Ford · 1965–present

Ford Transit

The Ford Transit is a family of light commercial vehicles manufactured by the Ford Motor Company since 1965, primarily as a cargo van, but also available in other configurations including a large passenger van (marketed as the Ford Tourneo in some markets since 1995), minibus, cutaway van chassis, and a pickup truck. The vehicle is also known as the Ford T-Series (T-150, T-250, T-350), a nomenclature shared with Ford's other light commercial vehicles, the Ford F-Series trucks, and the Ford E-Series chassis. As of 2015, 8 million Transit vans have been sold, making it the third best-selling van of all time and has been produced across four basic platform generations (debuting in 1965, 1986, 2000, and 2013 respectively), with various "facelift" versions of each. The first product of the merged Ford of Europe, the Transit was originally marketed in Western Europe and Australia. By the end of the twentieth century, it was marketed nearly globally with the exception of North America until 2015 when it replaced the Ford E-Series van. Upon its introduction in North America, the Transit quickly became the best-selling van of any type in the United States, minivan sales included. That mirrors the success the Transit has achieved in Europe, where it has been the best-selling light commercial vehicle for forty years, and in some countries the term "Transit" has passed into common usage as a generic trademark applying to any light commercial van in the Transit's size bracket.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Successor: Ford Transit Custom

All Ford Transit data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years → + Compare

Taunus Transit (1953)

Predecessor of the British and German-built Transit, the first production Ford to wear the "Transit" badge was a van built in Ford's Cologne plant in Germany. It was introduced in 1953 as FK 1000 (carrying 1,000 kg) with the 1.2-litre Ford sidevalve engine from the contemporary Taunus. In 1955 the engine capacity was enlarged to 1.5 litres. From 1961, this vehicle was called the Ford Taunus Transit. Production of this model ceased in 1965. Brief historical view. On May 9, 1945, the day after the unconditional surrender of the German Wehrmacht in the Second World War, production at Ford Germany in Cologne resumed. Because the production of civilian cars in the British occupied zone was restricted, Ford-Werke AG was limited to the production of trucks until 1948. Those trucks were based on the slightly modified war models V 3000 S, B 3000 S and V 3000 A as they were already produced before and during the Second World War in the Ford production facilities in the Third Reich and subsequently called "Rhein" (V8-engined) and "Ruhr" (four-cylinder). At that time neither Ford of Britain nor Ford Werke AG were 100% subsidiaries of Ford Motor Company in Detroit; before the Second World War each company had its own more or less protected market. After the war, several economical boundaries were abolished and local markets did not exist anymore in the same way that they existed before. With this, Ford of Britain and Ford-Werke AG suddenly became more competitive on the whole European Continent than local market subsidiaries of their parent company in Detroit. Production of light commercial vehicles began in late 1948, when 148 half-ton delivery vehicles were built. In 1951 Ford Werke AG launched the commercial vehicle series FK, standing for Ford Köln, with different-sized vehicles

First generation (1965)

The first generation Transit, or the Transit Mark I in the United Kingdom, was introduced in October 1965, taking over directly from the Thames 400E. This generation had the longest production run of any Transit to date, staying largely unaltered for 12 years until the major update of 1977, with only one minor facelift for the 1971 model year, which saw updated front end styling on the V4 engined models (the 'pig snout' diesel/V6 models remained unchanged), and the introduction of a safety padded dashboard. Overall production of this platform therefore lasted for over 20 years before finally being replaced by the all-new VE6 platform in 1986. The van was produced initially at Ford's Langley facility in Berkshire, England (a former Second World War aircraft factory which had produced Hawker Hurricane fighters), but demand outstripped the capability of the plant, and production was moved to Southampton until closure in 2013 in favour of the factory at İzmit, Turkey. Transits were also produced in Ford's Genk factory in Belgium and also Turkey. Transits were produced in Amsterdam for the local market from the mid-1970s until the end of 1981. The Amsterdam factory had ample capacity, since the Ford Transcontinental produced there had little success (total production of 8,000 in six years). Although the Transit sold well in the Netherlands, it was not enough to save the factory, which closed in December 1981. The Transit was introduced to replace the Ford Thames 400E, a small mid-engined forward control van noted for its narrow track which was in competition with similar-looking but larger vehicles from the BMC J4 and J2 vans and Rootes Group's Commer PB ranges. In a UK market segment then dominated by the Bedford CA, the Thames' restricted load area failed to attract fleet

