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History of the Ford Transit
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| Posted Under General By Jackie at 8:40am |
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Ford Transit vans have been rushing up and down the United Kingdom and driving through its cities and towns for the last six decades or so. Ford Transit is in fact a range of different models of van, minibus and pickup truck that has changed with the times ever since its conception in the early 1960s. They are produced by the Ford Motor Company based in Europe and for the last 40 years, the Transit van has sat right at the top of the pile of light commercial vehicles in terms of popularity, sales and design.
The first Ford Transit was built in Cologne, Germany, in 1953 and was known as the FK 1000. It was not very successful, however, and production ceased in 1965. In October of that same year, the first Ford Transit proper was launched as a model that is widely referred to as the Ford Transit Mark 1. This model was manufactured in Ford's Langley plant, but as demand rapidly increased production had to be moved to a larger factory in Southampton where Transits are produced to this day. This Mark 1 model was hugely innovative at the time and its broadness and American-influenced design allowed it to substantially improve upon the carrying capacities of the other vans available.
The Transit rose in popularity and in 1978 and then again in 1986, Ford designers decided to give their vans facelifts creating the Mark 2 and Mark 3 models. The Mark 2 Ford Transit was released revealing a whole new stylish nose section, an upgraded interior as well as a new Pinto engine to replace the Essex V4. The Mark 3, eight years later, further modified the previous model to cater to its users' needs and this model was easily recognisable from its innovative one-box bodyshell in which the windscreen and bonnet were at the same angle. In subsequent years the design was tweaked to increase performance and style.
It was not until 1994, however, that the Mark 5 models were introduced with significant amendments from before. These hugely popular models had a new nose with grills that vaguely resembled a smiling face prompting the Transit's 'smiley' nickname. The engine was also changed and a 2.0 L DOHC 8-valve engine as used in the Ford Scorpio replaced the previous engine. Air-conditioning, electric windows and mirrors, airbags and central locking were also all made available as extras at the time.
Since the iconic Mark 5 models, the Ford Transit has been revamped on two further occasions, firstly in 2000 then again in 2006. The 2000 Mark 6 design's major mechanical innovation was that it was now available in front and rear-wheel drive. The style was also altered somewhat so the Transit fit in with Ford's New Edge designs. The Mark 6 vans featured a Duratorq turbo diesel engine as used in the Mondeo and could reach a speed of 60 miles/hr in 21 seconds. It won the international award of Van of the Year in 2001. Keeping up their high standards, Ford won International Van of the Year again in 2007 with its Mark 7 Transit van which was one more step up in terms of styling and engineering.
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