CAR OF THE MONTH – FRED DUKES AND HIS 1958 BEDFORD CA “ARISTOCRAT”
By Ellie Priestley |
29th July, 2020
When you see a 1958 Bedford CA “Aristocrat”, you instantly know you are in the presence of a vehicle of distinction. There is the timber framing on the bodywork, the wonderfully over-the-top bonnet mascot and the opening Perspex rear windows. Fred Dukes, the Chairman of the Vauxhall Viva Owners’ Club - https://www.vauxhallviva.com/, discovered VXR 409 on a Facebook advertisement in 2019. And today he is the proud custodian of what is believed to be the only example in the world.
When Bedford unveiled the CA in 1952, it caused as much of a stir in the commercial vehicle market as the Transit would some thirteen years later. The specification included independent front suspension, while the van’s coachwork appeared far more up to the minute than virtually any British rival. Some 370,000 examples left the factory before the CA’s replacement in October 1969 by the CF.
Naturally, the CA attracted the attention of many coachbuilders, including Kenex of Dover, who offered an array of conversions. The “Roadmaster” and “Crewmaster” were for building firms, shipping lines and railway stations while the Aristocrat, which debuted in 1957, clearly targeted respectable suburbia. The price was just £616, due to its exemption from Purchase Tax, and the latest version of the CA represented quite a bargain for a Bedford that was ‘stylish and elegant’.
VXR was rescued from some two decades of hibernation in 2012 and underwent a restoration that resulted in a better-than-showroom condition. Given an overall length is just 12 ft. 10 ins – and the wheelbase 90 inches – the CA’s interior is remarkably spacious. The driver benefits from an under-seat locker, and there is a “tilt” facility in the first two rows of seats for ease of access. The Kenex publicity claimed there was room for 12 occupants, but in reality, the rear benches should be reserved for the quite short.
Prior to acquiring the Aristocrat, Mr. Dukes had never before sampled the delights of a three-speed steering column gear change, and he notes that he often missed the extra ratios found on his HC-Series Viva. The Bedford shares its 1,508c with the Victor F-Type, and Fred thinks that it is most content at the 40-45 mph mark.
Much of the fascination with Dukes CA is with its detailing, from the starter button on the floor to the split windscreen of the Mk. I versions and the Austin FX3-style indicators. The Aristocrat does boast a heater while the retaining straps are a reminder of the days when Bedfords were driven with their front slide doors opened for ventilation, quick deliveries and hand-signalling.
The Aristocrat inevitably attracts a considerable amount of attention, largely because of its handsome lines and also because of the concept of a 1950s minibus. Fred’s CA dates from the same year as the first British motorway, but it seems to belong to a slightly earlier era – one of dance halls and Jimmy Young records. Plus, of course, day trips to the Dorset coast with a picnic hamper containing the finest in egg & cress sandwiches and a crate of brown ale tied to the roof.
WITH THANKS TO – FRED DUKES
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