C o mm e rcia l Veh icle L aunch |
by Howard Keeg
A Van for All Seasons
It all started in 1964 with the introduction of the Ford Transit. Now, fifty years later, with some detours along the way, the
Transit is celebrating its half century anniversary, and is becoming the van for all seasons.
S
outh Africa was part of the
detour, having manufactured
the Transit in Port Elizabeth
from 1967 to 1974. In the South
African context, the Ford psyche
tended to downplay commercial
vehicles. Apart from the recent
success of the Ranger, commercial
vehicles have always played
second fiddle to the hegemony of
the passenger car. The Granada
was grand, the Cortina was king,
the Capri was cool, and the Escort
was the poor man’s Mustang. But,
in America this was not the case,
➲ South Africans can look forward to the Ford Tourneo Connect MPV in 2015, the passenger
variant of the Transit Connect, also coming in 2015.
with Henry Ford introducing the
“Model T Runabout With Pickup
On display were the new Transit Chassis Cab, the Transit Custom,
Body” as early as 1925, and later with the pickup becoming
and the Ranger XL-Plus. “The new Transit chassis cab is a flexible
increasingly popular as a means of personal transportation,
solution for the kind of customers who attends Interbuild,” says
the F-Series Truck became the crown jewel of the company; a
Gavin Golightly, Ford marketing manager. “It’s also extremely
position that it still holds. Now, in the One Ford era instituted by
tough, and will live up to the demands of the companies that
Alan Mulally, South Africa cannot escape the winds of change,
are helping build the country - all while being a modern offering,
and the all-inclusive nature of this philosophy played out on
boasting the latest technologies.” The Ranger XL-Plus is a no
20 August 2014 when the Ford Motor Company of Southern
nonsense bakkie for business, whilst the Ford Transit Custom
Africa (FMCSA) showed some of its newest commercial vehicle
is a versatile van ideal for small and medium businesses, and
offerings to the media at the Johannesburg Expo Centre in
a van that does not compromise when it comes to matching
Nasrec. Not that the media were the only reason to put these
its passenger car brothers in the latest safety aids and
vehicles on display. There was also a little thing called the
technologies.
Interbuild Africa 2014 expo, which ran from 20 to 23 August,
and visited by businessmen on the lookout for dependable and
These vehicles will join other Ford commercial models at
affordable commercial vehicles.
FMCSA’s specialist commercial vehicle dealerships, and we can
look forward to more. “Throughout
this year and 2015 we’ll be
➲ Ford Transit Chassis Cab, a van for all regions and all seasons
rolling out a full complement of
commercial vehicles for private
individuals and businesses of all
sizes. Our commitment starts
with these dedicated commercial
vehicle dealerships, which will offer
expert service and advice in this
segment,” adds Golightly.
FMCSA is also planning to
add a van for all regions to
its van for all seasons, as
it continues to expand its
commercial vehicle presence
on the African continent.