Ford marks 40 years of the Transit

Ford is set to celebrate 40 years of the Transit with a number of special editions in both the standard Transit and the Connect ranges.
Ford said the Transit has been market leader in each of those 40 years and remains so in both the 1t and 2t sectors.
September this year saw Ford's highest CV registrations in a single month and the company said its volumes have increased by 13% against a market that has risen 8.5%. Star performers were the Fiesta van (47.8% of its market) and the Transit (about 50,000 registrations), as Ford's overall share of the CV market has risen (by 1.2 percentage points) for the first time since 1993.
Commercial vehicles director Gary Whittam said the company expects 2005 to see some weakening in the market and he expects changes in fuel, speed limiters and policing, as vans are a target for government taxation and legislation. Whittam also said Ford wanted to help change White Van Man's image.
When the first Transits rolled off the line in 1965, there were derivatives of driveline, wheelbase, body shape and so on. Today there are more than 500 variations.