Transit reaches milestone

Photo / Supplied

Ford's six millionth Transit van has rolled off a Turkish production line, a total achieved over 45 years.

That makes Transit Ford's longest-serving model. It arrived here back in 1965, with a 1.7-litre 54kW motor and what was then state-of-the-art technology like halogen headlights, tubeless tyres, and a printed circuit board.

Bluetooth and airbags are standard, and Transits range in size from under 5m to almost 6.5m long, able to carry up to 12.9 cubic metres and 2.2 tons of stuff, and tow up to three tons.

It sells in 85 markets across five continents for a wide range of weather extremes. It has been tested over 3.2 million kilometers including driving through water 300mm deep at 60km/h, to see how well its hydraulics, electrics and ABS work. High altitude towing tests, winter driving in Canada and Finland; all have been grist to the Transit's mill.

It's no wonder the model remains a fixture on our roads, holding second spot in the commercial market behind Toyota's Hiace.