Second generation (1986)

Codenamed VE6, the second generation Transit platform appeared in January 1986 and was notable for its all-new bodyshell which was of "one-box" design (i.e. the windscreen and bonnet are at close to the same angle), and the front suspension was changed to a fully independent configuration on SWB versions. Initially fitted with Chubb AVA locks, Tibbe barrels were fitted soon after. The engine range was carried over largely unchanged from the last of the 1978–1985 Mk.1 facelift model, although in 1989 the high-performance 3.0 Essex V6 petrol was replaced by the Cologne 2.9 EFI V6, mainly because of emissions regulations as the Essex V6 design was nearly 25 years old by then and still used a carburettor. The third generation Transit was developed under the "Triton" code name. Facelift (1992). A subtle facelift in 1992 saw the fully independent front suspension adopted across the range, whilst a redesigned floor plan allowed the use of single, rather than paired, rear wheels on the LWB derivative, further increasing payload—these models are identifiable by the slightly more rounded front headlamps. In Australia, the third generation Transit did not go on sale until March 1994, after a 13-year absence from that market. Facelift (1994). A major facelift to the Transit in 1994 gave the Transit a new nose and dashboard, along with the 2.0 L DOHC 8-valve engine as found in the 1994 to 1998 Ford Scorpio. It is similar to the earlier Sierra DOHC unit but without the distributor and uses the updated OBD II-compliant EEC-V level engine control unit. At the same time air conditioning, electric windows, central locking, electric mirrors and airbags were all made available as optional extras. In 1994, a campervan conversion produced by Auto-Sleepers converted in Willersey, Gloucestersh

Third generation (2000)

=== Pre-facelift (2000) === The Transit, introduced in July 2000, was the third all-new design, and borrowed styling cues from Ford's "New Edge" designs, like the Focus and Ka. Developed by Ford in the United States, the main innovation is that it is available in either front- or rear-wheel drive. Ford nomenclature makes this the V184 (rear-wheel-drive) or V185 (front-wheel-drive) model. This model features the "Puma"-type Duratorq turbo diesel engine also used in the 2000 Mondeo and Jaguar X-Type, with the petrol versions moving up to the 2.3 L 16-valve edition of the straight-4 engine. A demonstration of this model's speed with the smallest panel van body, rear-wheel-drive, highest output 136 PS 2.4 Duratorq turbo-diesel engine and optional 6-speed manual gearbox was shown in series 6 of Top Gear in 2005, where German race driver Sabine Schmitz attempted to drive it around the Nürburgring in under ten minutes, matching Jeremy Clarkson's time in a turbodiesel Jaguar S-Type; after weight reduction and aerodynamic modifications, she was only just unsuccessful, marking her fastest lap at 10m 8s. This version won the International Van of the Year 2001. The Durashift EST automatic transmission (optional on all rear-wheel-drive models) features controls mounted on the dashboard, a specially adapted manual mode, tow-haul mode, economy mode and winter mode. This is known as the ASM (automatically shifting manual) system in the Australian market. 2002 saw the introduction of the first High Pressure Common Rail diesel engine in the Transit, with the launch of the 125 PS (92 kW) HPCR 2.0-litre in the FWD. Production of the van started at the new Ford-Otosan plant in Kocaeli, Turkey which saw the end of all production at the Genk, Belgium plant which had been producing Transits s

Fourth generation (2014)

