Back in the 1970s, Bedford lorries were everywhere in the UK, and the famous TK was as common as muck. Just about any lorry driver of the era probably drove one, many people would have passed their HGV Class 3 test in them (and possibly their Class 1 as well). They did anything and everything. But by the mid-1970s the TK was beginning to look a little dated. Bedford’s designers were, however, already on the case, and in early 1980, its replacement was unveiled – the TL. Initially the TK and TL were sold side-by-side and it was even Bedford’s intention the TL would merely complement its predecessor, but the in the end, TK ended production in the early 1980s.
Sadly the TL was effectively doomed from the start as it was launched in the height of a nationwide recession which meant sales were slow from the start as companies looked to tighten their purse strings and big investments such as in new lorries were often simply curtailed.
The TL shared a lot of parentage with its predecessor. It had the same style of roomy day cab with a shelf behind the seats;
