Five things you didn't know about the Ford Transit van

The Ford Transit van is arguably the most popular van on the market, having been around for over 50 years.

The range has evolved over the years with no fewer than four variations of the Transit covering most, if not all, van sizes. Whether you're looking for a compact, small van, medium van or large van there is a Transit van to consider.

But do you know how the Transit got its name, or what records it holds? Read on to find out.

The Ford Transit name

Ford vans introduced a brand new European van in 1965, tentatively named the 'V-series'. However, a lucky - and clever - intervention meant the new van got a more suitable name, the Transit. But where did it come from? It was taken from the 1960 German FK, knows as the Taunus Transit.

Testing the Transit

The UK's public roads were the location of choice for high-speed endurance testing of the Transit van. It's claimed that towards the end of the test programme local police officers became accustomed to high-speed night-time testing yet still stopped the drivers. But only to ask how things were going

The Transit van variants

With two heights, three lengths, three drivetrains and five axle weights, the Ford Transit van has no fewer than 23 variants. You can choose from 2900kg, 3100kg, 3500kg, 4100kg and 4500kg axle weights or front-wheel, rear-wheel or all-wheel drivetrains which mean that the Ford Transit van is able to meet pretty much any specification.

How many people can you fit in a Ford Transit van?

In 1965, Ford's marketing team asked themselves, "How many people can you fit in a Transit van?" To get to the bottom of it, they were helped by a group of students from Barking College - 48 of whom managed to cram themselves into the van.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's a Ford Transit van

A stuntman called Steve Matthews attempted to clear 15 cars in a Transit van. He succeeded, raising money for cancer research in the process. Apparently, Matthews' preparation consisted of removing the glass from the van and gaffer-taping the bonnet shut.

Ford Transit on finance

Take a look at our Ford Transit range. We have unbeatable prices from the Ford Transit Courier to the full-fat Transit! Call now on 0800 169 69 95 or enquire online.

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