonnet with a flat front with headlights incorporated and a crash bar to protect the radiator in a minor collision. The military versions were designated OX and OY series, and again were put to a wide range of tasks, including mobile canteens, tankers, general purpose lorries, and a version with a Tasker semi-trailer used by the Royal Air Force to transport dismantled or damaged aircraft. This variant was popularly known as the “Queen Mary“. A number of Bedford OXD 1.5 ton chassis were converted to make the Bedford OXA armoured vehicle. A total of 72,385 OY and 24,429 OX lorries were built. The Armadillo was an OY fitted for airfield defence with Lewis guns and an ex-aircraft COW 37 mm gun.

1945 Bedford OY series truck (probably OYD) 3519cc

Bedford supplied numerous trucks and tanks to the Soviet Union during the Second World War.

A radical departure from Bedford’s design norms came in October 1939, with the development of a four-wheel drive, forward control lorry, which entered service in March 1941 as the QL, quickly nicknamed the “Queen Lizzie”. As with the MW and OY / OX models, the QL went on to serve in a large number of roles, such as artillery tractor, gun porter, command vehicle, wireless lorry and petrol tanker, as well as the troop-carrying QLD, the most common variant. An experimental version used the track unit of a bren gun carrier, or Universal Carrier, as an answer to the German half-track vehicles, which had superior cross-country capability. Production ran at around 12,000 units per year between 1942 and 1944. Many QLs and other Bedford Second World War military vehicles served with the British Army, and other forces into the 1960s, and many others were purchased for civilian use after the war.

After the evacuation of Dunkirk in June 1940, the British Army had around 100 tanks, most of which were obsolete and inferior to the German tanks of the day. Vauxhall Motors was given one year to design and produce a suitable heavy tank. In May 1941, the Churchill tank went into production at Luton, some 5,640 units and 2,000 spare engines being produced at Luton, and other sites under contract to Vauxhall. The resultant need to continue truck production brought about the development of the new Bedford Dunstable plant, which came online in 1942.

For wartime production the OB was temporarily replaced by the “utility” OWB, with which Bedford became the only British manufacturer authorised to build single-deck buses during hostilities.

Apart from vehicle manufacture during the Second World War, Vauxhall Motors produced steel helmets, rocket bodies, and top-secret components for Frank Whittle‘s jet engine.

1950s

1950 Vauxhall Bedford PC Van

1959 Bedford CA 1595 cc

The HC 5–6 cwt van continued briefly after the war, and the JC 10–12 cwt was fitted with the column gear change; and engine from the Vauxhall L Model Wyvern in late 1948; and became the PC. 1952 saw the launch of the Bedford CA light commercial, a range of vans and pick-ups similar in concept and size to (although pre-dating)the Ford Transit of 1965. These were semi-forward control, having a short bonnet with the rear of the engine protruding into the cab. Engines were the Vauxhall-based 1,508 cubic centimetres (92.0 cu in) OHV in-line four petrol engine, with the option of a Perkins 4/99 or 4/108 diesel engine later on. Performance was adequate for the time, a maximum speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) being attainable with the petrol engine, and offering fuel economy of 25 miles per imperial gallon (11 L/100 km; 21 mpg_‑US). The van initially featured a three-speed column gearchange, changing later on to a four-speed column change.

A Bedford RL

1954 Bedford S Type 3600cc Battlesbridge

The CA was a huge seller both at home and in various overseas markets. The standard panel van was available in short- and long-wheelbase forms, and was also sold as chassis cab / chassis cowl, and became a popular basis for ice-cream vans, ambulances and camper vans. Known affectionately as “the Tilley”,the CA enjoyed a very long production span, with only minor tweaks throughout its life, including the replacement of the two piece windscreen of earlier models with a single sheet. Production ended in 1969.

The CA was replaced by

the CF, a completely unrelated vehicle using new overhead camshaft (OHC) engines, which was to have a much harder time proving itself thanks to the Ford Transit.

Perhaps the major event of the 1950s, was the transfer of all non-car based commercial vehicle manufacture to the former Vauxhall shadow factory at Boscombe Road, Dunstable. Bedford Dunstable plant, dating originally from 1942, was extensively rebuilt and extended between 1955 and 1957, when all production lines were said to be over a mile long. Subsequently, all commercial vehicle manufacture would be concentrated there, with only vans and car-based commercials remaining at the Luton plant. Production of the Bedford commercial vehicle range remained there until production ceased in the 1980s.

The 1950s also saw the launch of the popular S type trucks, the so-called Big Bedfords, which brought Bedford into the 7-ton range. The S series was immortalised in RL form – a four-wheel drive, high ground clearance version, as the “Green Goddess” emergency fire tender, used by the Auxiliary Fire Service until 1968, then until 2004 over 1,000 were held in reserve by the Home Office for use in the event of fire-service industrial action or other serious emergencies. They were disposed of by the Home Office in 2005. Several have found new homes in African countries that lack a developed fire-fighting service, such as Kenya. The C series of 1957 was a forward-control derivative of the S series, and outwardly very similar to it.

These vehicles were available in rigid and tractor units, with either petrol or diesel engines. The UK military were a huge customer for Bedford RLs using a 4.9-litre straight six petrol engine. Many RLs found their way into the armed forces of Commonwealth countries and later into civilian use.

Alongside the S series trucks, the SB bus was released in 1950, and immediately became a big seller in India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand and Africa, as well as in the UK. The SB chassis was also used as a basis for specialised vehicles, such as mobile libraries, fire engines, and civil defence control units. The largest fleet of SB buses in the world belonged to New Zealand Railways Road Services, with 1280 SB buses built between 1954 and 1981.

The Bedford TK range replaced the S type in 1959, but the RL continued in production until 1969, when it was replaced by the M type, which used the basic cab of the TK and the mechanicals of the RL with minimal changes.

The pre-war K, M and O types continued in production alongside the heavier S types until 1953. Vauxhall had already gone for a transatlantic styling with its E Model Wyvern and Velox saloons, and Bedford followed suit with its mid-range of trucks in 1953. Designated as the TA series, the new range were mechanically very similar to their predecessors, but featured a new Chevrolet-inspired cab. The ‘T’ designation meant “truck”, so the range is generally referred to as the A series. Numbers 2, 3, 4 and 5; as in A2, etc., identified the weight rating. A factory-fitted Perkins diesel engine was an option. The TA (A) series was updated in 1957, and became the TJ, or J series.

1966 Bedford TJ tipper truck

The Bedford TJ normal control light truck was introduced in 1958, available with either petrol or diesel engines. Although never a big seller in the home market (with the exception of Post Office Telephones), it was a big export earner in developing countries, due to its basic layout and specification, and remained in production (for export markets only) until production of Bedford vehicles ceased.

1960s and 1970s

The Bedford TK range was produced in large numbers since 1959, and served as the basis for a variety of derivatives including fire engines, military vehicles, horse-boxes, tippers, flat-bed trucks, and other specialist utility vehicles. A Post Office Telephones version used for installing telegraph poles was known as the Pole Erection Unit. The British Armed Forces still use four-wheel drive Bedford MKs – a variant of the TK.

Available with four and six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, the TK was the quintessential light truck in the UK through most of the 1960s and 1970s, competing with the similar Ford D series. It was available in rigid form, and also as a light tractor unit, normally using the Scammel coupling form of trailer attachment.

The Bedford KM was a similar vehicle, using the same cab, but with a slightly restyled front end, and was marketed for heavier-duty applications than the TK, i.e. 16 tons and over. Many developing countries still use ageing Bedfords every day, their robust nature and simple engineering endearing them as highly useful vehicles in demanding terrain.

From 1961 to 1968, General Motors Argentina manufactured Bedford trucks and buses (based on a truck) in a plant at San Martin.

1967 Bedford SB mobile cinema

In 1967, a Bedford SB3 chassis with Plaxton‘s Panorama cab was used in the construction of seven custom mobile cinema units that toured British factories for the Ministry of Technology to “raise standards”. The body was custom fabricated from extruded aluminium by Coventry Steel Caravans. One of these restored units is used as a vintage mobile cinema. The vehicle dubbed ‘The Reel History Bus’ was used in the Melvyn Bragg BBC TV series, Reel History of Britain showing little known or totally unseen archive film of historical events, to the surviving participants and their families on board. They showed their reaction and interviewed audience members about their often newly jogged memories of events. The Vintage Mobile Cinema has appeared on The One Show and George Clarke’s Small Spaces, and continues to appear around the UK.

The smaller Bedford CF was less successful, competing directly with the market-dominating Ford Transit, although used by many of Britain’s major utility companies, including British Telecom and British Gas plc. However, the CF was much less popular with fleet operators than the Transit, which was more popular with its drivers and seen as cheaper to operate and maintain. Part of the reason for the CF’s relative unpopularity was the use of the slant 4 SOHC petrol engine from the FD and FE Vauxhall Victor – which was notoriously rough running, had high fuel consumption, and was susceptible to cam belt breakage. However, the CF became very popular as a base of special-bodied ice cream vans and mobile shops. The later CF2 used the more reliable Opel Ascona engine.

In Australia, the GM subsidiary of Holden began assembling the CF series with in-line six-cylinder engines borrowed from their passenger car range, in competition against Ford Australia’s version of the Transit van which had been re-engineered to accommodate in-line six-cylinder engines from the antipodean Ford Falcon.

Bedford’s smallest products, car-derived vans,

1968 Bedford HA Van, with the 1159cc engine were the Bedford HA van, which substantially outlived1966 Vauxhall Viva HA 1057cc  the Vauxhall Viva HA on which it was based, and1978 Bedford Chevanne the Bedford Chevanne, a short-lived variant ofthe Vauxhall Chevette. An estate conversion of the HA van by Martin Walter was marketed as

the Bedford Beagle. This was further developed into a camper van, the Roma, again by Martin Walter.

The company also made a number of bus chassis, its low price catering for the cheaper end of the coach market.

1980s

The TK/KM/MK range remained the mainstay of production throughout the 1960s and ’70s, but with little serious product investment the range became increasingly outdated. In 1982, the TL range was introduced almost completely replacing the TK, although its military equivalents continued in production for the UK Ministry of Defence. In reality a long overdue update of the TK, the TL was never as popular as the model range it succeeded. This was largely due to more modern products offered by other companies (increasingly from the likes of Volvo, MAN and Mercedes-Benz).

The Bedford TM was the largest of all the modern Bedfords, with payloads available up to 42 tonnes GTW permissible. The TM was available with either GM or Detroit Diesel engines and enjoyed a small but loyal customer base, but could never compete with the volume producers, primarily Volvo and Scania. Turkey’s Genoto assembled Bedfords under license.

A major blow came when Bedford failed to win the UK Ministry of Defence contract to produce the standard 4–ton 4×4 GS (general service) truck for the British forces, although in extensive tests the Bedford candidate had been the equal of the Leyland (later Leyland-DAF) candidate, and the British Army expressed a preference to continue the trusted relationship with Bedford trucks.

The reasons for this decision were seen by many as political, as the Army 4–tonner contract was seen by the Thatcher government as essential for the long-term survival of Leyland, and the formation of Leyland-DAF. The implications of the decision were also noted by GM in Detroit, who had already been refused permission to buy the Land-Rover division of British Leyland, which they had intended to operate in tandem with the Bedford Truck division as a major force in the military and civilian 4×4 market.

In addition to this setback, by the middle of the decade, the more technologically advanced competition from other truck manufacturers was eating heavily into sales. In reality, the Bedford truck range, still largely based on the 1960 TK range, had become increasingly outdated when compared with the opposition, leading to a deep decline in non-military sales. It was therefore announced by GM that Bedford would stop production of all commercial vehicles, and the Dunstable plant would close in 1986.

From there on in, the Bedford name continued as “badge engineering” on smaller light commercials only, with the car based Astravan, the CF van (until 1986), and finallythe Suzuki-based Bedford Rascal microvan and Isuzu based Bedford Midi van range – later to be called the Vauxhall Midi.

Isuzu and IBC

Bedford’s first partnership with Isuzu came in 1976 when it marketed a rebadged version of the Isuzu Faster pickup truck asthe Bedford KB. The vehicle was never a strong seller in Britain, (subsequent generations were badged as the Bedford/Vauxhall Brava), but it did pave the way for further collaboration – culminating in the IBC venture.

In 1986, the Bedford van factory in Luton was reorganised as a joint venture with Isuzu. The resulting company, IBC Vehicles (Isuzu Bedford Company Ltd), produced a locally built version of the Isuzu Fargo in 1985 (badged as the Bedford Midi).1989 BEDFORD MIDI 1.9 VAN

In 1991, this was followed by a European version of the Isuzu MU Wizard called the Frontera, and a rebadged Renault Trafic van called the Arena, sold under the Vauxhall and Opel brand names. The Bedford name was dropped completely, as were all of its preceding range apart from the Midi, which was sold for a few years as the Bedford Seta.

1987 Bedford SETA

In 1998, GM bought Isuzu out of the IBC partnership. The plant now operates as GMM Luton, and produces the Vauxhall / Opel Vivaro, Renault Trafic and Nissan Primastar.

David John Bowes Brown and AWD

British Army vehicles at Croatia

AWD Bedford TM 6-6 (6×6) 14000 kg Truck

The Bedford trucks site in Dunstable and business was sold in 1987 to AWD Ltd, a company owned by David John Bowes Brown. The AWD name was used as GM would only allow the use of the Bedford name for military trucks. David John Bowes Brown was the designer in 1973 of the then DJB D250 Articulated Dump Truck, built in Peterlee, England, by DJB Engineering Ltd. DJB was renamed Artix in 1985 when the trucks were rebadged as Caterpillar. Artix itself was sold to Caterpillar in 1996.

AWD continued with the TL and TM range. The AWD Bedford TK (a rebadged and modernised version of the Bedford TK / MK range) was also produced and supplied to the British military. Due to cheaper competition and the virtual collapse of the UK market in which AWD competed in 1989/90, the company went into receivership in 1992 and was bought by dealer network Marshall of Cambridge.

Logo

An older version of the Bedford badge with Griffin logo

Bedford used the Griffin logo of Vauxhall Motors, derived from the heraldic crest of Falkes de Breauté, who was granted the Manor of Luton by King John. By marriage, he acquired property in London, known as Fulk’s Hall, which over time, came to be the locality of Vauxhall, the original home of Vauxhall Motors. The griffin returned to Luton in 1903 when Vauxhall Motors moved there. The Bedford version of the logo differed from the Vauxhall version in that the Griffin did not hold a flag – although later versions of the logo showed the Griffin holding a flag carrying a letter “B” (for Bedford) instead of a “V”.

