Over the decades, Ford built outrageous racing vans that shocked crowds and redefined promotional show cars.
For decades, automakers have built truly outrageous concept cars. Some served as rolling showcases for new technology, others hinted at future design directions, and a few existed simply to grab attention. This story focuses on one of the most unusual examples—a project created for a single purpose: to shock the public.
The saga began in April 1971 at the famous Brands Hatch race track in the United Kingdom. It was there that the European arm of Ford Motor Company decided to present its popular Ford Transit in a completely unexpected way. The van was still in the middle of its production life, and a racetrack seemed like an odd venue for a commercial vehicle. But what the crowd saw left a lasting impression: a racing Transit.
According to legend, in the late 1960s several young Ford engineers jokingly installed a V8 engine into a standard Transit van. Word of the unusual experiment eventually reached John Dale, head of marketing for Ford of Britain. The experienced marketer immediately recognized the publicity potential and ordered a more ambitious version. Simply swapping the engine wasn’t enough—the team decided to mount the van’s body onto the chassis of the legendary Ford GT40, which had gained worldwide fame after dominating the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The result of this wild experiment was the Ford Transit Supervan. On the outside it resembled a regular cargo van, but underneath it was completely transformed. The original Essex V4 engine was removed, and the body was mounted on a modified tubular GT40 frame. The Supervan also borrowed the race car’s independent suspension, disc brakes, and steering system.
Power came from a 305-cubic-inch (5.0-liter) V8 mounted in the cargo area. Equipped with four Weber carburetors and high-performance Gurney-Westlake aluminum cylinder heads, the engine produced 435 horsepower and 391 lb-ft of torque. A five-speed ZF manual transmission sent all that power to the rear wheels.
Performance was remarkable for something shaped like a delivery van. The first Supervan accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in about seven seconds, reached speeds above 150 mph, and ran the quarter mile in 14.5 seconds. For comparison, the Jaguar E-Type V12 covered the same distance in about 14.8 seconds, while the Porsche 911S needed roughly 15.1 seconds.
Throughout the 1970s the Supervan toured racing events across Europe, thrilling crowds wherever it appeared. Automotive experts were also impressed, recognizing how difficult it was to combine a humble commercial van with a full-fledged racing machine. Eventually, though, technology moved forward, and the next generation of Transit required a fresh promotional spectacle.
By that time the GT40 platform was long gone, so engineers had to find new solutions. Ford enlisted Auto Racing Technologies, known for its work on the rally-bred Ford RS200, along with race car designer Tony Southgate, creator of the Ford C100.
This time the engineering team went all in. The old frame was replaced with an aluminum monocoque, while the van-like body was constructed from advanced composite materials. To fit the shape of a Transit over a race chassis, the body had to be built at about 70 percent of the original size.
Power came from a Cosworth DFL V8 producing around 590 horsepower and capable of revving beyond 9,000 rpm. The lightweight composite “brick” could rocket from 0 to 60 mph in under four seconds, with a top speed close to 150 mph.
When a new generation of the Transit arrived in 1994, Ford unveiled yet another extreme version: Supervan 3. Its centerpiece was a spectacular 5.0-liter Cosworth V8 derived from the Formula One world. In fact, the engine originated from the McLaren MP4/8 driven by Ayrton Senna. Under the van’s composite shell, it produced 650 horsepower and revved to an astonishing 13,000 rpm, launching the Supervan 3 from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds.
In 2004, however, the exotic Formula One engine was replaced with a more affordable 3.0-liter Cosworth V6. Output dropped significantly to about 290 horsepower, but thanks to the van’s light weight—roughly 1,960 pounds—it could still reach around 150 mph.
With the arrival of the electric Ford E-Transit, the era of gasoline-powered Supervans finally came to an end. The latest wild creation is now fully electric, developed together with the Austrian motorsport company STARD. Its electric motors produce an astonishing 2,000 horsepower, and the top speed reportedly reaches about 200 mph.
That machine, however, deserves a story of its own.