The Ford Transit, is now 50 years old and to celebrate, it has been painted in gold and exhibited at the Commercial Vehicles Show (CV Show 2015) in Birmingham, England. I must point out that this isn’t real gold.

It may have been around for half a century but the Transit is still one of the most common vehicles you will spot on the road, albeit not the most glamorous. So why am I writing about it? Because this van plays a part in all our lives. Most goods, including our luxury shoes and handbags, are delivered in a Ford Transit or at least some of their parts are carried in one. Therefore, it would seem almost ungrateful to skip the Transit’s milestone birthday.

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The transit is an unlikely automotive icon. I know many people will reject this notion, decrying the Transit as just a commercial vehicle, but it has been in production for half a century; that’s something you cannot ignore. During the Transit’s 50 years on the road, it has been improved to the point of being one of the most reliable vehicles on the planet; basically, a Transit will keep working until it runs out of fuel.

I‘d love to write about all the Transit models available but there are more than 12 million possible combinations! So, I would be typing for quite some time.

Next time you see a Ford Transit, remember it is probably older than you so respect your elders!