TO gain the respect of collectors and enthusiasts a vehicle does not have to be a high performance car. Indeed some models beloved by fans are merely hard working commercials and one in particular won many friends over the years. The modest little Bradford van produced by the Jowett company bore the name of the place it was made. It was basic to the point of extreme utilitarianism but it had that certain something that inspired an almost fanatical following in its day. It was produced between 1946 and 1954 and was powered by a little 'put-put' flat twin engine of 1,005cc which was related to an engine made as far back as 1910. The Bradford came in three styles the van, the estate car and the pick up. The pick-up was a popular choice due to the low purchase cost and how economical and easy to fix it was. It was a popular choice abroad in countries like Australia where they liked this style. Not a lot has changed in this respect because the bush and rough country brigade go for Mitsubishis, Dodge Rams and Nissan Titans now. But the beauty of the Bradford was its rugged construction and dependability. It was based on the pre-war Jowett Eight and was the first Jowett to be re-introduced after the Second World War. With cart-like springing, mechanical brakes and a three-speed non-synchromesh gearbox on the early models, this was no performer. Even the later models with more power and synchro on top gear could only nudge 53mph and at speed the board-hard ride was not for the faint hearted. And in one way it was an early MPV because the estate could be converted to carry six people. A dedicated ability to keep going and a gung-ho attitude to some of the steepest hills that earned the Bradford a lot of Brownie points and it is prized by commercial vehicle collectors today . Initially only the van version was made but in 1947 it was joined by the estate car, the Utility. This was little more than the van with side windows and rear seats. Driveaway-chassis and cab-chassis versions were also made for outside coachbuilders. A Utility – rather comically termed 'de-luxe' – was tested by The Motor magazine in 1952 which found it actually could hit the 53mph mark - but its 0-50mph 'sprint' was a snooze-inducing 47.6 seconds. A saving grace was fuel consumption of 34.5mpg which was good for its day. The test car cost £740 including taxes and the de-luxe specification demanded an extra £38. For this you got trafficators, running boards, a rear bumper and the unashamed luxury of two windscreen wipers. Indeed the Bradford was a survivor from a previous era but was none the worse for that. The truth is that this modest commercial was a real big hitter for Jowett and the factory at Idle was far from what the name implied because it had turned out a total of 38,241 of these little beauties from Bradford when the sad day came in 1954 when production terminated. | 
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