▁and ▁light ▁commercial ▁vehicles ▁under ▁the ▁V aux hall ▁marque , ▁and ▁formerly ▁sold ▁v ans , ▁bus es , ▁and ▁tr uck s ▁under ▁the ▁Bed ford ▁Ve h icles ▁brand . ▁V aux hall ▁has ▁been ▁the ▁second - larg est ▁s elling ▁car ▁brand ▁in ▁the ▁UK ▁for ▁more ▁than ▁two ▁dec ades . ▁ ▁V aux hall ▁was ▁founded ▁by ▁Alexander ▁Wilson ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 7 ▁as ▁a ▁p ump ▁and ▁marine ▁engine ▁manufact urer . ▁It ▁was ▁bought ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 3 ▁by ▁Andrew ▁Bet ts ▁Brown , ▁who ▁began ▁producing ▁trav elling ▁c ran es ; ▁he ▁named ▁the ▁company ▁V aux hall ▁Iron ▁Works . ▁It ▁began ▁manufact uring ▁cars ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 3 . ▁It ▁was ▁acquired ▁by ▁American ▁autom aker ▁General ▁Mot ors ▁( GM ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 5 . ▁Bed ford ▁Ve h icles ▁was ▁established ▁as ▁a ▁subs idi ary ▁of ▁V aux hall ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 0 ▁to ▁manufact ure ▁commercial ▁vehicles . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁lux ury ▁car ▁brand ▁until ▁it ▁was ▁bought ▁by ▁General ▁Mot ors ▁who ▁there after ▁built ▁mid - market ▁offer ings . ▁From ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression ▁V aux hall ▁became ▁increasing ly ▁mass - market . ▁Since ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁V aux hall ▁products ▁have ▁been ▁largely ▁identical ▁to ▁those ▁of ▁Op el , ▁and ▁most ▁models ▁are ▁princip ally ▁engine ered ▁in ▁R üss els