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60 Years of Transit: The Van That Moved the World
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Sixty years. Over 31 million minutes. And still going strong.
On August 9, 1965, the very first Ford Transit rolled off the production line — and the van world has never been the same since. Six decades later, it remains the world’s best-selling van, still doing what it’s always done best: getting the job done.
From plumbers to paramedics, bakers to builders, the Transit has carried tools, hopes, and livelihoods — becoming not just a van, but a symbol of hard graft across industries and continents.
Ford’s first-ever Transit press release summed it up in 1965:
“Every shopkeeper, contractor, ambulance driver, builder, baker or candlestick maker can find his own special requirements in Ford Transit.”
That’s even more true today. And the numbers prove it.
Transit by the Numbers
- Over 13 million Transits have been built globally since 1965 — 10.1 million of those in Europe and Türkiye.
- In 2024, 1 in 5 vans sold in Europe’s 1-tonne and 2-tonne segments was a Transit or Transit Custom.¹
- A new Transit rolled off the line every 2.5 minutes, non-stop. That’s 24/7/365 production.
- There are over 1,300 different configurations of the 2-tonne Transit available — body styles, wheelbases, roof heights, drivetrains and trims… and that’s before colour and extras.
- Payloads have evolved. The Mk1 Transit maxed out at around 1,700 kg. Today’s Transit can carry over 2,400 kg.²
- The massive L4H3 Transit offers 15.1 m³ of cargo space — enough to haul 236,000 ping-pong balls.²
- Ford’s bonkers SuperVan 4.2 cranks out 2,000 PS — because why not?
- The E-Transit with extended-range battery delivers up to 402 km between charges — a 28% range boost over the standard setup.³
- Between 2014 and 2024, Transit and Transit Custom sales in Europe jumped by 52%.¹
- Ford built 4x more Transits in 2024 than in 1966, its first full production year.
- Thanks to FordLiive, European fleet customers gained 822,000 extra vehicle days of availability in 2024 alone.
- 217 Ford Pro Converter partners across 18 European countries help create bespoke builds for any job.
- The Transit/Transit Custom has been the UK’s top-selling van for 59 straight years.
A Birthday Worth Celebrating
From humble beginnings to legendary status, the Transit story is far from over. On September 20, 2025, Ford will celebrate the van’s 60th birthday at the Transit Festival in Essex, UK — a fitting tribute to the van that’s helped keep Europe rolling for generations.
Cheers to 60 years of movement, muscle, and unmistakable purpose.