Products

List of products produced at Bedford / IBC Vehicles Luton:

Bedford models

Bedford TK

1970 Bedford VAL Duple Viceroy

Bedford VAL

Bedford J3 Truck Finalsilver1200

Bedford TJ J3

1985 CF series 2

Very approximately in size order

Bedford Rascal

Bedford HA (based on Vauxhall Viva)

Bedford Beagle (estate version of HA; see Vauxhall Viva, above)

Bedford Chevanne (based on Vauxhall Chevette)

1989 Bedford Astra 1.6 Van

Bedford Astra (based on Vauxhall Astra Mk 1 then Mk2 estate)1988 Bedford Astramax 1.3 Van  Bedford Astramax (high-cube version of Mk2 Astra shape)1988 bedford midi 4×4  Bedford Midi

Bedford Brava

Bedford CA

Bedford CF and Opel Bedford Blitz

Bedford Dormobile

Bedford MW

Bedford WL. 27hp. Reg No RD 9049  Bedford W seriesBedford K series1948 Bedford MSD (LSU 544) dropside  Bedford M seriesBedford OLAD. Reg No DAP 17  Bedford O series1955 Bedford A-Series 1-ton pickup (2800cc)  Bedford A series

1950s Bedford D Series Crane Truck  Bedford D series1956 Bedford S truck  Bedford S series

Finnish Bedford ML Ambulance

1952 Bedford MLC FFX458  Bedford ML (lorry and bus)Bedford OB Southern Vectis 216  Bedford OB (bus)

Bedford JJL bus    Bedford JJL (bus)1959 Bedford SB-181ECV  Bedford SB (bus)Bedford VAS Plaxton Embassy coach ETC 760B   Bedford VAS (bus)

Bedford RL Truck, 4 Wheel Drive, with a Ruxton-Bucyrus hole, or well, Drilling Rig  Bedford RL1971 Bedford TK Recovery Truck YRD 882K  Bedford TK1966 Bedford J1 Ambulance  Bedford TJ – J0 (often referred to as JO) and J1-J6

1986 Bedford TL with the 5.4 litre 105TD turbodiesel engine, belonging to haulage contractors J.K. Sturge Ltd   Bedford TL

 Bedford R Model

Impossible to find !!

Bedford RKBedford TK fire appliance Vintage Vehicles Shildon  Bedford TKBedford Mk, 4-ton class GS truck (MLC 10)Bedford MK 4×4 truck   Bedford MKBedford mj 2 truck

Bedford MJ 4×4 Drop Side Cargo

Bedford MJ 4×4 with Atlas crane 7 Atlas AK3000 crane with hydraulic outriggers  Bedford MJBedford KM tankertruck1967 Bedford KM tractor unit still active

Bedford KM

SONY DSC

Bedford VAL (bus)

SONY DSC

Bedford VAM / Hawke body at Nelson S I. March (c) G. Walker.

Bedford VAM (bus)

Bedford Y series (buses)(vertical mid-engine)

Eight metres

Bedford YMP Plaxton Paramount (C35F) – TIL 2878Bedford YMP FLD447Y with Plaxton body  YMP/S

Ten metres

KUN 497P – Bedford YRQ Plaxton Panorama Elite III – C45F – Boulton, CardingtonSpringetts Bedford YRQ -Duple Dominant. Jennings Coaches of Ashen ANO 634L  YRQOGB 380V Bedford YLQ Plaxton Supreme

Bedford YLQ Alexander (Belfast) X TypeHLG 360T Bedford YLQ Plaxton Supreme   YLQBedford YMQ-S, WNH51W, Lyntown Bus CoDBX 548W SEPT 1980 BEDFORD YMQ CLASSIC COACH WITH DUPLE DOMINANT IV BODY 43   YMQ646 Bedford YMP-Marshall Ex A203 LCLCypriot Bedford YMP TUU 786   YMP

Eleven metres

bus coach grant bedford yrtEdinburgh Corporation Transport preserved bus 121 Bedford YRT Alexander Y Type GSX 121N   YRTEmsworth & District OLJ 192W Bedford YMT-Plaxton1979 Staines Crusader Bedford YMT – Plaxton, EVW 988T   YMTBedford YNT Engine adD866TFJ ex – Eastons of Norfolk Bedford YNT – Plaxton Paramount, E3   YNT

Twelve metres

1985 Bedford YNV Venturer Laser 2 C57F DemonstratorEnterprise & Silver Dawn 2202 E433 PFU Bedford YNV ‘Venturer’ Duple 320MIL 6972 (E908 EAY) Bedford YNV Plaxton Paramount   YNV Venturer1976-77 Bedford TM 8V-71 Detroit Diesel UK Market Foldout Sales Brochure  Bedford TMBEDFORD TM 4X4 TIPPER-4-20120823-094223  Bedford TM 4×4

Vauxhall models

(some also sold as Opels and other GM brands)

1996 Vauxhall Midi 2.4 Diesel (16115124668)   Vauxhall Midi1990–1993 Vauxhall Astramax 365   Vauxhall Astramax1999 Vauxhall Brava DI 4×4 2.5   Vauxhall Brava1993 Vauxhall Rascal Camper Conversion   Vauxhall Rascal (a rebadged Bedford Rascal)1999 Vauxhall Frontera Limited DTi Automatic 2.2   Vauxhall Frontera (a 4×4 SUV)2012 Vauxhall Vivaro 2900 CDTi LWB facelift 2.0   Vauxhall Vivaro

Renault models

Renault Trafic (platform-sharing version of Vauxhall and Opel Vivaro, also sold as Nissan Primastar)

Bedford bus sales totals 1931–1966

Model	Wheelbase	Normal seating	Introduced	Completed	Home sales	Export sales	total
WHB	10 ft. 11in.	14	7/31	5/33	94	8	102
WLB	13 ft. 1in.	20	7/31	9/35	1431	464	1895
WTB	13 ft. 11in.	26	1/35	7/39	2556	664	3220
OB	14 ft. 6in.	26	8/39	10/39	52	21	73
OWB	14 ft. 6in.	32	1/42	9/45	3189	209	3398
OB	14 ft. 6in.	29	10/45	11/50	7200	5493	12693
SB	17 ft. 2in./18 ft.	33/41	10/50		14050	14727	28777*
VAS	13 ft. 8in.	29/30	8/61		698	454	1152*
VAL	17 ft. 8in.	49/52	8/62		776	128	904*
VAM	16 ft. 1in.	45	8/65

The SB, VAS, VAL and VAM sales figures are to June 1965. Later production is not included in these figures.

Gallery

Bedford Six WLG 2.5-ton truck 1932

Bedford WLB bus 1932

Bedford WLG truck 1933

1933 Bedford two-ton Luton van

1959 Bedford SB with Duple body

1961 Bedford C with Duple body

Rare Bedford JJL early midibus

Bedford VAL twin steer coach

Bedford 4WD chassis cab with a chassis mounted drilling rig by Ruston-Bucyrus

1967 Bedford TJ J1

1974 Bedford KM recovery truck

Bedford CA

1970 Bedford HA van

1978 Bedford HA van in BEA livery at Brooklands Museum, Weybridge

Bedford Blitz (German market name) / Bedford CF (UK designation)

Restored lorry

Bedford coach (1950s)

Pictures from my own collection I collected the last years from www:

Wolseley 4/50. Launched at the 1948 Motor Show as a variant of the Morris Oxford MO, the Wolseley 4/50 used a 4-cylinder 1476cc version of its sibling’s 6-cylinder ohc engine

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Bedford S (1956)

Bedford CA MkII Ice Cream Van. This is probably a conversion by Morrison Whitby

KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA

Bedford CA MkII Dormobile Ambulance

Bedford CA Dormobile Ambulance

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

SONY DSC

SONY DSC

Bedford VAM / Hawke body at Nelson S I. March (c) G. Walker.

SONY DSC

WWL

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

References

Jump up^ http://www.bedford-ca.com/

Jump up^ Classic and Vintage Commercials (magazine)

Jump up^ “Refurbishment of 1974 Bedford TK truck”. Heritage Commercials. Retrieved 12 March 2012.

Jump up^ http://camionargentino.blogspot.com.ar/2012/05/bedford-j6-nafta-y-diesel.html

Jump up^ http://camionargentino.blogspot.com.ar/2012/03/bedford-j6lz1.html

Jump up^http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00yw2wc/features/reelhistorybus

Jump up^ Kennett, Pat, ed. (September 1983). “Truckmonth: Snaps”. TRUCK. London, UK: FF Publishing Ltd: 18.

Jump up^ “European Heritage 1990–1999”. General Motors Europe.

Jump up^ “Company Profile”. Vauxhall.

Jump up^ Commercial Motor Archive http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/3rd-december-1987/22/-awd-the-company-led-by-david-j-b-brown

Jump up^ Caterpillar Chronicle, by Eric C. Orlemann, pub by MBI, ISBN0-7603-0667-2

Jump up^ https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/awd-sale-to-put-bedford-in-cambridge-1557330.html

Jump up^ Buses Illustrated: Ian Allen May 1966 page 192, 50,000 VEHICLES IN 35 YEARS Anniversary of first Bedford psv by Gavin A Booth

External links

General

http://bedfordportugal.blogspot.pt/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6eo0xijNG7xQiAsND7fQBQ

CA-specific

Dormobile

www.btinternet.com/~ianswvan/ca1.htm

CF-specific

Bedford CF

www.btinternet.com/~ianswvan/cf1.htm

Midi-specific

Bedford Midivan Owners Club

That’s it, when you have info about Bedford, I stay open for suggestions so I can improve this Blog.

I hope reading gives you pleasure. Greetings your host Jeroen.

AMBULANCES + HEARSES part XVIII on Alphabet beginning with U till Volvo

UAZ or “Bukhanka”  Ambulances

1918 Unic C9-O Ambulance

All Unic Ambulances or Red Cross Truck

UNIMOG (Mercedes-Benz) Ambulances

2013 Ural-43206 als militärisches Sanitätsfahrzeug

1899 original

1900 French Motorcycle Ambulance

1909 Ambulance

1910 Police Officer Places Sick Child in an Ambulance, c 1910s (NYC Municipal Archives)

1910 Trane Colliery Ambulance and Nurse

1913 Electric ambulance

1914 Horse Drawn or electric Ambulance attended by medical staff during World War 1

1914 Unknown ambulans Red Cross with follower

1914 WWI Moscow

1914 WWI Savelovski vokzal

1914-18 2 ambulances unknown

1914-18 WWI SanavtoRus 350

1914-1918 WW1 AMBULANCE

1915 Ambulance Evpatorija Ambulance a

1915 Ambulance Odessa 1

1915 Ambulance Odessa 2

1916 London Ambulance with female driver-nurse

1916 Troops-medical-orderlies-of-the-Russian-Armoured-Car-Division-by-their-ambulance-in-a-Turkish-town-1916.

1924 SMP amb

1926 02-NOVO CARRO FUNERARIO REV ACA

Ambulance Bt

Ambulance with patiënts

Ambulance yxS

auto-010

Central District Ambulance headquarters

tpt transport truck lorry wagon nk finish end college of ambulance x ray

Macon Hospital Ambulance

Motorcycle ambulance

All Unknown Ambulances and Hearses. Do you know more, please let me know. Thank you in advance.

van Hool Ambulance Buses (Visser Leeuwarden)

Vauxhall Ambulances since 1912

Vauxhall Hearses and ex-Hearses

1900-visser-carrosserie-leeuwarden-1ste-vestiging All Ambulances, Hearses, Heli’s e.s.o. are build by carrosserie Visser te Leeuwarden in the Netherlands a real specialist since 1900.

for the V from Volvo we are going to the next blog part XIX

see you there again

 

AMBULANCES part I international and special about Dutch Ambulances

 

Ambulance

For other uses, see Ambulance (disambiguation).

A modern van-based Volkswagen Crafterambulance in the Czech Republic

An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation, from or between places of treatment, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient. The word is often associated with road going emergency ambulances which form part of an emergency medical service, administering emergency care to those with acute medical problems.

The term ambulance does, however, extend to a wider range of vehicles other than those with flashing warning lights and sirens. The term also includes a large number of non-urgent ambulances which are for transport of patients without an urgent acute condition (see below: Functional types) and a wide range of urgent and non-urgent vehicles including trucks, vans, bicycles, motorbikes, station wagons, buses, helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, boats, and even hospital ships (see below: Vehicle types).

The term ambulance comes from the Latin word “ambulare” as meaning “to walk or move about” which is a reference to early medical care where patients were moved by lifting or wheeling. The word originally meant a moving hospital, which follows an army in its movements. Ambulances (Ambulancias in Spanish) were first used for emergency transport in 1487 by the Spanish forces during the siege of Málaga by the Catholic Monarchs against the Emirate of Granada. During the American Civil War vehicles for conveying the wounded off the field of battle were called ambulance wagons. Field hospitals were still called ambulances during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and in the Serbo-Turkish war of 1876 even though the wagons were first referred to as ambulances about 1854 during the Crimean War.

There are other types of ambulance, with the most common being the patient transport ambulance (sometimes called an ambulette). These vehicles are not usually (although there are exceptions) equipped with life-support equipment, and are usually crewed by staff with fewer qualifications than the crew of emergency ambulances. Their purpose is simply to transport patients to, from or between places of treatment. In most countries, these are not equipped with flashing lights or sirens. In some jurisdictions there is a modified form of the ambulance used, that only carries one member of ambulance crew to the scene to provide care, but is not used to transport the patient. Such vehicles are called fly-cars. In these cases a patient who requires transportation to hospital will require a patient-carrying ambulance to attend in addition to the first responder.

History

Early car-based ambulances, like this 1948 Cadillac Meteor, were sometimes also used as hearses.

U.S. ambulance in 1949

Main article: History of the ambulance

The history of the ambulance begins in ancient times, with the use of carts to transport incurable patients by force. Ambulances were first used for emergency transport in 1487 by the Spanish, and civilian variants were put into operation during the 1830s. Advances in technology throughout the 19th and 20th centuries led to the modern self-powered ambulances.

