Happy Birthday Transit as Iconic Commercial Vehicle Turns 59

DUNTON, UK – It’s an automotive phenomenon, the best-selling cargo van in the world and the second-best-selling Ford nameplate globally behind F-Series, but did you know that Ford Transit has also just turned 59?

The milestone was celebrated with a special Transit Day hosted at Ford’s Dunton Campus in the UK. Today, Transit is one of the most successful products in Ford’s global portfolio. It towers over the competition in markets across the world and is now more capable and versatile than ever with a fresh lineup of ice, hybrid and all-electric options and new configurations for almost any commercial use case.

According to S&P Global sales data, more than 4 million Transit vans have been sold in the last 10 years alone. So, what is the key to its success, and where did the Transit story first begin? Here’s all you need to know about this iconic van.

Evolution

The Transit story started on 9th January 1960 with a brief to develop one van for Europe, instead of multiple vans for individual markets. Back then, Transit was simply known as Project Redcap, but it wasn’t until August 9, 1965, that the first Transit rolled off the production line at Ford’s Langley Plant in the UK. Within months it became the best-selling van in the UK – a position it has held ever since.

In 1969, Ford carried out a major update to Transit, introducing Custom cab fitting, a new front-end grille, a car-like dashboard, an automatic option, and more comfy seats with seatbelts.

Fast forward two decades, and Ford unveiled a new, more aerodynamic Transit that was more economical and easier to repair. Ford also introduced a new Limited Edition model for the first time, and the three millionth Transit came off the line in 1994. “White Van Man” was everywhere.

Ford expanded the Transit brand with the introduction of the smaller Connect, which was crowned International Van of the Year in 2003, two years after the new Transit scooped the prestigious award.

In 2012, Transit Custom arrived in Europe, marking a step-change in Transit Design, followed by the   larger two-tonne Transit in 2014 and smaller Transit Courier in 2015 which completed the four-strong Transit line-up.

All four members of the Transit family have since been updated and improved, and most recently Ford unveiled a new Transit Custom and Tourneo Custom for Europe, including full-electric variants.

Going Electric

In 2020, Ford revealed the new E-Transit electric van which quickly became the best-selling electric van in its segment in the U.S and Europe. Businesses, cities and government customers, including the United States Postal Service who is beginning to deploy their purchase of over 9,000 E-Transit vans, have already begun to see the benefits of going electric.

In the U.S., Ford Transit—America’s iconic No. 1 bestselling commercial van—celebrates a decade in-market and its 10th year of U.S. production and sales with enhancements to E-Transit range and new charging, software and integrated solutions, helping to ease the transition to electric and maximize benefits for commercial customers. 

In North America, E-Transit has saved customers more than 3 million gallons of gas and over 25 million kg of CO2 output since joining the Transit family in 2022. According to the EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator, that’s the same as planting 413,377 tree seedlings and letting them grow for 10 years. In Europe, the all-new E-Transit Custom launched this year, together with hybrid variants of the Transit Custom and Transit Connect.  Along with the E-Transit Courier which launches in 2025, Ford Pro is helping even more commercial customers transition to electrification.

Produced at Ford Otosan’s state-of-the-art Yeniköy Assembly Plant in Türkiye, E-Transit Custom’s next-gen electric powertrain offers driving range up to 209 miles (337km), payload up to 1,011kg and class-leading 2,300kg towing capability.

“We now have electrified nearly our entire Transit van portfolio and Ford Pro is bringing large-fleet levels of charging, software and servicing support to small businesses, helping drive EV adoption in Europe and North America,” said Ted Cannis, CEO of Ford Pro.

Sales Phenomenon

When Ford first brought Transit to the U.S. in 2014, replacing the Econoline, few could have predicted just how successful it would be. After just six months in production, Transit became America’s bestselling commercial van. Before the end of 2016, it outsold every other van in North America, including minivans.

More than 1.2 million Transit vans have been assembled at the Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo, Missouri during the past 10 years, and 99 per cent of all Transit vans sold in the U.S. are still on the road.

Across the pond, Transit has been the UK’s best-selling commercial vehicle for 57 years. In 2021 and 2022, Transit Custom was officially the best-selling vehicle in the UK, outselling not only its competitors in the commercial vehicle sector, but also the entire passenger car sector.

And in Europe, Ford has been the number one commercial vehicle brand for 9 years in a row, with Transit Custom van, E-Transit and Ranger all leading their market segments.

According to research from CEBR, van-related industries supported almost €1 trillion in economic activity across Europe in 2023.  And if van-powered businesses combined were an EU member state, they would be the sixth largest by GDP.

In the U.S., Transit holds a 54 per cent share of its class in the Utility Services industry, larger than the next two competitors combined, and it’s a similar story in sectors like food and beverage distribution, emergency vehicles, manufacturing, construction and government.

“No matter the task at hand — delivering packages, providing trade services, or building our roads and houses — there’s a Transit for every job and every driver,” says Cannis. “That’s why Transit is No. 1 in global cargo van sales.  Customers can rely on us to get the job done and keep their businesses moving. Our long history serving commercial customers has helped us design vehicles that people cannot live without.”

The Pride of Ford Pro

What makes Transit even more attractive for customers is the support provided by Ford Pro which enables us to unlock their full potential and boost their productivity through an ecosystem of solutions.

By delivering award-winning vehicles integrated with software, physical services and charging solutions, Ford Pro is helping businesses of all sizes solve some of their biggest challenges like uptime, safety and security, lower total cost of ownership, and increasingly environmental sustainability.

Paid subscriptions for Ford Pro Intelligence grew 35 per cent year over year to 610,000 in the second quarter of 2024, with triple-digit growth in telematics, fleet management and charging depot software. One of Ford Pro’s most popular offerings, Ford Telematics helps fleet managers and business owners stay on top of their vehicle health, location, and fuel bills.

Thanks to vehicle franchises like Transit and Super Duty, Ford Pro is tracking towards $70 billion in revenue this year - with further opportunities for profitable growth across parts & service, software, and vehicles business.

The Future

Next year, Transit will celebrate 60 years in Europe of deliveries, repairs, rescues, and more around the world. By then, the entire European Transit line up will be available with electrified powertrains, including full-electric and plug-in hybrid power.