A whippy little runner
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The popular Bedford CF has been adapted into many guises over the years, so CM had to whip-up an individual test route for one of the most endearing vehicles we’ve had the pleasure to drive Words: George Barrow / Images: Tom Lee “Meet the Bedford CF. It can’t truly be termed a van – it’s also a truck, a tipper and a milk loat.” Those are the opening lines of a sales brochure for the new Bedford CF range published in 1971, but what the copywriters at the now defunct subsidiary of Vauxhall and General Motors probably didn’t envisage was the runaway success the CF would have, and how its presence would invade every walk of life. From caravanette to removals van, via police riot truck, ambulance and bread van, for nearly 20 years after its launch in 1969 the CF played a major role in Britain, becoming as much a part of the prosperous and tumultuous times as the peerless Ford Transit.
But while the Transit was being used by cops and robbers alike, many CFs found their way to parks and picnic areas, having been converted into ice cream vans, which brings us neatly to our sizzling summer test of a Bedford CF.
Lovingly restored by former nursery school teacher Hayley Southwood, this 1973 CF, now known as Betty, spends her days dishing out ice creams under the name of Vintage Scoops at weddings, private parties and National Trust sites. Bought two years ago for the princely sum of £4,000, Betty would have actually cost her original owner closer to £2,100, but the contrast between the shiny CF, fresh from the factory in ’73, and the rundown ice cream van nursed back from the south coast in 2009 were no doubt dramatic.
On the road
There’s always a knack to getting an old van under way, and although Betty is used regularly during the fairer months of the year, getting the engine running wasn’t a problem. She started keenly, all four cylinders iring into a fast, and noisy, rhythm. The problem arose when trying to engage irst gear, which isn’t quite in the advertised top left position. Positioning the spindly gear lever there will ind you engaging reverse; instead, irst is a tiny hop left across the box from neutral and straight up, as if selecting a doglegged third gear. Fortunately, second is a straight line down the ‘box and after that the gears low with precision and a comfortable, well-worn feel that allows you to make smooth progress through the ratios on your way to reaching a top speed of 35mph.
To prevent carnage in the freezers, and a landslide of gobstoppers and humbugs in the cab, we weren’t able to perform our usual braking tests, but Betty feels as keen to stop today as she did in ’73. By today’s standards they are, of course, abysmal, but the speeds involved are slower, and besides, Betty is not a lady to be rushed.
The coil and leaf spring combination soaks up suficient bumps to enjoy an ice cream without making a mess, and like a glamorous runway model at a fashion show – possessing the same high centre of gravity – Betty tippy-toes around on small 14-inch wheels rather than couture stilettos. Despite her large mass (sorry Betty), which is quite unmodel-like, she feels planted as you wind in several turns through the large two-spoke steering wheel with no hint nor indication that her high sides could cause her to topple like a nervy supermodel at the crucial moment.
The one drawback is the noise. If the Bedford CF was to be relaunched onto the commercial vehicle catwalk for the 2012 spring/summer season, ear defenders would have to be standard equipment for the audience and driver.
Cab comfort
Despite her advancing years, Betty works hard for her living, travelling up to 30 miles to a venue from her village base. It is important that Betty is both practical and comfortable. The seat, for example, is extremely cosy in a mushy train seat sort of way, and has been improved through the use of a fetching pink throw and blue-andwhite checked cushion. Two sinks are itted to the left of the driver’s seat, and in the back there are the vital ice cream van necessities, including a drinks fridge and a freezer, which are powered by a generator that is charged overnight from a 240v connection. There’s no brittle grey plastic interior here, just painted metal and three large, clearly marked dials for temperature, speed and fuel. Aside from the fridge and freezer, storage is limited to throwing items into the passenger footwell and two shelves along the sidewall for sweets.
Productivity
It is customary to talk about load volumes, payloads and access in this section of a CM road test, but for an ice cream van, there really is only one payload that counts. Happily, there is plenty of room for the lovely Beechdean Dairies ice cream.
Betty’s total ice cream payload is 140 litres, equivalent to 1,260 ice cream scoops. Each outing sees up to seven lavours loaded into the freezer, from a traditional vanilla to one of Vintage Scoop’s bestsellers, rum and raisin. But the frozen goodies don’t stop there, 250 ice lollies, including cider, cherry brandy, and lager and lime lavours get loaded, along with Rocket and FAB lollies. It beats our usual gravel and sand test weights hands down. ■