Functional types

Ambulances can be grouped into types depending on whether or not they transport patients, and under what conditions. In some cases, ambulances may fulfil more than one function (such as combining emergency ambulance care with patient transport

Emergency ambulance – The most common type of ambulance, which provide care to patients with an acute illness or injury. These can be road-going vans, boats, helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft (known as air ambulances) or even converted vehicles such as golf carts.

Patient transport ambulance – A vehicle, which has the job of transporting patients to, from or between places of medical treatment, such as hospital or dialysiscenter, for non-urgent care. These can be vans, buses or other vehicles.

Response unit – Also known as a fly-car or a [Quick Response Vehicle], which is a vehicle which is used to reach an acutely ill patient quickly, and provide on scene care, but lacks the capacity to transport the patient from the scene. Response units may be backed up by an emergency ambulance which can transport the patient, or may deal with the problem on scene, with no requirement for a transport ambulance. These can be a wide variety of vehicles, from standard cars, to modified vans, motorcycles, pedal cycles, quad bikes or horses. These units can function as a vehicle for officers or supervisors (similar to a fire chief’s vehicle, but for ambulance services). Fire & Rescue services in North America often staff EMTs or Paramedics to their apparatuses to provide medical care without the need to wait for an ambulance.

Charity ambulance – A special type of patient transport ambulance is provided by a charity for the purpose of taking sick children or adults on trips or vacations away from hospitals, hospices or care homes where they are in long term care. Examples include the United Kingdom’s ‘Jumbulance’ project. These are usually based on a bus.

Bariatric ambulance – A special type of patient transport ambulance designed for extremely obese patients equipped with the appropriate tools to move and manage these patients.

Vehicle types

In the US, there are four types of ambulances. There are Type I, Type II, Type III and Type IV. Type I is based upon a heavy truck chassis and is used primarily for Advanced Life Support and rescue work. Type II is a van based ambulance with little modifications except for a raised roof. Its use is for basic life support and transfer of patients. The Type III is a van chassis but with a custom made rear compartment and has the same use as Type I ambulances. Type IV’s are nomenclature for smaller ad hoc patient transfer using smaller utility vehicles where passenger vehicles and trucks would have difficulty in traversing, such as large industrial complexes, commercial venues, and special events with large crowds. These do not, generally, fall under Federal Regulations.

Ambulances can be based on many types of vehicle, although emergency and disaster conditions may lead to other vehicles serving as makeshift ambulances:

A Modern American Ambulance built on the Chassis of a Ford F-450 truck

Van or pickup truck – A typical ambulance is based on either the chassis of a van (vanbulance) or pickup truck. This chassis is then modified to the designs and specifications of the purchaser.

Car/SUV – Used either as a fly-car for rapid response or for patients who can sit, these are standard car models adapted to the requirements of the service using them. Some cars are capable of taking a stretcher with a recumbent patient, but this often requires the removal of the front passenger seat, or the use of a particularly long car. This was often the case with early ambulances, which were converted (or even serving) hearses, as these were some of the few vehicles able to accept a human body in a supine position.

Motorcycle – In developed areas, these are used for rapid response in an emergency as they can travel through heavy traffic much faster than a car or van. Trailers or sidecars can make these patient transporting units. See also motorcycle ambulance.

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter ambulance of the HSE National ambulance service in Ireland. This type of ambulance is typically used in England, Wales, Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Bicycle – Used for response, but usually in pedestrian-only areas where large vehicles find access difficult. Like the motorcycle ambulance, a bicycle may be connected to a trailer for patient transport, most often in the developing world. See also cycle responder.

All-terrain vehicle (ATV) – for example quad bikes; these are used for response off-road, especially at events. ATVs can be modified to carry a stretcher, and are used for tasks such as mountain rescue in inaccessible areas.

Golf cart or Neighborhood Electric Vehicle – Used for rapid response at events or on campuses. These function similarly to ATVs, with less rough terrain capability, but with less noise.

Helicopter – Usually used for emergency care, either in places inaccessible by road, or in areas where speed is of the essence, as they are able to travel significantly faster than a road ambulance. Helicopter and fixed-wing ambulances are discussed in greater detail at air ambulance.

Fixed-wing aircraft – These can be used for either acute emergency care in remote areas (such as in Australia, with the ‘Flying Doctors‘), for patient transport over long distances (e.g. a re-patriation following an illness or injury in a foreign country), or transportation between distant hospitals. Helicopter and fixed-wing ambulances are discussed in greater detail at air ambulance.

Boat – Boats can be used to serve as ambulances, especially in island areas or in areas with a large number of canals, such as the Venetianwater ambulances. Some lifeboats or lifeguard vessels may fit the description of an ambulance as they are used to transport a casualty.

Ship – Ships can be used as hospital ships, mostly operated by national military services, although some ships are operated by charities. They can meet the definition of ambulances as they provide transport to the sick and wounded (along with treatment). They are often sent to disaster or war zones to provide care for the casualties of these events.

Bus – In some cases, buses can be used for multiple casualty transport, either for the purposes of taking patients on journeys, in the context of major incidents, or to deal with specific problems such as drunken patients in town centres.Ambulance busses are discussed at greater length in their own article.

Trailer – In some instances a trailer, which can be towed behind a self-propelled vehicle can be used. This permits flexibility in areas with minimal access to vehicles, such as on small islands.

Horse and cart – Especially in developing world areas, more traditional methods of transport include transport such as horse and cart, used in much the same way as motorcycle or bicycle stretcher units to transport to a local clinic.

Hospital train – Early hospital trains functioned to carry large numbers of wounded soldiers. Similar to other ambulance types, as Western medicine developed, hospital trains gained the ability to provide treatment. In some rural locations, hospital trains now function as mobile hospitals, traveling by rail from one location to the next, then parking on a siding to provide hospital services to the local population. Hospital trains also find use in disaster response

Fire Engine – Fire services (especially in North America) often train Firefighters in emergency medicine and most apparatuses carry at least basic medical supplies. By design, apparatuses cannot transport patients.

Vehicle type gallery

• 

  Volvo V70 Fly-car in Sweden

• 

  A paramedic’s scooter in Israel

  

  In large, congested cities, paramedics may travel by bicycle, such as this one of the London Ambulance Service

• 

  An air ambulance in Austria

  

  An air ambulance in Turkey

  

  A water ambulance in the Scilly Isles

  

  A Russian hospital train

Design and construction

Ambulance design must take into account local conditions and infrastructure. Maintained roads are necessary for road going ambulances to arrive on scene and then transport the patient to a hospital, though in rugged areas four-wheel drive or all-terrain vehicles can be used. Fuel must be available and service facilities are necessary to maintain the vehicle.

Car-based ambulance in Sweden

Truck-based ambulance in Columbus, Ohio using a pre-built box system

Methods of summoning (e.g. telephone) and dispatching ambulances usually rely on electronic equipment, which itself often relies on an intact power grid. Similarly, modern ambulances are equipped with two-way radios or cellular telephones to enable them to contact hospitals, either to notify the appropriate hospital of the ambulance’s pending arrival, or, in cases where physicians do not form part of the ambulance’s crew, to confer with a physician for medical oversight.

Ambulances often have two manufacturers. The first is frequently a manufacturer of light trucks or full-size vans (or previously, cars) such as Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Toyota, or Ford. The second manufacturer (known as second stage manufacturer) purchases the vehicle (which is sometimes purchased incomplete, having no body or interior behind the driver’s seat) and turns it into an ambulance by adding bodywork, emergency vehicle equipment, and interior fittings. This is done by one of two methods – either coachbuilding, where the modifications are started from scratch and built on to the vehicle, or using a modular system, where a pre-built ‘box’ is put on to the empty chassis of the ambulance, and then finished off.

Modern ambulances are typically powered by internal combustion engines, which can be powered by any conventional fuel, including diesel, gasoline or liquefied petroleum gas, depending on the preference of the operator and the availability of different options. Colder regions often use gasoline-powered engines, as diesels can be difficult to start when they are cold. Warmer regions may favor diesel engines, as they are thought to be more efficient and more durable. Diesel power is sometimes chosen due to safety concerns, after a series of fires involving gasoline-powered ambulances during the 1980s. These fires were ultimately attributed in part to gasoline’s higher volatility in comparison to diesel fuel. The type of engine may be determined by the manufacturer: in the past two decades, Ford would only sell vehicles for ambulance conversion if they are diesel-powered. Beginning in 2010, Ford will sell its ambulance chassis with a gasoline engine in order to meet emissions requirements.

Standards

Many regions have prescribed standards which ambulances should, or must, meet in order to be used for their role. These standards may have different levels which reflect the type of patient which the ambulance is expected to transport (for instance specifying a different standard for routine patient transport than high dependency), or may base standards on the size of vehicle.

For instance, in Europe, the European Committee for Standardization publishes the standard CEN 1789, which specifies minimum compliance levels across the build of ambulance, including crash resistance, equipment levels, and exterior marking. In the United States, standards for ambulance design have existed since 1976, where the standard is published by the General Services Administration and known as KKK-1822-A. This standard has been revised several times, and is currently in version ‘F’ change #10, known as KKK-A-1822F, although not all states have adopted this version. The National Fire Protection Association has also published a design standard, NFPA 1917, which some administrations are considering switching to if KKK-A-1822F is withdrawn. The Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) has published its Ground Vehicle Standard for Ambulances effective July 2016. This standard is similar to the KKK-A-1822F and NFPA 1917-2016 specifications.

The move towards standardisation is now reaching countries without a history of prescriptive codes, such as India, which approved its first national standard for ambulance construction in 2013.

Safety

 A video on ambulance crash testing

Ambulances, like other emergency vehicles, are required to operate in all weather conditions, including those during which civilian drivers often elect to stay off the road. Also, the ambulance crew’s responsibilities to their patient often preclude their use of safety devices such as seat belts. Research has shown that ambulances are more likely to be involved in motor vehicle collisions resulting in injury or death than either fire trucks or police cars. Unrestrained occupants, particularly those riding in the patient-care compartment, are particularly vulnerable. When compared to civilian vehicles of similar size, one study found that on a per-accident basis, ambulance collisions tend to involve more people, and result in more injuries. An 11-year retrospective study concluded in 2001 found that although most fatal ambulance crashes occurred during emergency runs, they typically occurred on improved, straight, dry roads, during clear weather. Furthermore, paramedics are also at risk in ambulances while helping patients, as 27 paramedics died during ambulance trips in the US between 1991 and 2006.

Equipment

Interior of a mobile intensive care unit (MICU) ambulance from Graz, Austria

Four stages of deployment on an inboard ambulance tail lift

In addition to the equipment directly used for the treatment of patients, ambulances may be fitted with a range of additional equipment which is used in order to facilitate patient care. This could include:

Two-way radio – One of the most important pieces of equipment in modern emergency medical services as it allows for the issuing of jobs to the ambulance, and can allow the crew to pass information back to control or to the hospital (for example a priority ASHICE message to alert the hospital of the impending arrival of a critical patient.) More recently many services worldwide have moved from traditional analog UHF/VHF sets, which can be monitored externally, to more secure digital systems, such as those working on a GSM system, such as TETRA.

Mobile data terminal – Some ambulances are fitted with Mobile data terminals (or MDTs), which are connected wirelessly to a central computer, usually at the control center. These terminals can function instead of or alongside the two-way radio and can be used to pass details of jobs to the crew, and can log the time the crew was mobile to a patient, arrived, and left scene, or fulfill any other computer based function.

Evidence gathering CCTV – Some ambulances are now being fitted with video cameras used to record activity either inside or outside the vehicle. They may also be fitted with sound recording facilities. This can be used as a form of protection from violence against ambulance crews, or in some cases (dependent on local laws) to prove or disprove cases where a member of crew stands accused of malpractice.

Tail lift or ramp – Ambulances can be fitted with a tail lift or ramp in order to facilitate loading a patient without having to undertake any lifting. This is especially important where the patient is obese or specialty care transports that require large, bulky equipment such as a neonatal incubator or hospital beds. There may also be equipment linked to this such as winches which are designed to pull heavy patients into the vehicle.

Trauma lighting – In addition to normal working lighting, ambulances can be fitted with special lighting (often blue or red) which is used when the patient becomes photosensitive.

Air conditioning – Ambulances are often fitted with a separate air conditioning system to serve the working area from that which serves the cab. This helps to maintain an appropriate temperature for any patients being treated, but may also feature additional features such as filtering against airborne pathogens.

Data Recorders – These are often placed in ambulances to record such information as speed, braking power and time, activation of active emergency warnings such as lights and sirens, as well as seat belt usage. These are often used in coordination with GPS units.

Intermediate technology

In parts of the world which lack a high level of infrastructure, ambulances are designed to meet local conditions, being built using intermediate technology. Ambulances can also be trailers, which are pulled by bicycles, motorcycles, tractors, or animals. Animal-powered ambulances can be particularly useful in regions that are subject to flooding. Motorcycles fitted with sidecars (or motorcycle ambulances) are also used, though they are subject to some of the same limitations as more traditional over-the-road ambulances. The level of care provided by these ambulances varies between merely providing transport to a medical clinic to providing on-scene and continuing care during transport.

The design of intermediate technology ambulances must take into account not only the operation and maintenance of the ambulance, but its construction as well. The robustness of the design becomes more important, as does the nature of the skills required to properly operate the vehicle. Cost-effectiveness can be a high priority.

Appearance and markings

An ambulance on an oncoming lane in Moscow

Emergency ambulances are highly likely to be involved in hazardous situations, including incidents such as a road traffic collision, as these emergencies create people who are likely to be in need of treatment. They are required to gain access to patients as quickly as possible, and in many countries, are given dispensation from obeying certain traffic laws. For instance, they may be able to treat a red traffic light or stop sign as a yield sign (‘give way’), or be permitted to break the speed limit. Generally, the priority of the response to the call will be assigned by the dispatcher, but the priority of the return will be decided by the ambulance crew based on the severity of the patient’s illness or injury. Patients in significant danger to life and limb (as determined by triage) require urgent treatment by advanced medical personnel, and because of this need, emergency ambulances are often fitted with passive and active visual and/or audible warnings to alert road users.

