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This vehicle is not currently on display at the Museum
To meet the post war Army's requirements for General Service 3 ton trucks in all their variations, contracts were placed with several manufacturers. Some Bedford versions have already been described. The Ford Company had at that time no forward control truck in its range for easy adaptation and its design was therefore a special purpose vehicle. To save the cost of developing a new cab, the supplier of cabs to the Rootes Group for its Commer and Karrier range of trucks was asked to provide a similar cab for the E Series Fords. This has often given rise to the idea that the Commer/Karrier factories were in some way involved in the design of this vehicle. The current British Ford engines were not then sufficiently powerful for the role envisaged and a special purchase was made from Ford's Canadian factory of 3.9 litre V8 engines.
The contracts for E Series Fords included ambulances, light anti aircraft gun tractors and stores vans. The latter were metal sided with racks of shelves and bins on each side of a central gangway. A central door in the rear gave access for the storeman. It was in two parts so that with the top part open the lower door provided the base of a counter from which to issue tools and spare parts.
A shortage of ambulances led to some stores body shells being adapted with ambulance fittings and double rear doors. As stores vehicles most Ford E2s were operated by the RAOC but many carried REME workshop expense stores under direct REME control. The Ford E Series were introduced into service in the mid 1950s but few remained by the end of the 1970s. Thereafter, detail stores were carried in 2 ton trailers.
Length |
6.65 m (21 ft 10 in) |
Width |
2.38 m (7 ft 10 in) |
Height |
3.17 m (10 ft) |
Wheelbase |
3.81 m (12 ft 6 in) |
Engine |
Ford V8 |
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Page produced by Peter Eldred - Last updated 24 July 2004