1961 | Bedford CA Dormobile

Bedford Vehicles was established in 1931 as a part of Vauxhall Motors, itself a part of General Motors after 1925. The company became a leading European manufacturer of light, medium, and heavy-duty lorries. Bedford's heavy-duty truck business was divested by GM as AWD Trucks in 1987, though the name continued in use on light-duty commercial vehicles and car-derived vans based on Vauxhall, Opel, Isuzu, and Suzuki designs. The name was retired in 1991. The firm introduced the CA, its most popular light-duty vehicle, in 1952. It remained in production through 1969. The CA shared its powertrain with the Vauxhall Victor - a simple, robust, and easy-to-service 50-hp, 1,500-cc inline four-cylinder engine. Thanks to its passenger car roots and versatile design, the chassis was popular for aftermarket camper conversions. A pioneer in that field was Martin-Walter, a centuries-old harness maker, coachbuilder, and military vehicle manufacturer best known for its Dormobile caravan.

Bought by the previous owner as a project to build a Dormobile but with some modern comforts, the work was given to popular YouTube channel Mad Works Garage to build. The project sadly lost momentum having had around £20,000 spent on having the camper's chassis shot blasted, repaired and powder coated, all rust in the body removed and repaired, the body prepared to the primer stage, swap from dynamo to alternator conversion and an electric Kenlow style fan fitted, also the engine and brakes were rebuilt. To try and make the Dormobile more comfortable to camp in, a under chassis water tank was fitted along with an electric pump to allow a water supply in the van. A diesel heater was also fitted along with an invertor and USB plugs for charging of devices. The restoration having stalled, was purchased, painted and the interior fitted before passing on to the vendor as a non-running camper. A simple carburettor fix saw the Dormobile start with ease and is reported to run and drive well. The vendor has since had the wheels shot blasted and powder coated along with having new tyres fitted. The wraparound rear windows and cubby-hole in the dash suggest this example is a rare Deluxe camper. With an abundance of charm this lovely Bedford Dormobile presents a rare opportunity acquire the British response to the Volkwagen Camper van. Consigned by Will Penrose.

Lot details
Year: 1961
Make: Bedford
Model: CA
Registration: YVE 684
Chassis No: CALV204285
Odometer: 72,269


* Fully restored example

* Rare rear wrap around windows (Deluxe model only)

* Modern upgrades