Passive visual warnings

A North West Ambulance Serviceambulance displays reversed wording and the Star of Life, with flashing blue grille lights and wig-waggingheadlamps

The passive visual warnings are usually part of the design of the vehicle, and involve the use of high contrast patterns. Older ambulances (and those in developing countries) are more likely to have their pattern painted on, whereas modern ambulances generally carry retro-reflective designs, which reflects light from car headlights or torches. Popular patterns include ‘checker board’ (alternate coloured squares, sometimes called ‘Battenburg‘, named after a type of cake), chevrons (arrowheads – often pointed towards the front of the vehicle if on the side, or pointing vertically upwards on the rear) or stripes along the side (these were the first type of retro-reflective device introduced, as the original reflective material, invented by 3M, only came in tape form). In addition to retro-reflective markings, some services now have the vehicles painted in a bright (sometimes fluorescent) yellow or orange for maximum visual impact, though classic white or red are also common. Fire Department-operated Ambulances are often painted similarly to their apparatuses for ease of identification and the fact that bright red is a very striking color appropriate for this type of vehicle.

Another passive marking form is the word ambulance (or local language variant) spelled out in reverse on the front of the vehicle. This enables drivers of other vehicles to more easily identify an approaching ambulance in their rear view mirrors. Ambulances may display the name of their owner or operator, and an emergency telephone number for the ambulance service.

Ambulances may also carry an emblem (either as part of the passive warning markings or not), such as a Red Cross, Red Crescent or Red Crystal (collective known as the Protective Symbols). These are symbols laid down by the Geneva Convention, and all countries signatory to it agree to restrict their use to either (1) Military Ambulances or (2) the national Red Cross or Red Crescent society. Use by any other person, organization or agency is in breach of international law. The protective symbols are designed to indicate to all people (especially combatants in the case of war) that the vehicle is neutral and is not to be fired upon, hence giving protection to the medics and their casualties, although this has not always been adhered to. In Israel, Magen David Adom, the Red Cross member organization use a red Star of David, but this does not have recognition beyond Israeli borders, where they must use the Red Crystal.

The Star of Life represents emergency medical services.

The Star of Life is widely used, and was originally designed and governed by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, because the Red Cross symbol is legally protected by both National and international law. It indicates that the vehicle’s operators can render their given level of care represented on the six pointed star.

Ambulance services that have historical origins such as the Order of St John, the Order of Malta Ambulance Corps and Malteser International often use the Maltese cross to identify their ambulances. This is especially important in countries such as Australia, where St. John Ambulance operate one state and one territory ambulance service, and all of Australia’s other ambulance services use variations on a red Maltese cross.

Fire service operated ambulances may display the Cross of St. Florian (often incorrectly called a Maltese cross) as this cross is frequently used as a fire department logo (St. Florian being the patron saint of firefighters).

Active visual warnings

Main article: Emergency vehicle lighting

An ambulance in Denmark with roof-integrated LED lights, plus side-view mirror, grill and front fend-off lights, and fog lamps wig-wags

The active visual warnings are usually in the form of flashing lights. These flash in order to attract the attention of other road users as the ambulance approaches, or to provide warning to motorists approaching a stopped ambulance in a dangerous position on the road. Common colours for ambulance warning beacons are blue, red, amber, and white (clear). However the colours may vary by country and sometimes by operator.

There are several technologies in use to achieve the flashing effect. These include flashing a light bulb or LED, flashing or rotating halogen, and strobe lights, which are usually brighter than incandescent lights. Each of these can be programmed to flash singly or in groups, and can be programmed to flash in patterns (such as a left -> right pattern for use when the ambulance is parked on the left hand side of the road, indicating to other road users that they should move to the right (away from the ambulance)). Incandescent and LED lights may also be programmed to burn steadily, without flashing, which is required in some provinces.

Emergency lights may simply be mounted directly on the body, or may be housed in special fittings, such as in a lightbar or in special flush-mount designs (as seen on the Danish ambulance to the right), or may be hidden in a host light (such as a headlamp) by drilling a hole in the host light’s reflector and inserting the emergency light. These hidden lights may not be apparent until they are activated. Additionally, some of the standard lights fitted to an ambulance (e.g. headlamps, tail lamps) may be programmed to flash. Flashing headlights (typically the high beams, flashed alternately) are known as a wig-wag.

In order to increase safety, it is best practice to have 360° coverage with the active warnings, improving the chance of the vehicle being seen from all sides. In some countries, such as the United States, this may be mandatory. The roof, front grille, sides of the body, and front fenders are common places to mount emergency lights. A certain balance must be made when deciding on the number and location of lights: too few and the ambulance may not be noticed easily, too many and it becomes a massive distraction for other road users more than it is already, increasing the risk of local accidents.

See also Emergency vehicle equipment.

Audible warnings

Main article: Audible warning devices

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A Whelen(R) siren with wail, yelpand phaser tones is a common sound in many cities

In addition to visual warnings, ambulances can be fitted with audible warnings, sometimes known as sirens, which can alert people and vehicles to the presence of an ambulance before they can be seen. The first audible warnings were mechanical bells, mounted to either the front or roof of the ambulance. Most modern ambulances are now fitted with electronic sirens, producing a range of different noises which ambulance operators can use to attract more attention to themselves, particularly when proceeding through an intersection or in heavy traffic.

The speakers for modern sirens can be integral to the lightbar, or they may be hidden in or flush to the grill to reduce noise inside the ambulance that may interfere with patient care and radio communications. Ambulances can additionally be fitted with airhorn audible warnings to augment the effectiveness of the siren system, or may be fitted with extremely loud two-tone airhorns as their primary siren.

A recent development is the use of the RDS system of car radios. The ambulance is fitted with a short range FM transmitter, set to RDS code 31, which interrupts the radio of all cars within range, in the manner of a traffic broadcast, but in such a way that the user of the receiving radio is unable to opt out of the message (as with traffic broadcasts). This feature is built into every RDS radio for use in national emergency broadcast systems, but short range units on emergency vehicles can prove an effective means of alerting traffic to their presence. It is, however, unlikely that this system could replace audible warnings, as it is unable to alert pedestrians, those not using a compatible radio or even have it turned off.

Service providers

An ambulance from St John Ambulance WA in Perth

A volunteer ambulance crew in Modena, Italy

A city fire service ambulance from the Tokyo Fire Department.

Non-acute patient transport ambulance from New Zealand.

Some countries closely regulate the industry (and may require anyone working on an ambulance to be qualified to a set level), whereas others allow quite wide differences between types of operator.

Government Ambulance Service – Operating separately from (although alongside) the fire and police service of the area, these ambulances are funded by local or national government. In some countries, these only tend to be found in big cities, whereas in countries such as the United Kingdom almost all emergency ambulances are part of a nationwide system under the National Health Service. In Canada ambulance services are normally operated by local municipalities or provincial health agencies as a separate entity from fire or police services.

Fire or Police Linked Service – In countries such as the United States, Japan, Hong Kong and France ambulances can be operated by the local fire or police service, more commonly the fire service due to overlapping calls. This is particularly common in rural areas, where maintaining a separate service is not necessarily cost effective, or by service preference such as in Los Angeles where the Los Angeles Fire Department prefers to handle all parts of emergency medicine in-house. In some cases this can lead to an illness or injury being attended by a vehicle other than an ambulance, such as a fire truck, and firefighters must maintain higher standards of medical capability.

Volunteer Ambulance Service – Charities or non-profit companies operate ambulances, both in an emergency and patient transport function. This may be along similar lines to volunteer fire companies, providing the main service for an area, and either community or privately owned. They may be linked to a voluntary fire department, with volunteers providing both services. There are charities who focus on providing ambulances for the community, or for cover at private events (sports etc.). The Red Cross provides this service across the world on a volunteer basis. (and in others as a Private Ambulance Service), as do other organisations such as St John Ambulance and the Order of Malta Ambulance Corps. These volunteer ambulances may be seen providing support to the full-time ambulance crews during times of emergency. In some cases the volunteer charity may employ paid members of staff alongside volunteers to operate a full-time ambulance service, such in some parts of Australia and in Ireland and New Zealand.

Private Ambulance Service – Normal commercial companies with paid employees, but often on contract to the local or national government. Private companies may provide only the patient transport elements of ambulance care (i.e. nonurgent or ambulatory transport), but in some places, they are contracted to provide emergency care, or to form a ‘second tier’ response. In many areas private services cover all emergency transport functions and government agencies do not provide this service. Companies such as Falck, Acadian Ambulance, and American Medical Response are some of the larger companies that provide such services. These organisations may also provide services known as ‘Stand-by’ cover at industrial sites or at special events. From April 2011 all private ambulance services in the UK must be Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered. Private services in Canada operate non-emergency patient transfers or for private functions only.

Combined Emergency Service – these are full service emergency service agencies, which may be found in places such as airports or large colleges and universities. Their key feature is that all personnel are trained not only in ambulance (EMT) care, but as a firefighter and a peace officer (police function). They may be found in smaller towns and cities, where size or budget does not warrant separate services. This multi-functionality allows to make the most of limited resource or budget, but having a single team respond to any emergency.

Hospital Based Service – Hospitals may provide their own ambulance service as a service to the community, or where ambulance care is unreliable or chargeable. Their use would be dependent on using the services of the providing hospital.

Charity Ambulance – This special type of ambulance is provided by a charity for the purpose of taking sick children or adults on trips or vacations away from hospitals, hospices or care homes where they are in long term care. Examples include the UK’s ‘Jumbulance’ project.

Company Ambulance – Many large factories and other industrial centres, such as chemical plants, oil refineries, breweries and distilleries, have ambulance services provided by employers as a means of protecting their interests and the welfare of their staff. These are often used as first response vehicles in the event of a fire or explosion.

Costs

The cost of an ambulance ride may be paid for from several sources, and this will depend on the type of service being provided, by whom, and possibly who to.

Government funded service – The full or the majority of the cost of transport by ambulance is borne by the local, regional, or national government (through their normal taxation).

Privately funded service – Transport by ambulance is paid for by the patient themselves, or through their insurance company. This may be at the point of care (i.e. payment or guarantee must be made before treatment or transport), although this may be an issue with critically injured patients, unable to provide such details, or via a system of billing later on.

Charity funded service – Transport by ambulance may be provided free of charge to patients by a charity, although donations may be sought for services received.

Hospital funded service – Hospitals may provide the ambulance transport free of charge, on the condition that patients use the hospital’s services (which they may have to pay for).

Crewing

Various ambulance crews help to load a patient into an air ambulance in Pretoria

There are differing levels of qualification that the ambulance crew may hold, from holding no formal qualification to having a fully qualified doctor on board. Most ambulance services require at least two crew members to be on every ambulance (one to drive, and one to attend the patient), although response cars may have a sole crew member, possibly backed up by another double-crewed ambulance. It may be the case that only the attendant need be qualified, and the driver might have no medical training. In some locations, an advanced life support ambulance may be crewed by one paramedic and one EMT-Basic.

Common ambulance crew qualifications are:

1. First responder – A person who arrives first at the scene of an incident, and whose job is to provide early critical care such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR) or using an automated external defibrillator (AED). First responders may be dispatched by the ambulance service, may be passers-by, or may be dispatched to the scene from other agencies, such as the police or fire departments.
2. Ambulance Driver – Some services employ staff with no medical qualification (or just a first aid certificate) whose job is to simply drive the patients from place to place. In some emergency ambulance contexts this term is a pejorative toward qualified providers implying that they perform no function but driving, although it may be acceptable for patient transport or community operations. In some areas, these drivers would survey and study the local network of routes for better performance of service, as some road routes may be blocked, and the driver must know another route to the patient or to the hospital. The driver would gather the local weather and traffic status reports before and in-between emergencies. They may also have training in using the radio and knowing where medical supplies are stored in the ambulance.
3. Ambulance Care Assistant – Have varying levels of training across the world, but these staff are usually only required to perform patient transport duties (which can include stretcher or wheelchaircases), rather than acute care. Dependent on provider, they may be trained in first aid or extended skills such as use of an AED, oxygen therapy and other lifesaving or palliative skills. They may provide emergency cover when other units are not available, or when accompanied by a fully qualified technician or paramedic.
4. Emergency Care Assistant/Emergency Care Support Workers – Also known as ECA/ECSW are members of a frontline ambulance that drive the vehicles under both emergency and non-emergency conditions to incidents. Their role is to assist the clinician that they are working with, either a Technician or Paramedic, in their duties, whether that be drawing up drugs, setting up fluids (but not attaching), doing basic observations or performing 12 lead ECG assessments.
5. Emergency medical technician – Also known as Ambulance Technician. Technicians are usually able to perform a wide range of emergency care skills, such as defibrillation, spinal immobilization, bleeding control, splinting of suspected fractures, assisting the patient with certain medications, and oxygen therapy. Some countries split this term into levels (such as in the US, where there is EMT-Basic and EMT-Intermediate).
6. Registered nurse (RN) – Nurses can be involved in ambulance work dependent on the jurisdiction, and as with doctors, this is mostly as air-medical rescuers often in conjunction with a technician or paramedic. They may bring different skills to the care of the patient, especially those who may be critically ill or injured in locations that do not enjoy close proximity to a high level of definitive care such as trauma, cardiac, or stroke centers.
7. Paramedic – This is a high level of medical training and usually involves key skills not permissible for technicians, such as cannulation (and with it the ability to administer a range of drugs such as morphine), tracheal intubation and other skills such as performing a cricothyrotomy. Dependent on jurisdiction, the title “paramedic” can be a protected title, and use of it without the relevant qualification may result in criminal prosecution.
8. Emergency Care Practitioner – This position, sometimes called ‘Super Paramedic’ in the media, is designed to bridge the link between ambulance care and the care of a general practitioner. ECPs are already qualified paramedics who have undergone further training, and are trained to prescribe medicines for longer term care, such as antibiotics, as well as being trained in a range of additional diagnostic techniques.
9. Doctor – Doctors are present on some ambulances – most notably air ambulances – will employ physicians to attend on the ambulances, bringing a full range of additional skills such as use of prescription medicines.

Military use

An URO VAMTAC ambulance of the Spanish Army emblazoned with the Red Cross

1917 Red Cross ambulance

Military ambulances have historically included vehicles based on civilian designs and at times also included armored, but unarmed, vehicles ambulances based upon armoured personnel carriers (APCs). In the Second World War vehicles such as the Hanomag Sd Kfz 251 halftrack were pressed into service as ad hoc ambulances, and in more recent times purpose built AFVs such as the U.S. M1133 Medical Evacuation Vehicle serve the exclusive purpose of armored medical vehicles. Civilian based designs may be painted in appropriate colours, depending on the operational requirements (i.e. camouflage for field use, white for United Nations peacekeeping, etc.). For example, the British Royal Army Medical Corps has a fleet of white ambulances, based on production trucks. Military helicopters have also served both as ad hoc and purpose-built air ambulances, since they are extremely useful for MEDEVAC. In terms of equipment, military ambulances are barebones, often being nothing more than a box on wheels with racks to place manual stretchers, though for the operational conditions and level of care involved this is usually sufficient.

