These aren’t cars, are they?
No that is right. Well spotted. They’re not cars, they’re vans. Actually a kind of MPV, but a thousand times more practical. But make no mistake: they are not just two vans. These are the vans: two generations of the Ford Transit. commercial vehicleroyalty, and in TopGears homeland one of the most important vehicles ever.
Real? More important than Mr. Beans Mini?
Of course. More than eight million Transits have been sold in the UK, making it one of the biggest motoring successes and the best-selling commercial vehicle in the country. It is loved by construction workers, mail deliverers, carpenters, delivery services and all professions in between. If you’re British, Transit has definitely played a part in your life sooner or later – whether it’s a trip to the hospital, building your house or delivering something important. It’s not for nothing that these humble, angular heroes are called ‘the backbone of Britain’.
‘The backbone of Britain’? That’s very corny and dramatic, isn’t it?
Yes, that term has been around for a while. This cheerful example in the colors of the GEC (General Electric Company) is probably the oldest surviving first-generation Transit. Launched in 1965, the model was built in Berkshire, in an old war aircraft factory, before production moved to Southampton in the early 1970s. With its car-like layout and a cargo area that could fit exactly two pallets, the Transit was the template for all the vans that followed.
Has the Ford Transit changed much over the years?
There have only been four generations of Transit, but they have come in every configuration imaginable and for every purpose imaginable. There are long and short wheelbases, high and low roofs, versions for passenger transport, pick-ups, dump trucks, semi-trailers and empty chassis with only a cabin on it. And they are fun to drive. Unfortunately, modern regulations have affected the versatility of the original Transit.
How come?
Well, the sliding doors were a godsend for delivery drivers in the 1960s. Like the absence of seatbelts so you could hop out, roughly frisbee a pack toward a door, hop back in the driver’s seat and drive off without all the hassle of warnings or safeguards. With a wicked 64 horsepower V4 with pushrods, rigid axles and leaf springs front and rear, the old Transit is a relic compared to the modern PHEV version. It offers effortless steering, pleasant suspension and powerful, quiet performance from a 126 hp electric motor on the front wheels. But it’s not fully electric – not yet. The smooth 1.0 EcoBoost three-cylinder acts as range extender; a real EV will follow soon. But even if the technology behind the Transit changes, it will never lose its charm.