Bedford JJL

The Bedford JJL was an innovative but ultimately unsuccessful midibus model built by Bedford. It could have been a success but was ahead of its time in predicting the boom in the midibus market, later seen in the success of the Dennis Dart. Only four JJLs were produced, along with a pre-production prototype, starting in 1979, and Maidstone Borough Council took delivery of them in 1981 and 1982. Later owners included Brighton Buses, Northern Bus in Sheffield, Bournemouth Transport and the Goodman Group, and the last JJL in service was exhibited at rallies and sold to a collector in 2018. In 1985 Bedford considered reviving the JJL, and Marshall SPV proposed reintroducing it under the Marshall Bus brand, but the deal never caught on.