Since laws of war demand ambulances be marked with one of the Emblems of the Red Cross not to mount offensive weapons, military ambulances are often unarmed. It is a generally accepted practice in most countries to classify the personnel attached to military vehicles marked as ambulances as non-combatants; however, this application does not always exempt medical personnel from catching enemy fire—accidental or deliberate. As a result, medics and other medical personnel attached to military ambulances are usually put through basic military training, on the assumption that they may have to use a weapon. The laws of war do allow non-combatant military personnel to carry individual weapons for protecting themselves and casualties. However, not all militaries exercise this right to their personnel.

USNS Mercy, a U.S. Navy hospital ship

Recently, the Israeli Defense Forces has modified a number of its Merkava main battle tanks with ambulance features in order to allow rescue operations to take place under heavy fire in urban warfare. The modifications were made following a failed rescue attempt in which Palestinian gunmen killed two soldiers who were providing aid for a Palestinian woman in Rafah. Since M-113 armored personnel carriers and regular up-armored ambulances are not sufficiently protected against anti-tankweapons and improvised explosive devices, it was decided to use the heavily armored Merkava tank. Its rear door enables the evacuation of critically wounded soldiers. Israel did not remove the Merkava’s weaponry, claiming that weapons were more effective protection than emblems since Palestinian militants would disregard any symbols of protection and fire at ambulances anyway. For use as ground ambulances and treatment & evacuation vehicles, the United States military currently employs the M113, the M577, the M1133Stryker Medical Evacuation Vehicle (MEV), and the RG-33 Heavily Armored Ground Ambulance (HAGA) as treatment and evacuation vehicles, with contracts to incorporate the newly designed M2A0 Armored Medical Evacuation Vehicle (AMEV), a variant of the M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle (formerly known as the ATTV).

Some navies operate ocean-going hospital ships to lend medical assistance in high casualty situations like wars or natural disasters. These hospital ships fulfill the criteria of an ambulance (transporting the sick or injured), although the capabilities of a hospital ship are more on par with a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. In line with the laws of war, these ships can display a prominent Red Cross or Red Crescent to confer protection under the appropriate Geneva convention. However, this designation has not always protected hospital ships from enemy fire.

Reuse of retired ambulances

Retired ambulances may find reuse in less-demanding emergency services, such as this logistics unit, such as this Ford E-Series ambulance.

When an ambulance is retired, it may be donated or sold to another EMS provider. Alternately, it may be adapted into a storage and transport vehicle for crime scene identification equipment, a command post at community events, or support vehicle, such as a logistics unit. Others are refurbished and resold, or may just have their emergency equipment removed to be sold to private businesses or individuals, who then can use them as small recreational vehicles.

Toronto‘s City Council has begun a “Caravan of Hope” project to provide retired Toronto ambulances a second life by donating them to the people of El Salvador. Since the Province of Ontario requires that ambulances be retired after just four and a half years in service in Ontario, the City of Toronto decommissions and auctions 28 ambulances each year.

Ambulances in the Netherlands:

1905 Belgische Germain 24 H.P

1905-30 Mobil Ambulance Dinas Kesehatan Gemeente Batavia

1909 De Spyker ambulances voor het Roode Kruis

1909 SPIJKER Ambulance amsterdam redcross lehmann trompenburg

1909 spyker ambulance van het rode kruis rode kruisziekenhuis den haag

1909 spyker rodekruis

1909 ziekenauto is een Fiat

1909 ziekenauto red cross

1909 fiat kroeskop meppel

1912 Spijker 16pk, de ziekenauto in die tijd in Rheden

1912-14 Adler betreft met zeer waarschijnlijk een carroserie v d N.V. Fabriek voor luxe rijtuigen en automobielen vh gebroeders H & F Kimman De nieuwe Haarlemsche ziekenauto zijingang

1912-14 Adler betreft met zeer waarschijnlijk een carroserie v d N.V. Fabriek voor luxe rijtuigen en automobielen vh gebroeders H & F Kimman De nieuwe Haarlemsche ziekenauto zijingang

1912-1913 Fiat of Opel Ambulance Groningen-bakker-emmamij-1913-2

1914 Spyker

1915 Leeuwarder ziekenauto (spyker)

1916 ford-t-ambulances-st-vincents-web

1917 Ford Model T Army ambulance

1918 FIAT de eerste ziekenauto van Kroeskop in Meppel

1918 Ford T Ambulance

1920 Dodge Brothers model 30 Ambulance Zuid Holland Wateringen H-31364

1920 Dodge Brothers model 30 Ambulance Zuid Holland Wateringen H-31364

1920 Dodge Brothers model 30 Ambulance Zuid Holland Wateringen H-31364

1920 Dodge Brothers Ziekenauto

1920 Oudkerkhof Utrecht. De ziekenauto van de GGD rukt uit (HUA)

1920 Spyker and Maybach

1920-25 Gemeentelijke Geneeskundige Dienst bij een drenkeling langs het Merwedekanaal te Utrecht

1926 Ziekenauto Vlaardingen

1927 Gemeentelijke Gezonheidsdienst Ziekenauto te Batavia

1927 ziekenauto gebaseerd op een T Ford vracht auto chassis

1928 chevrolet-ambulance-700

1928 Dodge brothers ziekenauto NL

1928 Morris Commercial T Type Tonner

1928 Studebaker type D5521 carr Jan Karsijns NL

1929 Cadillac serie 353 Kijlstra Drachten NL

1929 Eerste ziekenauto Hilversum 3 nov 1929

1930 Burgemeester Troost Waddinxveen met ziekenauto in 1930 met chauffeur v.Gelder NL

1930 Cadillac Ambulance v Leersum NL

1931 Cadillac B21473 de Vrij Leeuwarden Serie 341B NL

1934 Ambulance Adler Standard 8 B-20341 NL

1934 Lincoln type KB B-21473 W de Vrij Leeuwarden NL

1936 Cadillac series Rust Groningen de Vrij Leeuwarden NL

1936 Chevrolet Matane 1940, première ambulance Leon Sihors NL

1937 Hudson ambulance NL

1938 Het Sint Jozefziekenhuis beschikt over een Vauxhall ambulance NL

1938 Mercedes-Benz L1500E NL ?

1939 Packard Ziekenauto op Storkterrein Hengelo NL

 

 

NIOD01_AE0218, 13-03-2002, 15:52, 8C, 4799×3362 (1508+3887), 100%, niod poster fo, 1/60 s, R57.0, G17.4, B17.9

1940 Ziekenauto Bedrijfsongeval Demka fabrieken te Zuilen NL

1941 1e-ambulance-peugeot-d4b-carr-visser NL

1942 Austin K2HZ77982 Visser de Vries Assen NL

1942 chevrolet-ambulance de Vries Assen NL

1943 Amerikaanse Dodge WC54 Ambulance 2nd WW NL

1944 Cadillac multifunctionele zieken, doden, brandweer en taxiauto Ommen NL

1945 Austin K2 NL

1945 Chevrolet ziekenauto GG&GD Amsterdam NL collectie Jan Korte

1947 Cadillac Fleetwood kent Compaan Poepe Assen Holten Reinders Roden NL

1947 Ziekenauto uit Sneek Chauffeur was T.J Vallinga. met Packard uit 1947

1948 Ford ambulance-ziekenauto, die bemand werd door de verpleger-chauffeur Bolks NL

1948 Ford ? Ziekenauto Drachten NL

1949 Chevrolet GK2100 TG3225 De Boer Co Assen De Vries Assen NL

1949 gezondheidsdienst. G.G.D. boot in het water en de ziekenauto op de kant. Het was een repetitie in 1949

1950 Packard 1950 Buick en Buick De Vrij Zuiderplein Lw NL

1950 Packard de luxe supereight ambulance NL

1950 Packard de luxe supereight ambulance carr. de Vrij Leeuwarden NL

1950 van links naar rechts de Packard DeLuxe Super Eight uit 1950, de Buick Roadmaster uit 1955 en de Buick Super Series 50-70

1953 Mercedes-Benz ambulance NT-72-51 NL

1955 Buick Ambulance by de Vrij Leeuwarden SG-08-01  NL

1955 Ford Type 79B Country Sedan SP8342 Compaan Poepe Assen De Vries Assen NL

1956 Buick Roadmaster de Vrij Leeuwarden NL

1958 Buick Limited Series 700 met kenteken ZD-57-31 NL

1958 Cadillac Ambulance de Vrij Leeuwarden NL

1959 Verschillende Ambulances NL

Cadillac Ambulance

1960 Cadillac type BT6246 DT2956 Smit Joure de Vrij Leeuwarden NL

1964 Chevrolet Ziekenauto van de GG en GD Voorburg

1964 Ford Transit FK1000 UN5697 carr St Pancras KW1

1965 Mercedes-Benz 190 Ambulance NL

1965 Mercedes Benz LP 1213 truck from the steered front axle series, medium-duty class1965 Peugeot 403 Pickup D4B Bus Ambulance Brochure

1965 Peugeot D4B Ambulance gemeente Texel

1966 Ford Transit 8999 BV Ambulance carrosserie de Vries Assen NL

1966 Mercedes Benz Ambulance NL

1967 Citroën ID 19 Ambulance NL

1967 Mercedes 230 Ambulance

1967 Opel Admiraal ziekenauto Geleen opel kapitein NL

1967-68 Mercedes Benz 230 amb 84-91-FM

Miesen, 1968

1968-mercedes-benz-limousine ambulance-114-115 car. Miesen NL

1967 peugeot-j7-ambulance-verkoop-brochure

1967-76 Mercedes-Benz W114-115 84-83-UL Visser Leeuwarden NL

1969 Citroën hy-ambulance NL

1968 Mercedes-Benz ambulance Visser, Leeuwarden ZS-97-16

1969 20-93-JM MERCEDES-BENZ W114 230 BINZ Ambulance NL

1969 Peugeot-J7-Ambulance NL

1971 Merc Benz 220

1970 Bedford Ambulance HY-91-JT NL

1971 Mercedes W114 Ambulance NL

1971 Mercedes-Benz W122 5735RR Visser de Vries Assen NL

1971 peugeot-j7-ambulance-carrosserie-visser-standplaats-schiphol NL 1972 Mercedes W114 230 Visser Ambulance NL

1974 M38A1-NEKAF-Nederlandse-Kaiser-Frazer-Fabrieken-Rotterdam-Ambulance-Royal-Dutch-Army-1974-Jan-W.-Michielsenweb

1975 Dodge B200 56GF46 Visser de Vries Assen NL

1975 Dodge van 08GK53 Akkermans de Vries Assen TT NL.

 1975 Mercedes-Benz W122 8970HJ Binz De Vries Assen NL

1975 Mercedes-Benz Ambulance Wagenpark Eindhovense GG

1977 Dodge B200 64RE70 Wayne De Vries Assen

1977 Volvo 245 53RT52 De Vries Assen TT Assen NL

1978 Chevrolet Chevy Van 27UP55 WHC De Vries Assen

1978 Peugeot 504 Ambulance NL

1979 GMC Van FF71RZ WHC De Vries Assen NL

1979 Mercedes Benz W123 250 automatic Binz Ambulance NL

1979 Peugeot 504 Ambulance NL

1980 Mercedes-Benz 240D NL

1981 Volvo 245 HD18GP De Vries Assen ANWB Alarmcentrale NL

1984 Mercedes-Benz Bremer LK93FP WHC De Vries Assen NL

1985 PEUGEOT 505 GR Ambulance NL

1986 Opel Senator Miesen Ambulance D

1987 Peugeot J9 ambulance Leiden en omstreken RP-44-XJ NL

1988 Chevrolet Vanguard met zwaailichten aan NL

1989 Mercedes-Benz W124 XY-96-JS Binz carr NL

1994 German Army ambulance version of Mercedes Benz G250 ook gebruikt in Nederlands leger.

1996 Volvo 960 NVJH33 RAV Drenthe.941.co NL

2001 Nederlandse Volvo S80 ambulance met Nilson carrosserie NL 2013 Mercedes-Benz Ambulance 08116 uit veiligheidsregio Gelderland Zuid NL

See also

Air ambulance

Ambulance bus

Ambulance station

Bariatric ambulance

CEN 1789

Combination car

Cutaway van chassis

Emergency Medical Dispatcher

Emergency medical services

Fly-car

Motorcycle ambulance

Rail ambulance

What-is-a-private-ambulance

References and notes

1. Jump up^ Skinner, Henry Alan. 1949, “The Origin of Medical Terms”. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins
2. Jump up^ “How Products Are Made: Ambulance”. How products are made. Archived from the original on 25 March 2007. Retrieved 2 June 2007.
3. Jump up^ Oxford English Dictionary ambulance definition 1
4. Jump up^ Civil War Ambulance Wagons
5. Jump up^ The memoirs of Charles E. Ryan With An Ambulance Personal Experiences And Adventures With Both Armies 1870–1871 [1]and of Emma Maria Pearson and Louisa McLaughlin Our Adventures During the War of 1870 “Archived copy” (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 April 2008. Retrieved 25 March 2008.
6. Jump up^ Emma Maria Pearson and Louisa McLaughlin Service in Servia Under the Red Cross “Archived copy” (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 July 2008. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
7. Jump up^ Oxford English Dictionary ambulance definition 2a
8. ^ Jump up to:^a b “Essex Ambulance Response Cars”. Car Pages. 24 July 2004. Retrieved 27 June 2007.
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11. Jump up^ http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/100847
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38. Jump up^ “National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, see campaign ID #s 87V111000 & 87V113000”. NHTSA. Archived from the original on 30 May 2007. Retrieved 2 June 2007.
39. Jump up^ “Ford Ambulance/Van Fuel-Fed Fires”. Center for Auto Safety. Retrieved 13 February 2010.
40. Jump up^ “2006 Ford E-Series Cutaway Chassis: Specifications”. Ford. Retrieved 2 June 2007.
41. Jump up^ “2006 Ford F-Series Super Duty Chassis Cab Ambulance: Specifications”. Ford. Retrieved 2 June 2007.
42. Jump up^ “2006 Ford E-Series Van Ambulance: Specifications”. Ford. Retrieved 2 June 2007.
43. Jump up^ James Philips. “Ford to Offer Gasoline Ambulances in 2010”.
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45. Jump up^ Cole, Dean (2013). “Ambulance Vehicle Design Specifications Revision” (PDF). Nebraska EMS/Trauma Program. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
46. Jump up^ “Ministry gives its nod to national ambulance code”. The Statesman. 7 June 2013.
47. Jump up^ Becker LR, Zaloshnja E, Levick N, Li G, Miller TR (November 2003). “Relative risk of injury and death in ambulances and other emergency vehicles”. Accid Anal Prev. 35 (6): 941–8. doi:10.1016/S0001-4575(02)00102-1. PMID 12971929.
48. Jump up^ Ray AF, Kupas DF (October–December 2005). “Comparison of crashes involving ambulances with those of similar-sized vehicles”. Prehosp Emerg Care. 9 (4): 412–5. doi:10.1080/10903120500253813. PMID 16263674.
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VAUXHALL England UK

