Photo: eBay
You can see this one-of-a-kind piece of machinery in two ways: an old British customized bus that is towed by another similar bus or a unique mobile cinema any classic vehicle collector would like to have. Commissioned by the Ministry of Technology department of the UK government in the late sixties, this Bedford Mobile Cinema is a sole survivor of seven ever built, and it’s currently on sale.
The interesting issue of this two-piece conjunction is the customized Bedford SB3 bus that was turned into a home theater on wheels. No pimped-out Sprinter Vans rappers would buy, just pure auto history.
The vehicle itself was a front-engined bus chassis built by Bedford Vehicles in the UK, a company that is long defunct (1986) but that had its fair share of glory back in the day. As for the one in question, other than its 4.927-liter Bedford engine and chassis, not much remains the same considering its purpose.
The cinema is being sold along with a Plaxton Panorama cab that has a custom swing passenger door to replace the standard sliding door fitted to the coaches of that era. The body was built by the high-end vehicle body manufacturers Coventry Steel Caravans and is made of lightweight extruded aluminum panels, giving excellent strength and durability.
According to the vehicle’s seller, the body also features a full wrap over perspex roof in the mid third of the body. This was presumably done to echo the dome of the cinema and creates useful backlighting for displaying blueprints in the trailer’s exhibition space. The current owner claims the cinema-on-wheels was fully restored between 2005 to 2010 and has been used for the past five years as a touring cinema.
There even is a climate control unit installed which delivers hot or cold air into the theater space. The Bell and Howell 16mm projector housed in the original cab mount is a direct replacement for the original, but it doesn’t mean it won’t do the job properly.
The custom mobile cinema used to tour England promoting modern production techniques to British industry and is the last standing. We all know rarities don’t come cheap, but we’re sure £120,000 ($182,913) won’t be an impediment for a real collector.
The vehicle itself was a front-engined bus chassis built by Bedford Vehicles in the UK, a company that is long defunct (1986) but that had its fair share of glory back in the day. As for the one in question, other than its 4.927-liter Bedford engine and chassis, not much remains the same considering its purpose.
The cinema is being sold along with a Plaxton Panorama cab that has a custom swing passenger door to replace the standard sliding door fitted to the coaches of that era. The body was built by the high-end vehicle body manufacturers Coventry Steel Caravans and is made of lightweight extruded aluminum panels, giving excellent strength and durability.
According to the vehicle’s seller, the body also features a full wrap over perspex roof in the mid third of the body. This was presumably done to echo the dome of the cinema and creates useful backlighting for displaying blueprints in the trailer’s exhibition space. The current owner claims the cinema-on-wheels was fully restored between 2005 to 2010 and has been used for the past five years as a touring cinema.
Top notch cinema amenities
Detailed features can be consulted on the vehicle’s website, but a couple of amenities concerning the projection kit installed are worth mentioning. Everything is apparently of a high modern standard with full HD and 7.1 Dolby surround sound, complimented by sound proofing fitted to limit external disturbances.There even is a climate control unit installed which delivers hot or cold air into the theater space. The Bell and Howell 16mm projector housed in the original cab mount is a direct replacement for the original, but it doesn’t mean it won’t do the job properly.
The custom mobile cinema used to tour England promoting modern production techniques to British industry and is the last standing. We all know rarities don’t come cheap, but we’re sure £120,000 ($182,913) won’t be an impediment for a real collector.
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