The date is August 9, 1965 – and the first Ford Transit van is leaving the production line at Ford’s facility in Langley, UK.
At the time, few could have predicted the impact this new van would have for businesses and economies during the coming decades.
In fact, if van-powered businesses were an EU member state, they would have been the sixth largest by GDP in 2023 – larger than member states including Austria, Ireland or Sweden, according to a report commissioned by Ford Pro and published by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr).
In 2025, as Transit celebrates 60 years in continuous production, Transit and the vans it inspired are at the heart of economic growth across Europe. From the local baker or beekeeper, through to national parcel delivery and courier services, Transit continues to be a trusted partner.
“During the past 60 years ‘Transit’ has become a byword for getting the job done,” said Hans Schep, general manager, Ford Pro, Europe. “Sometimes highly visible, other times working hard out of sight – for six decades Transit has been powering the businesses and services that keep our world moving.”
Backbone of the economy
Van-related businesses contributed around €1 trillion to the economy across the EU and the UK as recently as 2023, according to Cebr report, The Economics of Commercial Van Usage Across Europe 2024.
The report estimated the contribution of van-related business was growing, with a 27.4 per cent increase since 2017 and a 6.5 per cent increase since 2021 – a stronger performance than in many other sectors which did not primarily depend on vans.
The report also estimated van-related activity outgrew the EU economy as a whole between 2021 and 2023. And if van-powered businesses were an EU member state, they would have been the sixth largest by GDP, after Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands.
Small businesses such as mobile coffee companies and florists comprise 99 per cent of firms in the EU and are a driving force behind economic growth. Similarly, the Transit family of vans that supports them is a key component behind Ford Pro’s success as Europe’s leading commercial vehicle brand for the past 10 years.
Ford Pro now also offers electrified variants of every van in the Transit family, including the E-Transit – Europe’s best-selling all-electric two-tonne van, and E-Transit Custom – the all-electric version of Europe’s best-selling one-tonne van.
This new generation of Transits is continuing the iconic van’s status as the trusted business partner in the electric era, and helping customers transition their fleets to benefit from the reduced cost of ownership offered by electric vehicles. The Cebr report estimated small businesses could save €14,000 per van over three years by switching to electric vans.
Supporting businesses big and small for 60 years
“Drycleaners want tall van compartments for their clothes deliveries. Bakers want high-roof vans to accommodate the many shelves they require. Greengrocers need exceptionally wide trays. Confectioners need larger compartments,” said Transit advertising materials in 1967.
The first-generation Transit van was designed to help businesses from independent landscape gardeners to large multinationals get more done, with greater efficiency and in greater comfort. For example, its flat load floor meant more space and easier loading, and its forward-mounted engine delivered a more car-like driving experience.
Transit customers were also supported from the outset by Ford’s vast dealer network. And while the first three months of Transit production concentrated on building short wheelbase vans, these were soon followed by versatile long wheelbase, chassis cab, minibus and kombi variants supporting a wide range of use cases – just as offered by Ford Pro today.
By 1966, large fleet operators relying on Transit included police forces, rail and gas companies, and even the military. Ford’s Special Vehicle Operations department could quickly respond to requests for niche Transits to perform unique roles.
Fast-forward to 2025, and the Ford Pro Special Vehicles team uses its in-house engineering expertise to deliver high-performance component upgrades, auxiliary power systems, and digital upfit solutions to integrate third-party systems into in-vehicle touchscreens for fleets such as The AA and the London Ambulance Service in the UK.
Every member of the latest generation Transit family is ready to connect with the Ford Pro suite of connected Software, Charging and Service solutions to help owners keep their vans on the road and get the job done efficiently.
Real-time data powers the FORDLiive connected uptime system, as well as Ford Pro Telematics software that turns high-quality data direct from Transit vehicles into insights and alerts that can simplify fleet management for businesses like Daecher von Hunold in Germany.
“There are six decades of know-how built into every Transit and each new generation is built on the feedback and experiences of our customers,” Schep said. “Now, our Ford Pro digital solutions mean our Transit offering can evolve faster than ever to better serve our customers and continue its journey into the future as the thought leader for productivity.”