Vauxhall Motors

General Motors UK Limited
(trading as Vauxhall Motors)

Trading name	Vauxhall Motors
Type	Limited company
Industry	Automotive
Predecessors	Alex Wilson and Company (1857) Vauxhall Iron Works (1897)
Founded	London, England (1857)
Founders	Alexander Wilson
Headquarters	Luton, Bedfordshire, UK
Number of locations	Two manufacturing facilities in the UK
Area served	United Kingdom
Key people	Tim Tozer, Chairman & Managing Director
Products	Automobiles Commercial vehicles
Production output	232,255 (2012 sales)
Services	Vehicle financing
Revenue	£3.785 billion (2004)
Operating income	£131 million (2004)
Profit	£-176 million (2004)
Owners	General Motors Company(Exhibit 21)
Employees	4,029 (2011)
Parent	Adam Opel AG
Divisions	VXR
Website	vauxhall.co.uk
Footnotes / references

Vauxhall Motors (/ˈvɒksɔːl/; registered name General Motors UK Limited) is an English automotive manufacturing and distribution company headquartered in Luton, Bedfordshire, and an affiliated company of the German Adam Opel AG, both being wholly owned subsidiaries of the American General Motors (GM). The company sells passenger cars and light commercial vehicles under the Vauxhall marque; in the past it has also sold buses and trucks under the Bedford brand. Vauxhall has been the second-largest-selling car brand in the UK for more than two decades.

Vauxhall was founded by Alexander Wilson in 1857 as a pump and marine engine manufacturer and began manufacturing cars in 1903. It was acquired by GM in 1925. Bedford Vehicles was established as a subsidiary of Vauxhall in 1930 to manufacture commercial vehicles. Having previously been a luxury car brand, after the Second World War Vauxhall became increasingly mass-market. Since 1980, Vauxhall products have been largely identical to those of Opel, GM’s German subsidiary, and most models are principally engineered in Rüsselsheim, Germany. During the 1980s the Vauxhall brand was withdrawn from sale in all countries apart from the UK and its dependencies. Throughout its history, Vauxhall has been active in motorsports, including rallying and the British Touring Car Championship.

Vauxhall has major manufacturing facilities in Luton (commercial vehicles, IBC Vehicles) and Ellesmere Port, UK (passenger cars). The Luton plant currently employs around 900 staff and has a capacity of approximately 100,000 units. The Ellesmere Port plant currently employs around 1,880 staff and has a capacity of approximately 187,000 units. A high proportion of Vauxhall-branded vehicles sold in the UK, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are produced at Opel factories in Germany, Spain and Poland, and roughly 80% of Vauxhall production is exported, most of which is sold under the Opel brand.

Notable former Vauxhall production cars include the Viva, Victor, Chevette and Cavalier. The current Vauxhall car range includes the Adam (city car), Viva (city car), Ampera (extended range electric vehicle), Astra (small family car), Cascada (convertible), Corsa (supermini), Insignia (large family car), Meriva (compact MPV), Mokka (subcompact SUV) and Zafira Tourer (large MPV). Vauxhall sells high-performance versions of some of its models under the VXR sub-brand.

History

Foundation to 1925

Oldest surviving Vauxhall, delivered in November 1903

30–98 Velox 1926

Vauxhall Griffin
on a 1921 Vauxhall 25

Scottish marine engineer Alexander Wilson founded the company at 90–92 Wandsworth Road, Vauxhall, London in 1857. Originally named Alex Wilson and Company, then Vauxhall Iron Works from 1897, the company built pumps and marine engines. In 1903 the company built its first car, a five-horsepower single-cylinder model steered using a tiller, with two forward gears and no reverse gear. About 70 were made in the first year, before the car was improved with wheel steering and a reverse gear in 1904. A single survivor could still be seen at the London Science Museum in 1968.

To expand, the company moved the majority of its production to Luton in 1905. The company continued to trade under the name Vauxhall Iron Works until 1907, when the modern name of Vauxhall Motors was adopted. The company was characterised by its sporting models, but after World War I the company’s designs were more austere.

Much of Vauxhall’s success during the early years of Vauxhall Motors was attributable to Laurence Pomeroy. He joined Vauxhall in 1906 at the age of twenty-two, as an assistant draughtsman. In the winter of 1907/8, the chief designer F. W. Hodges took a long holiday, and in his absence the managing director Percy Kidner asked Pomeroy to design an engine for cars to be entered in the 1908 RAC and Scottish Reliability Trial, held in June that year. The cars were so successful that Pomeroy took over from Hodges.

Pomeroy’s first design, the Y-Type Y1, had outstanding success at the 1908 RAC and Scottish 2000 Mile Reliability Trials – showing excellent hill climbing ability with an aggregate of 37 seconds less time in the hill climbs than any other car in its class. With unparalleled speeds around the Brooklands circuit, the Vauxhall was so far ahead of all other cars of any class that the driver could relax, accomplishing the 200 miles (320 km) at an average speed of 46 mph (74 km/h), when the car was capable of 55 mph (89 km/h). The Y-Type went on to win class E of the Trial.

The Y-Type was so successful that it was decided to put the car into production as the A09 car. This spawned the Vauxhall A-Type. Four distinct types of this were produced between 27 October 1908 – up to when mass production halted in 1914. One last A-Type was put together in 1920. Capable of up to 100 mph (160 km/h), the A-Type Vauxhall was one of the most acclaimed 3-litre cars of its day.

Two cars were entered in the 1910 Prince Henry Trials, and although not outright winners, performed well, and replicas were made for sale officially as the C-type – but now known as the Prince Henry. During the First World War, Vauxhall made large numbers of the D-type, a Prince Henry chassis with de-rated engine, for use as staff cars for the British forces.

After the 1918 armistice, the D-type remained in production, along with the sporting E-type. Pomeroy left in 1919, moving to the United States, and was replaced by C.E. King. In spite of making good cars, expensive pedigree cars of the kind that had served the company well in the prosperous pre-war years were no longer in demand: the company struggled to make a consistent profit and Vauxhall looked for a major strategic partner.

1925 to 1945

 A Mk IV Churchill tank (75mm), of which 7,368 were manufactured by Vauxhall between 1941 and 1945

On 16 November 1925, Vauxhall was acquired by General Motors Corporation for US$2.5 million. The company’s image and target market were gently but firmly changed over the next five and more years, marked particularly by the introduction in late 1930 of the low-cost two-litre Vauxhall Cadetand the next year the first Bedford truck, which was Chevrolet based. Vauxhall’s chief engineer since 1920, Charles Evelyn King, would retire as engineering director in 1950. The company’s future chief engineer, Harold Drew, left Luton for a spell working as a draughtsman with GM’s Lansing-based Oldsmobile division. As the first significant post-acquisition passenger car, the Cadet, initially retailing at £280, is generally regarded as demonstrating Vauxhall’s newly acquired interest and expertise in controlling production costs, but it was also the first British car to feature a synchromesh gearbox.

During the Second World War car production at Luton was suspended to allow Vauxhall to work on the new Churchill tank. Despite a bombing raid in August 1940, in which 39 employees were killed, it was taken from specification to production in less than a year, and assembled there (as well as at other sites). More than 5,600 Churchill tanks were built. Luton also produced around 250,000 lorries for the war effort, alongside the new Bedford Dunstable plant, which was opened in 1942, with Bedford designs being common in British use. As a morale booster for the company employees, on 23, 24 and 25 February 1944, Adelaide Hall appeared in concert at the factory in Luton, where she entertained the employees during their lunch break. In all she performed in front of more than 10,000 workers; it was the first time that Vauxhall had contracted a star to perform at their factory for three consecutive days.

1945 to 1970

A buyer and seller looking under the bonnet of a Vauxhall at a dealership in Denmark in the 1950s

Passenger car production resumed after the end of the Second World War. Models were more mass-market than pre-war products, helping to drive an expansion of the company. A manufacturing plant at Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, was opened in 1962, initially making components to supply to the production lines in Luton, before passenger car production began there in 1964.

In 1963 production of the Vauxhall Viva small family car commenced, with the new car being aimed at the likes of the Ford Anglia and Morris Minor. The German version of the car was sold as the Opel Kadett. The locally assembled Vauxhall Viva was launched in Australia in May 1964. In 1966 Vauxhall’s Slant Four went into production – the first production overhead camshaft inline-four engine to use a rubber timing belt. Also the FD Victor was launched at the Earls Court Motor Show, considered by many to be one of Vauxhall’s finest all-British styling efforts.

During the 1960s Vauxhall acquired a reputation for making rust-prone models. The corrosion protection built into models was tightened up significantly, but the reputation dogged the company until the early 1980s.

In 1967 Vauxhall became a Royal Warrant Holder: Motor Vehicle Manufacturers to HM The Queen – The Royal Mews. The warrant of HRH The Prince of Wales was added in 1994.

By the late 1960s, the company was achieving five-figure sales on its most popular models, including the entry-level Viva and larger Victor.

1970 to 1990

In 1970 the HC Viva was launched, which went on to become Vauxhall’s best-selling car of the decade. In 1973 the Vauxhall Firenza “Droopsnoot” was unveiled at the Earls Court Motor Show, introducing the public to Vauxhall’s new aerodynamic look for all of its subsequent 1970s models.

By 1973 the Victor was losing sales in a market that was becoming increasingly dominated by the Ford Cortina. This was not enough to keep Vauxhall from being well behind market leaders Ford and British Leyland in sales, and most of its range was struggling even to keep pace with Chrysler UK (formerly the Rootes Group).

The Cavalier Mark I, in production from 1975 to 1981

Vauxhall’s sales began to increase in 1975, with the launch of two important new models – the Chevette, a small three-door hatchback that was the first car of its kind to be built in Britain, the Chevette carrying the name Opel Kadett in Europe, and Chevrolet Chevette in the US and Canadian markets; and the Cavalier (Opel Ascona and Opel Manta elsewhere), a stylish four-door saloon designed to compete head-to-head with the all-conquering Ford Cortina. A two-door coupe and three-door “sport hatch” had joined the Cavalier range by 1978, but there was no estate version.

By the end of the 1970s, Vauxhall had boosted its market share substantially, and was fast closing in on Ford and British Leyland.

In 1978 Vauxhall strengthened its position in the executive car market with the launch of its all-new Carlton saloon and estate, which were facelifted versions of the German-built Opel Rekord.

By 1979, Vauxhall had increased its market share substantially; it was still some way behind Ford and British Leyland, but had overtaken Talbot (the Peugeot owned successor to Rootes and Chrysler UK). Early in 1980, Vauxhall moved into the modern family hatchback market with its Astra, (Opel Kadett elsewhere) range that replaced the ageing Viva. The Astra quickly became popular with buyers, but the 1981 Mk2 Cavalier – the first Vauxhall of this size to offer front-wheel drive and a hatchback bodystyle – was the car that really boosted Vauxhall’s fortunes.

The Vauxhall Astra Mk I, in production from 1979 to 1984

Vauxhall’s most important model of the 1980s was the 1981 Mk2 Cavalier Built at the Luton Plant, which made the transition from rear-wheel drive saloon to front-wheel drive hatchback (though there was still a saloon version available, complemented in 1983 with an estate), this was also produced in Australia by Holdens and in fact the tailgates for the Vauxhall version were built there and shipped to Luton . For much of its life, it was Britain’s most popular large family car, vying with the Ford Sierra for top place. The Cavalier was relaunched in 1988, an all-new format which won praise for its sleek looks and much-improved resistance to rust.

The 1983 Nova (Opel Corsa elsewhere) supermini, available as a hatchback or a saloon that was built at the Zaragoza plant in Spain, completed Vauxhall’s regeneration, and it soon overtook Austin Rover (formerly British Leyland) as Britain’s second most popular carmaker. The arrival of the Nova spelled the end of the Chevette in early 1984 after nearly a decade in production.

The Astra further strengthened its position in the market with an all-new 1984 model that featured an aerodynamic design reminiscent of Ford’s larger Sierra.

The Vauxhall Carlton Mark I

In 1984 the aerodynamically styled Vauxhall Astra Mk2 built at the Ellesmere Port Plant became the first Vauxhall car to be elected European Car of the Year. Sales of the Senator, a rebadged Opel executive saloon also began, an upmarket version of the Carlton that is the first Vauxhall-badged car to share its nameplate with its Opel equivalent. A 5-door variant of the Nova was eventually launched, along with a 4-door saloon.

In January 1986, Vauxhall launched the Belmont – a saloon version of the Astra which offered more interior space and was almost as big as a Cavalier.

Vauxhall won another “European Car of the Year” award with its all-new Vauxhall Carlton, a rebadged Opel built vehicle and badged Opel Omega in the rest of Europe, sealing the award for 1987. The range was then extended by the more upmarket Senator, again a rebadged Opel. The Luton-built Cavalier (Mk3) (sold as the Opel Vectra in Ireland and mainland Europe) entered its third generation in 1988 – with an all-new sleek design that further enhanced its popularity. The Calibra coupé followed in 1989, which was officially the most aerodynamic production car in the world on its launch. Falling between the Cavalier and Senator was the Opel built Carlton (Opel Rekord and later Opel Omega elsewhere) – relaunched in 1986, and was voted European Car of the Year, a large four-door family saloon. There were two sports versions of the Carlton: the 3000 GSi and the Lotus Carlton, the latter being aimed at family-minded executives and, at 175 miles per hour (282 km/h), considered the fastest four-door production car at the time. Most importantly, the latest generation of Vauxhall models dispelled the image of rusting cars that had for so long put potential buyers off the Vauxhall brand.

By 1989 Vauxhall was on roughly equal terms with the Rover Group as Britain’s second most popular car brand (after Ford).

