The Ford Transit has become synonymous with both the Ford brand, Europe and the word ‘Van’ in general. It’s a timeless design moulding simplicity with efficiency and practicality but did you know that 2015 will mark the 50th year of Transit production? Here at Vaughan Dent we thought we’d draft a small retrospective in honour of all the hard work this hardy vehicle has provided us over the years. We wouldn’t be here today without it!

The Transit was initially crafted as a cargo van as a result of an icy collaborative project between Ford of Britain and Ford of Germany who at the time were frequently locking horns. The van was actually produced in Ford’s Langley production base which itself had a strong historical background in vechicle production including the Spitfire. Production has since moved around the UK many times but unfortunately as of 2013 is now solely produced in Turkey due to a business reshuffle in order to save costs by Ford. The closure of the Swaythling, Southampton factory where 40 years of Ford production took place was a great loss for many.

The Ford Transit is currently in its sixth generation with many facelifts and redesigns having taken place within these generational shifts. The Transit Mark I was introduced October 1965 with an Essex V4 petrol engine available in 1.7 and 2.0L models. A diesel version was also available. The Mark I was very popular and unfortunately also made a great getaway vehicle with a 1970s police report stating 95% of all robberies involving a vehicle used this model. The Mark II followed with cosmetic changes to the nose section in 1978 but the most recognisable change came with the Mark III in 1986, this was arguably the definitive design and proved so popular that production ran until 2000. A facelift to keep the Mark III aesthetically in date was also launched in 1995 with a new nose and dashboard.

You’ll be familiar with the fourth generation no doubt; another long running model that only ceased production in 2013. Speed, efficiency, space, a five cylinder engine and a 2001 award for International Van of the Year but hey, Ford have topped it once again with their current generational leap. A first for the Transit family, the current model was in fact an internationally designed vehicle in a collaborative effort between Ford of Europe and Ford of North America. The car has taken design cues from other successful Ford models like the Focus and between them they have created an altogether superior, sleeker model.

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