The Ford Transit, currently the world’s best-selling van, is celebrating its 60 th anniversary this year. Since the model’s launch, more than 13 million Transit vehicles have been sold. It has since evolved into an essential tool for entrepreneurs, artists in the music industry, and even bank heisters. Quick thinking by Ford’s engineers across the pond in the UK and Germany helped to create this legendary vehicle. They conceived it first and foremost for the Brit and Euro markets, emphasizing versatility.
The Ford Transit first rolled off the production line in Britain in 1965, at Langley and later in a factory just outside Southampton. For almost half a century, it was made in the UK. In doing so, it established itself as an irrefutable pillar of British culture. Spacious, powerful, and practical, its design ushered in new standards of expectation for commercial vehicles through its early years. The appeal of the van caught on fast. It soon became a lifeline for most touring bands, including all-time greats such as The Damned, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, the Small Faces and Slade.
In 1972 the Ford Transit became famous — or rather infamous — for a different reason. According to a Metropolitan Police spokesman, these vans were involved in 95% of bank heists. Unfortunately, this one statistic further solidified the Transit’s place in popular lore.
Ford Transit brand is still going strong even with endless redesigns in the last sixty years. Integration Lisa Brankin, managing director of Ford of Britain, spoke to the British provenance of the Transits. She beamed as she announced, “Dunton is the home of the Transit.” She’s out there all the time promoting this work that’s continuing in the UK. This is still true even after bringing the production to Turkey in 2013. We made the decision to shift production from Japan to Turkey primarily because it reduced costs substantially. Turkey’s operating expenses are much lower.
All industry experts – developers, construction companies, train and station builders – agree that this is a game changer. Edmund King, president of the AA, noted the Transit’s iconic status: “There are lots of iconic cars: the Morris Minor, the Mini, the Land Rover, the VW Beetle, but there’s only one iconic van, and that’s the Transit.” He reflected on how the popularity of the Transit once shaped family choices: “In the 60s, 70s and 80s, if someone’s father had a Transit, they would get a Transit.”
The market has evolved over time. King noted that the days of brand loyalty are over as there is much more competition between van manufacturers. “I think that’s changing now. There’s more competition across the van market,” he said.
As technology has changed, Ford is changing along with it to capitalize on new trends and emerging consumer preferences. Yours truly, Seamus McDermott, the increased impact of EVs on the market. “Electric vehicles are cheaper to run and cheaper to repair,” he stated. He discussed how innovations in software could revolutionize fleet management: “When we bring in more software defined, ‘smarter’ vehicles, the ability to manage fleets remotely will help bring down costs as well.”
The Ford Transit has already shown it’s capable of so much more than a work vehicle. It embodies freedom and mobility. Peter Lee expressed this sentiment well by saying: “The freedom to go where you want, when you want. Petrol was a lot cheaper than it is now.”
It’s the Ford Transit 60th Anniversary Celebration ! And yet, it remains the durable and versatile workhorse it was designed to be, constantly continuing to adapt and innovate. Throughout its history, it has served in various capacities. What began as a means to haul material goods became an irreplaceable partner to road-warrior musicians, enshrining its importance to the commercial and cultural fabrics alike.