1990 to 2000

 Griffin House, became the Vauxhall headquarters building in 1991. It had previously been the design and testing building.

In 1991, Vauxhall’s corporate headquarters were moved to Griffin House, formerly the company’s design and testing building. In the same year, the third generation Vauxhall Astra went on sale (with Opel versions adopting the Astra nameplate for the first time) and the saloon version badged Astra rather than Belmont. Vauxhall joined forces with Isuzu to produce the Frontera, a four-wheel drive off-roader available in short and long-wheelbase versions.

In 1993 the Cavalier was firmly re-established as Britain’s most popular large family car, with more than 130,000 sales, while the third generation Astra (relaunched in 1991) with 100,000 sales was continuing to narrow the gap between itself and the best-selling Ford Escort. The Astra was now joined by the Belmont – a four-door booted version of the Astra. This continued for some time until being renamed Astra, presumably to provide combined sales/registration figures. The decade-old Nova was axed in 1993, in favour of the all-new Corsa, adopting the European naming of the model; its distinctive styling and practical interior began attracting more sales than its predecessor had done.

In 1994 GM ceased production of Bedford Vehicles because of the fact that their profits were decreasing over time, which had been Vauxhall’s commercial vehicle arm, making successful vans, trucks and lorries since the 1930s. The last “true” Bedford light commercials – the Bedford HA and Bedford CF panel vans – had already ceased production in 1983 and 1987 respectively, and had been replaced by licence-built versions of Isuzu and Suzuki vans such as the Midi and Rascal. Production of these models continued at Luton, now badged Vauxhall but by a separate company named IBC (Isuzu-Bedford Commercials). Also in 1994, the Vauxhall Carlton nameplate was abandoned after 16 years, and Omega took its place, becoming the first model to feature the new corporate “v” grille. Vauxhall also added another vehicle to its four-wheel drive line-up in the shape of the Isuzu-based Monterey. Vauxhall joined the expanding “compact coupé” market with its new Corsa-based Tigra model.

The Cavalier nameplate was axed in 1995 after 20 years, a full model after Opel had dropped its Ascona nameplate, Vauxhall adopting the common Vectra nameplate for its successor, completing a policy by General Motors that aligned and identically badged all Vauxhall and Opel models. Vectra received disappointing feedback from the motoring public, and several well-known journalists, most notably Jeremy Clarkson. Yet it was still hugely popular, and for a while after the 1999 facelift, it was actually more popular than Ford’s highly acclaimed Mondeo. In 1996, Vauxhall launched the short-lived Sintra large MPV. The Astra entered its fourth generation in 1998, and offered levels of build quality and handling that bettered all of its predecessors.

In 1999, the seven-seater compact MPV Zafira, based on the Astra chassis, went on sale and the Vauxhall Monterey was withdrawn from sale in the UK, although it continued to sell in the rest of Europe as an Opel.

In the late 1990s, Vauxhall received criticism in several high-profile car surveys. In 1998 a Top Gear customer satisfaction survey condemned the Vauxhall Vectra as the least satisfying car to own in Britain. A year later the Vauxhall marque was ranked last by the same magazine’s customer satisfaction survey. The Vauxhall range received particular criticism for breakdowns, build-quality problems, and many other maladies – which meant that quality did not reflect sales success. Nevertheless Vauxhall was competing strongly in the sales charts, and by 1999 was closer to Ford in terms of sales figures than it had been in years.

2000 to 2010

In 2000 Vauxhall entered the sports car market with the Lotus-based VX220 roadster. It re-entered the coupé market with the Astra Coupé. The new Agila city car and a second generation of the Corsa supermini also went on sale. On 12 December 2000, Vauxhall announced that car production at its Luton plant would cease in 2002, with the final vehicle being made in March 2002 following the end of production of the Vectra B and production of its replacement moving to Ellesmere Port alongside the Astra. Manufacture of vans (sold under the Vauxhall, Opel, Renaultand Nissan badges throughout Europe) continued at the IBC Vehicles plant in Luton. On 17 May 2006, Vauxhall announced the loss of 900 jobs from Ellesmere Port’s 3,000 staff, part of significant worldwide staff reductions by GM.

The Astra Mark V, in production from 2004 to 2009.

The Vauxhall Vectra Mark II, in production from 2002 to 2008

In 2002, the all-new Vectra went on sale, alongside a large hatchback badged as the Signum, which arrived the following year. 2002 was one of the best years ever for Vauxhall sales in the UK. The Corsa was Britain’s second most popular new car, and gave the marque top spot in the British supermini car sales charts for the first time. The Astra was Britain’s third best-selling car that year, while the Vectra and the Zafira (a compact MPV launched in 1999) were just outside the top ten. The second generation Vectra was launched in 2002 and was further improved over earlier Vectras, but was still hardly a class-leader, and now had to be content with lower sales due to a fall in popularity of D-sector cars; although a facelift in 2005 sparked a rise in sales.

In 2003, Vauxhall Omega production ended after nine years, with no direct replacement, while the Meriva mini-MPV was launched. Perhaps the most important Vauxhall product of the 2000s so far is the fifth generation Astra, launched in early 2004 – and praised by the motoring press for its dramatic styling. It was an instant hit with British buyers, and was the nation’s second best-selling car in 2005 and 2006, giving the all-conquering Ford Focus its strongest competitor yet. Many police forces across the United Kingdom adopted the Astra as the standard patrol vehicle (panda car). Also in 2004, production of the Frontera ended after 13 years, with no direct replacement.

In 2006, the third generation of the Vauxhall Corsa went on sale, after having its world premier launch at the 2006 British International Motor Show at ExCeL London. The second generation Corsa had been Britain’s most popular supermini for most of its production life, but by 2006 it had started to fall behind the best of its competitors, so an all-new model was launched. This Corsa sold far better than either of the previous Corsas, and it was an instant hit with buyers. Also in 2006, the second generation Zafira was the tenth-biggest selling car in the UK, the first time that an MPV had featured in the top 10 best-selling cars in Britain.

In 2007 Vauxhall’s new 4×4, the Vauxhall Antara, was released in July. Vauxhall’s powerful VXR8 that came with 306 kilowatts (416 PS; 410 bhp) was also introduced.

In 2008, Vauxhall began rebranding with a modified corporate logo. The Vauxhall Insignia was launched at the 2008 British International Motor Show at ExCeL London, replacing the Vectra and won another “European Car of the Year”. Vauxhall launched the new Agila city car.

In 2009, a new generation of the Vauxhall Astra was launched.

On 30 May 2009, a deal was announced which will lead to the spin-off of the Opel and Vauxhall brands into a new company. On 1 June 2009, Vauxhall Motors’ troubled parent company, General Motors filed for bankruptcy in a court in New York. By then the sale of Vauxhall and its sister subsidiary, Opel, was being negotiated as part of a strategy driven by the German government to ring fence the businesses from any General Motors asset liquidation. The sale to Canadian-owned Magna International was agreed on 10 September 2009, with the approval of the German government. During the announcement regarding the sale, Magna promised to keep the Vauxhall factory at Ellesmere Port open until 2013, but could not guarantee any further production after that date. On 3 November 2009, the GM board called off the Magna deal after coming to the conclusion that Opel and Vauxhall Motors was crucial to GM’s global strategy.

2010 to present

In 2010, the new Vauxhall Movano was launched and a new Meriva (launched at Geneva Motor Show) went on sale in mid-2010.

The Ampera E-Rev, short for extended range electric vehicle, went on sale in the UK in 2011 with a 16 kWh, 400 lb (180 kg) lithium-ion battery pack that delivers 40 miles (64 km) of motoring and a 1.4-litre petrol engine that extends the car’s range to 350 miles (560 km). It won the “European Car of the Year”. A new Vauxhall Combo went on sale in late 2011 and a facelifted Corsa went on sale in early 2011. The Zafira Tourer compact MPV was released in late 2011.

In 2012, the Vauxhall Adam city car was launched at the Paris Motor Show in late 2012, with sales beginning in early 2013. A new Vauxhall Mokka compact SUV was launched at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

In May 2012, GM announced plans to move much of the production of Astra vehicles from mainland Europe to the UK. The company announced it would invest £125 million in the Ellesmere Port factory and spend about £1bn in the UK component sector.

HydroGen4 is the successor of the fuel cell vehicle Opel HydroGen3, developed by General Motors/Opel and presented in 2007 at the IAA in Frankfurt expected to hit the market in 2016.

Current model range

Main article: List of Vauxhall vehicles

Passenger cars

The following tables list current and announced Vauxhall production vehicles as of 2014:

Adam		City car	Hatchback
Ampera		Plug-in hybrid	Hatchback
Antara		Compact crossover SUV	SUV
Astra		Small family car	Hatchback GTC (3-door Hatchback) Sports Tourer (Estate)
Cascada		Mid-size car	Convertible
Combo Tour		Leisure activity vehicle	Van
Corsa		Supermini	Hatchback
Insignia		Large family car	Saloon Hatchback Sports Tourer (Estate) Country Tourer (Crossover Estate)
Meriva		Compact MPV	MPV
Mokka		Subcompact crossover SUV	SUV
Viva		City car	Hatchback
Zafira Family		Compact MPV	MPV
Zafira Tourer		Large MPV	MPV

Commercial vehicles

Corsavan		Car-derived van	Van
Combo		Panel van	Van
Vivaro		Light commercial vehicle	Van
Movano		Light commercial vehicle	Van Chassis cab Crew cab

VXR models

Main article: VXR

The VXR range is analogous to the OPC range made by Opel Performance Center, the HSV range made by Holden Special Vehicles in Australia and the SS range made by Latin AmericaChevrolet. The models include the Corsa VXR, Astra VXR, Insignia VXR, Meriva VXR, Zafira VXR, VXR8, VX220 (no longer in production), and the Australian-built Holden Monaro (also no longer in production). These vehicles are high-performance machines, and are ideally aimed for younger buyers. Vauxhall unveiled a new model based on the Australian HSV Maloo at the 2005 National Exhibition Centre motor show in Birmingham, England. It was claimed that the monstrous V8 Ute had a top speed around 200 mph (320 km/h) – which is extremely fast for autility vehicle. However, the model never got to the showroom in the United Kingdom. The Monaro is also no longer made, but a new version (a four-door saloon) is now on sale as the VXR8. The VXR8 is based on Australia’s HSV Clubsport R8. This car reaches 0–60 in 5 seconds, in similar territory to other muscle car contemporaries such as the Dodge Viper (SRT-10) andCorvette Z06 – and marginally slower than the FPV FG F6. The VXR badge is a symbol of the combined technological resources of the global General Motors group, and the recognised expertise of consultants Lotus and the Triple Eight Racing Team.

Astra VXR		Compact sports car	Hatchback
Corsa VXR		Supermini	Hatchback
Insignia VXR		Large family car	Saloon Hatchback Sports Tourer (Estate)
VXR8 GTS		Full-size car	Saloon

Discontinued models

Passenger cars

20 open tourer

 14–40 open tourer

20–60 saloon 1930

Cars designed by independent Vauxhall:

• 6 (1903–04)
• 9 (1905)
• 12 (1905)
• 12–16 (1906–08)
• 14 (1905)
• 14 and 14–40 (1922–27)
• 16 (1909–10)
• 16–20 (1911–15) A
• 18 (1906)
• 20 (1908–12) A
• 20 (1911–12) C Prince Henry
• 20–60 (1927–30) R and T
• 22 (1912) A
• 22 (1912–14) C Prince Henry
• 23–60 (1922–26) OD
• 25 (1912–22) D
• 25–70 (1926–28)
• 27 (1910) B
• 30 (1911–12) B
• 30–98 (1913–22) E & OE
• 35 (1913–15) B
• 80 (1930–33) T-80, Silent 80

• A-type (1911–14)
• B-type (1910–14)
• C-type “Prince Henry” (1911–13)
• D-type (1912–22)
• E-type (1913–22)

Cars designed after acquisition by General Motors:

Big Six limousine 1936

 Velox 4-door Saloon 1948

 Velox 4-door Saloon 1955

Velox 4-door Saloon 1963

 Viva 1.8L 2-door Saloon 1975

 1983 Nova

Vauxhall 10 (1937–47)

Vauxhall 12 (1933–38)© Ian Hardy

Vauxhall 12-4 (1937–46)

Vauxhall 14 (1933–39) Light Six

Vauxhall 14-6 (1938–48) Light Six Vauxhall 20 or 27 (1933–36) Big Six

Vauxhall 25 (1937–40) Big Six

Vauxhall Albany

Vauxhall Agila (2000–15)

Vauxhall Belmont (1986–91)

Vauxhall Brava (1992–2002) rebadged Isuzu TF

Vauxhall Cadet (1931–33)

Vauxhall Calibra (1989–97)

Vauxhall Carlton (1978–94) rebadged Opel Rekord (Mk 1) / Opel Omega (Mk 2)

Vauxhall Cavalier (1975–95) rebadged Opel Ascona (Mk 1 & 2) / Opel Vectra (Mk 3)

Vauxhall Chevette (1975–84) rebadged Opel Kadett C

Vauxhall Cresta (1954–72)

Vauxhall Envoy (1960–70) see Victor

Vauxhall Epic (1963–70) see Viva

Vauxhall Equus (1978 concept)

Vauxhall Firenza (1970–75)

Vauxhall Frontera (1991–2004, rebadged Isuzu MU Wizard)

Vauxhall Magnum (1973–78)

Vauxhall Monaro (2001–05) rebadged Holden Monaro

Vauxhall Monterey (1994–98, rebadged Isuzu Trooper)

Vauxhall Nova (1982–93), rebadged Opel Corsa A

Vauxhall Omega (1994–2003), rebadged Opel Omega B

Vauxhall Royale Concept

Vauxhall Sintra (1996–99, rebadged Chevrolet Venture)

Vauxhall Senator | Vauxhall Royale (1978–86), rebadged HSV/Opel Senator

Vauxhall Senator (1978–94)

Vauxhall Signum (2003–08)

Vauxhall Silver Aero (1983 concept)

Vauxhall Silver Bullet (1976 concept)

Vauxhall Six (1933–38)

Vauxhall SRV (1970 concept)

Vauxhall Tigra (1994–2001 2004–09)

Vauxhall Vectra (1995–2008)

Vauxhall Trixx (2004 concept)

Vauxhall Velox (1948–65)

Vauxhall Ventora (1968–72)

Vauxhall Viceroy (1978–82), rebadged Opel Commodore

Vauxhall Victor (1957–12)

Vauxhall Viscount (1966–72)

Vauxhall Viva (1963–79)

Vauxhall VX220 (2000–05)

Vauxhall VX4/90 (1961–72) performance version of Victor

Vauxhall VX Lightning (2003 concept for Opel GT)

Vauxhall Wyvern (1948–57)

Vauxhall XVR (concept)

Commercial vehicles

 A Bedford CA panel van

Bedford branded

• Bedford Astramax (1984–92)
• Bedford Beagle (1964–73)
• Bedford CA (1952–69)
• Bedford CF (1969–88)
• Bedford Dormobile
• Bedford Midi
• Bedford Rascal (1986–93, rebadged Suzuki Supercarry)

Vauxhall branded

• Vauxhall Arena (1997–2000, rebadged Renault Trafic)
• Vauxhall Brava

Relationship with other GM products

The Vauxhall Chevette, in production from 1975 to 1984

General Motors began to merge the product lines of Vauxhall and Opel in the early 1970s, largely in favour of Opel products. The 1972 FE Victor was essentially the first exponent of this strategy, sharing its bodywork and platform with the Opel Rekord D, although still retained Vauxhall-designed running gear. The second was the 1975 Vauxhall Chevette, which was a reworked Opel Kadett. By the end of the 1970s most Vauxhalls were based on Opel designs. The Chevette, Cavalier and Carlton were restyled versions of the Kadett, Ascona and Rekord respectively, featuring a distinctive sloping front end, nicknamed the “droopsnoot”, first prototyped on the HPF Firenza, although some models from these ranges still used Vauxhall engines. However the Carlton/Viceroy and Royale were simply rebadged versions of Opel’s Opel Commodore C and Senator, imported from Germany. Vauxhall Chevettes and Cavaliers were produced in left hand drive for sale in Continental Europe, the Cavalier initially being built at GM’s plant in Antwerp, Belgium.

