abstract
| - The CF could be specified with a sliding door in the side panel directly behind the passenger door, and it was generally with this layout that the van was also commonly used as a base vehicle for a caravanette. The engine was the well-proven Slant Four engine which was introduced for the Vauxhall FD Victor models in 1967. Apart from an increased engine capacity from l ( cc) to l ( cc) units and from l ( cc) to l ( cc) in 1972, the power units remained unchanged. A four cylinder l ( cc) Perkins diesel engine could be specified for an extra GB£130 (1969), while a larger l ( cc) version was used for heavier versions. In 1977, a l ( cc) OHC diesel engine from Opel replaced the outdated Perkins units. In Australasian markets, the CF could be optioned with Holden six-cylinder units, in cc (cu in) and cc (cu in) forms. This was as an answer to the rival Ford Transit range, which in Australia used six-cylinder engines from the Ford Falcon range. The Bedford used the same basic suspension lay-out as the Vauxhall Victor, though married to greater wheel arch clearances and calibrated for greater weight carrying capacity. The front independent suspension featured a double wishbone layout with coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers, while the rear wheels were suspended by a combination involving a live axle and traditional long single-leaf springs. Several different manual transmissions were used, namely the Vauxhall three-speed, four-speed, Bedford four-speed, ZF four-speed, ZF five-speed, and the General Motors automatic. The Laycock type of overdrive was available to order or on the later Vauxhall four-speed models. There were three CF1 body styles. A standard panel van which was intended to rival the Ford Transit; the special van body (essentially a self-contained cab with a general-purpose chassis onto which a wide range of custom-built bodies or beds could be built), and the Dormobile (caravanette). The Automatic gearbox was a three speed. This made a very nippy SWB Delivery Van in 2.3-litre form.
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