"You could say this noble heroic big lump of metal has done more for the common man than any car, but again, I'd go even further. In it's own way, the Transit has helped save the world."
- James May on the Transit
The Ford Transit is the light-commercial vehicle built and produced Ford only for the European market.
Produced from 1965 to present. The cargo van model frequently used as for transporting goods. A siding side door also offered for as a passenger van. The drive wheels initially used the RWD (present in all generations). 4WD is added on the second-gen, finally the FWD added for fourth-gen. UK models stopped production in 2013.
The engine powered a V4 Taunus only on the first-gen, in favour of inline-4 engine from second-gen to present. 3.2 L inline-5 were added and the diesel 2.0 - 4.1 L V6. Later the hybrid diesel is added.
The van appeared on Top Gear a several times as a challenge vehicle. One of most notably innovation as a Hovervan later the hovervan engine replaced with Radical track day version.
Appearances[]
- In Clarkson's Top 100 Cars, the Ford Transit was ranked at 48th place.
- In Series 6, Episode 7, Sabine Schmitz on the wheel, if she can lap in less than 10-minute Nurburgring. With Richard Hammond as passenger she lapped in 10:23. The van have to lose weight as possible, but only managed in 10:08. This was the only van lapped as street-legal category and currently in the last position.
- In Series 8, Episode 8, Richard used this van when he was being a roady for 1960s band, The Who. He decided on a Transit because it has been the king of vans for many years, and this was a new one which was better in "lots of important and I am sure very interesting ways".
- In Man with a van challenge, Jeremy picks the Ford Transit for 800 quid. In every test he finished second, except in loading/unloading and police chase (albeit a door comes off as a result of being stick with gaffer tape) where he finished first, he ultimately lost to burglar challenge where the thief opens back door in just 10 seconds.
- In Ice Cream Van Jump, The Ice Cream Van was of course a Ford Transit Mk II that heroicly jumped over bouncy castle, but it managed to crash into the first one.
- In Fifty Years of Bond Cars, Richard builds a DIY invisible car (actually was a van) where simply fitting a huge flatscreen TV except in front, with a camera mounted in all sides. As he demonstrate in a town where the people praising at him.
- In Series 20, Episode 4, the trio built the Hovervan purposely can also hover on the flood, it has a twin engine doubling the power, huge fan blades and grass skirts. During the shakedown test was working until has a flaws where blaming themselves as: the engine (for Jeremy's), welded skirts (for Richard's) and Jeremy's driving style (for James). The hovervan would later improve the design with some changes, later was proves better until Jeremy blew up the engine as he attempted to back up on the small weir.
- In Series 1, Episode 2 of James May's Cars of the People, James discussed the Ford Transit and called it "the most useful vehicle on our road".
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