Did you know?

A Luton body takes its name from the town of Luton, in Bedfordshire, where the Bedford commercial vehicle plant was located. It was “invented” by Mr B.E. “Bertie” Barrett who owned a haulage business in Luton which had, as its principal source of clientele, the millinery industry which made the town famous in the early twentieth century. Hats, many of which were made of straw, were distributed in hatboxes which were bulky, but had little weight. Since trucks were mostly delivered without bodies at the time (just a chassis and cab), Mr Barrett had bodies built which extended over the cab and most of the way over the bonnet of the truck as well. The front of the “Luton” was tied to the front bumper of the van by means of a metal pole on either side.