Not in Order of date

Transit Executive  1989 Turweston airport Buckinghamhire

1986 Drive day

Cold weather testing novemebr 1985

Interior

The very first LWB Bus

For seven days and seven nights the capital radio, "Mike muncher" circled Round the M25 1988

The Eurovan Europe only

Test the van for wind and noise

Pre production vans July 1984

More pre-pro vans

Solor Van tesy Transit never did see it made by Ford Germany on the sheel of the Nuget camper van.

At the docks the one milenth Transit made in Southampton heads off to Europe 1992

Fleet picture

1988 Pre-pre bonus Van

1988 Pre-pre bonus Van

LCY Bus

Hi Rppf Press picture

LCX  test drive on the way to Turweston

1984 The new iterior

GL bus Turweston

More test drives

Jan 9th 1986

In 1986 Ford launched the all new Transit van and that was not am under statment, A whole new wedge transit a hole new wedge transit called the Triton project or the VE6 later in its development.  It was completely new bigger doors more driver and load room increased by 11% just the shape alone made it cheaper to drive due to the less drag on the new slopped front, At the time like aways people were saying it was not nice to look but all this talk soon faded away as soon as the new van was driven It was a great leap for the van and as time as shown it was just the natuaral progresion.

25th July 1985

The two millionth Transit comes off the line at Southampton

October 15th/24th1987

Van week,

If you were a dealor of a fleet customer then Ford invited you to come along to this week long event and try out the product. The product being the Transit van, Drive it use it and get a feel for the new fetures on the van, they was at the same time a letter and folder that was posted off to 1,000s of people advertising the event. Aset of postcards were poduced to give to the drivers attending the evet along with T-shirts books and a press pack. Here are the set of postcards.

July 1986

Fold holds onto its lead in the market maintaining the leader share with 30% of the market,

Novemebr 1986

Ford lend a Transit to a company to do a fild it was cauld the four protocol and stared Mickle caine and a yound Pierce Brosnan. Never seen the fild but I will have to get a copy.

September 1985

A ford transit becomes the first ever van to leap over 15 parked cars, it raised lots of money for cancer reserch 1985 with driver stuntman at the wheel Steve Mathews

1991

The Ford Transit Becomes the first van in history to have a factory fitted turbo charged 2.5ltr Di engine the van is also fitted with drive by wire another world first. Ford also inprove safty bu putting a van through a 30Mph crash tests.

6th September 1994

 the 3 millinth transit comes off the line at Genk Belgium and still hold the best selling van in Europe

1992

White Arrows Delivery servis take a fleet of Transits, Ford do a survey and put Ford engeneers with the drivers to check the vans while at the same time taking notes an interesting piont that came from this survey was that in a 71/2 hour driving day a dilery drive usses his cluch 1,497 times.

Ford Transit go to the R.A.F

The Harrier Jump jets get a fleet of transits for their survice engineers.

The MK2 Supervan

In July 1985 the MK2 Supervan was at Silverstone Race circute at a race meeting, It was clocked at 174 Miles per hour I was at the event and it yet again proved to be a show stopper it was the last time I ever got to see the van as a MK2 Transit.

Monster van hits the roads

Sky high Transit had 6.5 ton of axles froma USA military personel carrier a three speed automatic gearbox froma high street double dekker bus and had a top speed of 18 miles per hour. It costs £100,000 to build and had a 400bhp engine.

Amazing facts

The wedge shaped Transit had been on the roads 9 years and Ford was already mading plans to update there best selling van. During these years the Transit had been best selling van in every year while at the same time sale fiquers. for The van market had grown as more people brought vans. Ford sold 46,487 Transits in 1994 an amazing amount of comershal vehicles and it would not stop there a change was on the way.

The cost of a Transit in 1994 was £10,745

Drive day Spain 1985

Steve webster sponcerd by Ford 1991  I was always hoping he would logo up the van but he never did.

Wide open doors a big selling point with the new Transit

1987 Eurovan never sold in the UK, it has the USA look, Idea taken from the Ford Econoline and that american Day van look.

Drive day

September 1983 Transity Bus Europe only

The amazing Chasseur Van, never made but I sure it cost an amazing amout of mony to prduce this van i never did see it at any of the shows.spot the high roof and the amount of work done on this Pre-pro van.

Interior Chasseur Van

The amazing Chasseur Van, showing the windows

My name is Michael Caine on the set 1986

Hi Roof Press picture

1984 Test picture

1986 Testing the van Italy

More tests

Information

shot Alysbury Hospital

Twin Cab

Spoy the model Amand Masters on photo shoot.

1984 Press day bus picture

Pre pro press picture

Pre-pro Press picture

Father and sun picture germany Sseptember 1993, show a new Nuget camper and a 1953 Transit FK 1000 camper only 1000 were build. It was used in 100 of news papers in Germany as it was a fact one gut owend the Transit for over 40 years and his son owed the new van.

1995

The Hallmark Add

Flareside The Transit takes on the USA pickup look, sale were not that great on this pickup but they sure are in demand now, I owned one and they were great.

Another major number comes off the line,

Early 2000 the last Smily comes off the line at Southampton  they were still make in Turky for another three years.

The Smily years

The smily face Transit  met with the same coments from the drivers as all the other Transits have done over the years, But yet again as soon as the drivers gut there bums on the seat of the new van they could see what a great changes had been made to update the van. Ford pulled out all the stops with this model and the launch was quite amazing and the press coveridge hit new hights as the ford News team went into overdive. Ford did a limited hall mark van this fully loaded vehicle headed up Ford press releases and was on posters books Ford averts all over the place a speacle broachure was produced to sell the van and it took off with a bag. 600 vans were made two hunderd in dimond white and twn hunderd in silver. Ford did a picture in a frame for every one that brought a new Hallmark, I am looking at mine now. They out out as soon as hit the dealors.

The new Transits cab feature and tight doors reduced Noice by 70%

 1999 During the World Summit in Cologne a fleet of 100 Transits were suplied by Ford all run by Ecofriendly LPG they were used by delegates duying the two week long event.  In the same week Gary Rhodes the celebrity did a turn of great britian in a new Transit.

1999 Slade collect there new Transit tour bus from Warley Fords head office

Since 1991

In the years 9 years British telecon had 38,377 Transit vans British gas had 10,432, Police had 3,278, Motor Homes 3,040. To help improve the works at Southampton Ford has invested over £600 million since it took on the Transit in 1972. . 

The First smily comes off the line at southampton, Behind this van was the new 2000 model I was there for this event again and the whole end of the line was full of press people from all over Europe.

County Vehicels 4x4 Fire Van

County Vehicels 4x4