With the 1979 demise of the last solely Vauxhall design, the Viva (although the last “true” Vauxhall product can be argued to be the Bedford CF panel van, which ceased production in 1987), GM policy was for future Vauxhall models to be, in effect, rebadged Opels, designed and developed primarily in Rüsselsheim. The original Astra, launched in 1980, set the eventual precedent for all GM Europe vehicles from that point onward – apart from the badging it had no styling or engineering difference from its Opel sister – the Kadett D. In the late ’70s and early ’80s, GM dealers in Ireland and the United Kingdom sold highly similar Opel and Vauxhall models alongside each other. This policy of duplication was phased out, beginning with the demise of separate Opel dealerships in the UK in 1981, the remainder becoming Vauxhall-Opel. The last Opel car (the Manta coupé) to be officially sold in Britain was withdrawn in 1988.

The Carlton Mark I Estate, in production from 1978 to 1986.

Similarly, the Vauxhall brand was dropped by GM in Ireland in favour of Opel in 1982, with other RHD markets like Malta and Cyprus soon following suit. In New Zealand, the brand was withdrawn in favour of Holden after the demise of the Chevette. GM Europe then began to standardise model names across both brands in the early 1990s. The Vauxhall Astra and Opel Kadett, for example, were both called Astra from 1991 onwards and the Vauxhall Nova and Opel Corsa were both called Corsa from 1993. The change was completed in 1995 when the Vauxhall Cavalier Mk 3 (Opel Vectra A) was replaced by the Opel Vectra B, called Vauxhall Vectra. Apart from the VX220, sold by Opel as the Speedster, all of Vauxhall’s subsequent models have had the same names as those of Opel.

From 1994, Vauxhall models differed from Opels in their distinctive grille – featuring a “V”, incorporating the Vauxhall badge. This was also used by Holden in New Zealand, by Chevrolet in Brazil on the Mk1 Chevrolet Astra (Opel Astra F) and on the Indian version of the Opel Astra. The “V” badging is an echo of the fluted V-shaped bonnets that have been used in some form on all Vauxhall cars since the very first. The “V” grille is not however used on the Vectra-replacing Insignia, unveiled in 2008 and the 2009 Vauxhall Astra and the 2010 Vauxhall Meriva. All the above, plus the US Saturn brand up to its demise in 2009, used the same grille bar with the “V” almost entirely muted out. These bars all carried identical badge mounts, enabling brand badges to be readily interchangeable.

A model unique to the Vauxhall range was the high-performance Monaro coupé, which was sourced from and designed by Holden in Australia. Although this model was also produced in left hand drive (LHD) for markets like the US (where it was known as the Pontiac GTO) and for the Middle East (as the Chevrolet Lumina Coupe), the model was not offered by Opel in mainland Europe. Imports of this vehicle were limited to 15,000 to avoid additional safety testing. Future vehicles that have been confirmed by Vauxhall, but not by Opel, are the Holden Commodore SSV and the HSV GTS. Vauxhall confirmed the importation of the GTS just after the reborn Opel GT roadster was announced as not being imported into the UK.

The bodywork for the Holden Camira estate was used for the Vauxhall Cavalier estate in the UK (though not for the identical Opel Ascona in the rest of Europe) – conversely the rear bodywork of the T-car Vauxhall Chevette estate and Bedford Chevanne van was used for the respective Holden Gemini versions. Vauxhall’s compact car, the Viva, formed the basis of the first Holden Torana in Australia in the 1960s.

Many cars badged as Opels, even LHD models, are produced by Vauxhall for export. Vauxhall has built some Holdens for export, too, notably Vectra-As to New Zealand and Astra-Bs to both Australia and New Zealand.

Vauxhall	Opel
Nova	Corsa A
Chevette	Kadett C
Astra Mk 1	Kadett D
Astra Mk 2	Kadett E
Cavalier Mk 1	Ascona B
Cavalier Mk 2	Ascona C
Cavalier Mk 3	Vectra A
Carlton Mk 1	Rekord E
Carlton Mk 2	Omega A
Viceroy	Commodore C
Royale	Senator A

Operations

Vauxhall is headquartered in Luton, Bedfordshire, UK and has major manufacturing facilities in Luton (commercial vehicles, owned by sister company IBC Vehicles) and Ellesmere Port, UK (passenger cars).

The Luton plant currently employs around 900 staff and has a capacity of approximately 100,000 units. The plant site has a total area of 387,000 square metres. The plant currently produces the Vivaro light commercial van.

The Ellesmere Port plant currently employs around 1,880 staff and has a capacity of approximately 187,000 units. The plant site has a total area of 1,209,366 square metres. The plant currently produces the Astra and Astra Sports Tourer.

From 1942 to 1987 Vauxhall operated a truck and bus vehicle assembly plant in Dunstable, Bedfordshire. Developed and opened by Vauxhall in 1942 under instruction from the Ministry of Production as a shadow factory, it became a production site for Bedford Vehicles in the 1950s.

Vauxhall’s original car plant in Luton stood next to the commercial vehicle plant. After production ceased there in 2002, the plant was demolished and, after several proposals for redevelopment, permission was granted for the site to be redeveloped as the Napier Park housing estate in January 2014.

Logo

The griffin emblem, which is still in use, is derived from the coat of arms of Falkes de Breauté, a mercenary soldier who was granted the Manor of Luton for services to King John in the thirteenth century. By marriage, he also gained the rights to an area near London, south of the Thames. The house he built, Fulk’s Hall, became known in time as Vauxhall. Vauxhall Iron Works adopted this emblem from the coat of arms to emphasise its links to the local area. When Vauxhall Iron Works moved to Luton in 1905, the griffin emblem coincidentally returned to its ancestral home.

The logo as pictured used to be square, but it is now circular, to enable it to fit in the same recess designed for the circular Opel emblem. Since the 1920s, the griffin has been redesigned and released 9 times. 2008 saw the release of a revised version of the 2005 logo. Bill Parfitt, Chairman and Managing Director of GM UK, said, “While the new-look Griffin pays homage to our 100 year-plus manufacturing heritage in the UK, it also encapsulates Vauxhall’s fresh design philosophy, first showcased in the current Astra, and set to continue with Insignia.”

• The Vauxhall Griffin from Vauxhall D-type (1920)

  

• A Vauxhall grillplate from the 1940s showing the Griffin logo

  

• The Vauxhall logo of the 1970s and 1980s

• 

  The Vauxhall logo of the 1990s and 2000s

  

• The current Vauxhall grillplate (2008 to present)

Sponsorships

Vauxhall Motors sponsored the Football Conference, the highest non-league division of English football, from 1986 until 1998. It took over from Gola, and remained in association with the league for twelve years, before ending its backing and being replaced by Nationwide Building Society. In 2011, Vauxhall became the primary sponsor for the home nations national football teams (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales).

Motorsports

John Hancock driving a Vauxhall at the 1914 French Grand Prix

Vauxhall have competed successfully in several forms of motorsport.

During the 1970s Vauxhall had a strong presence on the British rallying scene. The Magnum coupe was heavier and less powerful than the dominantFord Escort, but still put up some strong performances in the hands of drivers such as Will Sparrow and Brian Culcheth. From 1976, Vauxhall decided to heighten their profile in the sport by building a homologation-special version of the Vauxhall Chevette, known as the Chevette HS. This was a much more serious contender, and in the hands of drivers such as Pentti Airikkala, Tony Pond, Russell Brookes and Jimmy McRae it and its successor version, the Chevette HSR, won many events in Britain and Europe. Airikkala won the British Rally Championship in a Chevette in 1979.

The Chevette was retired in 1983, and effort was concentrated for the next few years on the Group B Opel Manta 400. However, the Vauxhall Astra and Vauxhall Nova were campaigned in the lower power classes during the mid-1980s, and became popular amateurs’ cars thanks to their reliability, ease of tuning and ready supply of parts. After the banning of Group B in 1986 the Group A Astra returned to the forefront. As a two-litre, front-wheel-drive car it was unable to challenge the four-wheel-drive cars for outright victory, but did score top ten placings on several World Championship events. Louise Aitken-Walker won the ladies’ World Championship in 1990 in an Astra, despite a serious accident on that year’s Rally of Portugal when her car rolled down a hillside and into a lake.

During 1991–2 serious consideration was given to campaigning the four-wheel-drive version of the Vauxhall Calibra in British and possibly world rallies, and a trial version contested the 1993 Swedish Rally in the hands of Stig Blomqvist. However, the cost was judged prohibitive, and in any case the ‘Formula 2’ category had been introduced into British rallying. The latest version of the Astra was an ideal contender, and won the category in the 1993 and 1994 championships, driven by David Llewellin. Vauxhall campaigned successive versions of the Astra in the British championship until the late 1990s.

 Tom Chilton driving for Vauxhall at the Oulton Park round of the 2007 British Touring Car Championship

Vauxhall first entered the British Touring Car Championship with the Vauxhall Cavalier in 1989. The lead driver was John Cleland, who remained with the team until his retirement in 1999. The Cavalier was competitive, and often the fastest front-wheel-drive car in the series, and Cleland was second in the title race in 1992, and then fourth in the following two years. In 1995, however, he won the title (adding to his 1989 title win in an Astra). The Cavalier was replaced by the Vectra for 1996. Yvan Muller was sixth in the 1999 British Touring Car Championship and fourth in 2000.

In 2001 the BTCC regulations changed and Vauxhall brought the Astra Coupe into the BTCC. The Astra would dominate the BTCC between 2001 and 2004 with the drivers title won by Jason Plato in 2001, James Thompson in 2002 – 2004 and Yvan Muller in 2003. Vauxhall also won the Manufacturers Award and Teams Award every year also.

In 2005 the Astra Coupe was replaced by the Astra Sport Hatch however it was not as competitive as the Astra Coupe and restricted success for Vauxhall in 2005 and 2006.

In 2007 The regulations changed again and Vauxhall brought the Vectra back. The Vectra brought success back to Vauxhall after Fabrizio Giovanardi won the 2007 and 2008 BTCC championship. Fabrizio Giovanardi finished 3rd in the championship in 2009 before Vauxhall pulled sponsorship out at the end of 2009 due to and the economic crisis and lack of official manufacturers in the BTCC.

See also

• Steinmetz Opel Tuning
• Irmscher
• List of car manufacturers of the United Kingdom

OPEL BLITZ a.o. Rüsselheim, Hesse, Germany 1861 – 2014

Opel

Adam Opel AG

Type	Aktiengesellschaft
Industry	Automotive
Founded	January 21, 1862
Founder(s)	Adam Opel
Headquarters	Rüsselsheim, Hesse, Germany
Number of locations	11 manufacturing facilities in six countries
Area served	Africa Asia Europe (except United Kingdom) South America
Key people	Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann, Management Board Chairman Daniel Ammann, Supervisory Board Chairman
Products	Automobiles Commercial vehicles
Production output	1,057,000 vehicles (2013)
Services	Vehicle financing Vehicle insurance
Revenue	$ 14.886 billion (2011) $ 14.884 billion (2010)
Employees	35,428 (2013)
Parent	General Motors Company
Divisions	OPC
Subsidiaries	Vauxhall Motors Opel Eisenach GmbH Opel Special Vehicles GmbH
Website	opel.com

Opel’s main portal and site building near the train station in front of the statue of the founder Adam Opel in Rüsselsheim

Adam Opel AG (Opel) is a German automobile manufacturer headquartered in Rüsselsheim, Hesse, Germany and a subsidiary of the American General Motors Company. The company designs, engineers, manufactures and distributes Opel-branded passenger vehicles, light commercial vehicles and vehicle parts for distribution in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. Opel designed and manufactured vehicles are also sold under the Buick brand in the United States, Canada, Mexico and China, the Holden brand in Australia and New Zealand and the Vauxhall brand in the United Kingdom.

1913 Opel

Opel traces its roots to a sewing machine manufacturer founded by Adam Opel in 1862. The company began manufacturing bicycles in 1886 and produced its first automobile in 1899.

1921 Opel onderstel en motor

Opel became a share-limited company (German: Aktiengesellschaft) in 1929; United States-based General Motors took a majority stake in Opel that same year. General Motors assumed full control in 1931 and today Adam Opel AG is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors Company. Although Adam Opel AG continues to be a share-limited company, shares of the company are not publicly listed. Adam Opel AG is the parent company of General Motors UK Limited, better known as Vauxhall, and various other General Motors subsidiaries.

1930 Opel B

During the 1970s and 1980s, Opel and Vauxhall ranges were rationalised into one consistent range across Europe.