The fourth-generation Transit was launched in January 2013 at the 2013 North American (Detroit) International Auto Show. In contrast to the previous generation developed in the United States (but never sold there), the fourth-generation Transit was co-designed by Ford of Europe and Ford in North America. After entering production for worldwide sale in 2013, Ford began production of the Transit in Kansas City Assembly in April 2014 for the 2015 model year. Sold worldwide by Ford for the first time, the fourth-generation Transit competes against the Chevrolet Express/GMC Savana, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Fiat Ducato (and its variants), and the Volkswagen Crafter. The first generation sold in the United States and Canada, the fourth-generation Transit directly replaced the 1992-2014 E-Series Van and Wagon (with the preceding model line remaining in production, solely as a cutaway/chassis cab). While the Transit is also sold as a cutaway/chassis cab, Ford does not sell the single/double-cab pickup truck variants of the Transit in North America, where it sells the full F-Series line. The debut of the fourth generation saw Ford transition the Transit from a single model line into a commercially-oriented Ford sub-brand. Alongside the namesake full-size vehicle and the MPV-sized Transit Connect, the Transit Custom was introduced as a mid-size van (sized between the Transit and Transit Connect), replacing the previous front-wheel drive Transit with a distinct model line. In 2014, the Fiesta-based Transit Courier debuted as the smallest model of the product range. Chassis. The fourth-generation Transit is offered in a rear-wheel drive powertrain layout; the front-wheel drive version of the previous generation has been replaced by the Transit Custom. The Transit van is offered i

Chinese production

=== Second generation Transit (1997–2017) === Introduced in 1997, the Ford Transit VJX6541DK-M is a license-built version of the Transit assembled by Jiangling Motors (JMC) in Nanchang. Produced solely for the Chinese domestic market, it was derived from the second-generation VE6/VE83/VE94 platform. Over its Ford predecessor produced from 1986 to 2000, JMC made 70 major updates to the design. The exterior was distinguished by revision to the front fascia, including larger front headlamps and a redesigned grille and front bumper. The interior saw several ergonomic improvements, along with the standardization of power windows. ABS was offered as an option. The top speed is specified at 68.35 mph (110 km/h). Sharing its underpinnings with the second-generation Transit, the JMC-built Transit differed substantially in its powertrain configuration. In place of Ford produced engines, the model line used a 92 kW Mitsubishi-produced 2.4 L inline-4. Two Isuzu-produced 2.8 L inline-4 diesels were offered; a naturally aspirated version offering 67.6 kW-68 kW and a turbocharged, intercooled version, offering 80–85 kW. In 2008, Ford commenced sales of the V347/V348 Transit in China alongside its JMC-produced counterpart, branded the Ford-produced van as the New Transit and the JMC van as the Transit Classic. Between the two manufacturers, a combined 210,000 examples of both generations were sold in China; in 2012, Ford expanded operations, allowing production capacity to expand to 300,000 vehicles. In January 2010, the Toyota recalls affected the Transit Classic, as Ford/JMC utilized the same supplier of accelerator pedals (CTS Corporation), suspecting the units were defective and posed a risk of unintended acceleration. Approximately 1600 Ford Transit Classics in China were affecte

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name

Ford Transit

Manufacturer

Ford

Production

1965–present

Model years

2015–present (North America)

Predecessor

Europe: Ford Thames 400E, North America: Ford E-Series

Class

Light commercial vehicle (M)

Engine

3.5L Ecoboost V6, 3.5L Cyclone V6

Successor

Ford Transit Custom (for Ford Tourneo)

Transmission

10-speed Automatic Transmission

Layout

Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive (1953–present), Front-engine, front-wheel-drive (2000–present), Front-engine, four-wheel-drive (1977–1986, 2000–present)

sp

uk

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

US EPA fuel-economy records

US EPA test figures (US MPG, US test cycle).

Sources

• Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q859639CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_TransitCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1377565579 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2019_Ford_Transit_350_Leader_Ecoblue_2.0.jpgCC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo: Vauxford · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.

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