When launched in 1976, Bedford’s JJL minibus was widely praised for its style and innovation, but it was too far ahead of its time to succeed in a market still wedded to big vehicles. JAMES PRINCE tells the story of this heroic British failure that deserved to succeed.
Neat, stylish and from two established manufacturers, the Bedford JJL was a good looking practical midibus with potential to take the industry by storm. Unfortunately, it was 10 years too early.
In the summer of 1974, Marshall of Cambridge announced the Camuter, a project it had been working on for a few years to build an integral midibus for intensive city operation with the aim of starting production in the spring of 1975.
Marshall’s bus was designed from scratch using many components already used in other vehicles. The rear-mounted engine was to be the Perkins 4.236 four-cylinder diesel mated to an Allison AT540 automatic gearbox, a combination used in the Seddon Pennine midibus operated in Manchester and a few other places.
The drive was to be carried through a Borg Warner Morse chain drive to a spiral bevel transfer box and then on to the rear axle, which came from the Leyland Terrier truck, as did the steering mechanism, front axle…
