Bedford TK
Encyclopedia
The Bedford TK is a truck
that was produced by the Vauxhall Motors
-owned Bedford Vehicles
company.
The TK range replaced the S type in 1959, and served as the basis for a variety of derivatives, including fire engines, military
, horse boxes, tippers
, flatbed truck
s, and other specialist utilities. A General Post Office
(later British Telecom) version used for installing telegraph poles was known as the "Polecat".
Available with an inline four or inline six cylinder petrol
and diesel engine
s - 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 Scammell coupling form of semi-trailer
attachment.
Bedford MKs - a 4x4 variant of the TK - are still used by the British Armed Forces
. The Bedford MK was introduced to replace the Bedford RL
. It was very successful and by year end 1977 a total of 11,700 units had been produced for the British Army and overseas military services. The MK has been produced in many variants.
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
that was produced by the Vauxhall Motors
Vauxhall Motors
Vauxhall Motors is a British automotive company owned by General Motors and headquartered in Luton. It was founded in 1857 as a pump and marine engine manufacturer, began manufacturing cars in 1903 and was acquired by GM in 1925. It has been the second-largest selling car brand in the UK for...
-owned Bedford Vehicles
Bedford Vehicles
Bedford Vehicles, usually shortened to just Bedford, was a subsidiary of Vauxhall Motors, itself the British subsidiary of General Motors , established in 1930; and constructing commercial vehicles. Bedford Vehicles was a leading international truck manufacturer, with substantial export sales of...
company.
History and use
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
, horse boxes, tippers
Dump truck
A dump truck is a truck used for transporting loose material for construction. A typical dump truck is equipped with a hydraulically operated open-box bed hinged at the rear, the front of which can be lifted up to allow the contents to be deposited on the ground behind the truck at the site of...
, flatbed truck
Flatbed truck
A flatbed truck is a type of truck which can be either articulated or rigid. As the name suggests, it has an entirely flat, level 'bed' body with no sides or roof...
s, and other specialist utilities. A General Post Office
General Post Office
General Post Office is the name of the British postal system from 1660 until 1969.General Post Office may also refer to:* General Post Office, Perth* General Post Office, Sydney* General Post Office, Melbourne* General Post Office, Brisbane...
(later British Telecom) version used for installing telegraph poles was known as the "Polecat".
Available with an inline four or inline six cylinder petrol
Petrol engine
A petrol engine is an internal combustion engine with spark-ignition, designed to run on petrol and similar volatile fuels....
and diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s - the TK was the quintessential light truck in the UK through most of the 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
and 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
, competing with the similar Ford
Ford of Britain
Ford of Britain is a British wholly owned subsidiary of Ford of Europe, a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company. Its business started in 1909 and has its registered office in Brentwood, Essex...
D series. It was available in rigid form, and also as a light tractor unit
Tractor unit
A tractor unit, prime mover , road tractor, or traction unit is a heavy-duty commercial vehicle within the large goods vehicle category, usually with a large displacement diesel engine, and several axles. The tractor unit serves as a method of moving trailers...
normally using the Scammell coupling form of semi-trailer
Semi-trailer
A semi-trailer is a trailer without a front axle. A large proportion of its weight is supported by a road tractor, a detachable front axle assembly known as a dolly, or the tail of another trailer...
attachment.
Bedford MKs - a 4x4 variant of the TK - are still used by the British Armed Forces
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
. The Bedford MK was introduced to replace the Bedford RL
Bedford RL
The Bedford RL was the British Military's main medium lorry , built by Bedford Vehicles, from the mid 1950s until the late 1960s.- History :...
. It was very successful and by year end 1977 a total of 11,700 units had been produced for the British Army and overseas military services. The MK has been produced in many variants.