By RAY MASSEY
Is There anyone in this country who has NOT driven a Ford Transit van – which this year celebrates 60 years on the road? If you have, you will know what great fun they are.
And you don't need to be a delivery driver or a 'white van man' to have experienced the ubiquitous vehicle described as 'the backbone of Britain'. More than 13 million have been sold globally, including 3 million in the UK.
Countless people – myself included – will have hired a Transit van over those six decades to help move house, take waste to the dump, help offspring settle into their new digs at university or simply ferry around those Billy bookshelves from IKEA.
The first Ford Transit van left the production line at the company's commercial vehicle factory in Langley, Berkshire, on August 9, 1965 – before going on sale that October, priced from £542.
King of the road: Ray in the new hybrid which rides on 9in sport alloy wheels and powered by a 232hp, 2.5-litre petrol engine, linked to an electric motor and an 11.8kWh battery
British boxing legend Sir Henry Cooper had one to help with the family's greengrocer business.
So too did Sixties pop group Brian Poole and the Tremeloes. It's appeared in many movies, including with Sir Michael Caine in the 1987 spy film The Fourth Protocol.
To celebrate its anniversary, I've been driving a new five-seater plug-in hybrid (PHEV) double- cab Transit Custom Sport.
It was great fun, and drew admiring glances with its striking metallic digital blue aqua colour scheme and two thick 'go faster' stripes from bonnet to rear.
Add to that a back row of three big, comfy seats, loads of headroom, privacy glass, electric sliding doors either side and a vast cargo space out back.
Despite its size, the Transit is nimble and relatively easy to manoeuvre, helped by huge windows and side mirrors with a lower level for blind spots.
Despite its size, the Transit is nimble and relatively easy to manoeuvre, helped by huge windows and side mirrors with a lower level for blind spots
Fuel consumption is just under 40mpg with CO2 emissions from 35g/km
You feel like the king of the road behind the wheel whether you are moving house, taking waste to the dump or helping offspring settle into their new digs at university
If Santa needs extra help delivering his presents this Christmas, a Transit could be just the answer
British boxing legend Sir Henry Cooper had a Ford to help with the family's greengrocer business
Riding on 19in sport alloy wheels and powered by a 232hp, 2.5-litre petrol engine, linked to an electric motor and an 11.8kWh battery, it has a one-speed continuously variable transmission (CVT) with an electric-only range of up to 35 miles. It also goes like stink – especially when empty.
You feel like the king of the road behind the wheel. With extras included, my Transit cost £51,725 before VAT – private buyers would pay £10,345 more, taking the final tally to £62,070.
Fuel consumption is just under 40mpg with CO2 emissions from 35g/km.
The battery provides 2.3kW of mobile on-board power. A range of all-electric e-Transit vans has also been launched.
If Santa needs extra help delivering his presents this Christmas, a Transit could be just the answer.
The 'existential threat' to UK car manufacturing that once came from striking union militants like 'Red Robbo' has been replaced by the rise of 'Red China', a leading British motor industry boss has warned.
Mick Flanagan, president of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), said that a generation ago the biggest threat to the UK motor industry were Left-wing trade unionists such as Derek 'Red Robbo' Robinson calling wildcat strikes at car plants. Today, it is the flood of cheap cars from China.
Talking tough: Mick Flanagan, president of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders
At SMMT's annual dinner in London on Tuesday, Mr Flanagan, pictured, told Business Secretary Peter Kyle and industry executives: 'We do not fear China's might. We do not fear competition. As long as that competition is fair.'
The Chinese automotive industry has twice the capacity of their domestic market and enough to provide one third of the global market, he said.
