Transit to Tranquility: Sauna Van for Wild Swimmers
1. What did London Zoo transport in their new 1965 Transit?
a) A male gorilla b) A female giraffe c) Two baby elephants
2. During night time high-speed final testing of Transit why did the police often stop the Ford engineers?
a) Because they were exceeding the speed limit b) Just to see how testing was progressing c) Because they suspected they might have been involved in a crime
3. A record number of people were squeezed into a Transit minibus in 1965. How many students managed to get in?
a) 21 b) 33 c) 48
4. In Hong Kong in 1970, 200 Transits were purchased to replace which traditional method of transport?
a) Motorcycle b) Taxi c) Rickshaw
5. What had to happen to Transit vans to get them down salt mines in the Cheshire countryside in the UK?
a) The wheels had to be removed b) Drained of all fluids c) Cut in half then reassembled
6. Why did Ford apprentices modify a Transit so it could take part in an event at Southend, Essex in 1985?
a) To allow it to fly using a hang glider apparatus b) So it could slide down a hill on skis c) So it could float and compete in a raft race
7. In 1985, a stuntman driving a Transit leapt over how many cars to achieve a world first for a van?
a) 1 b) 12 c) 15
8. What was remarkable about Juan Garcia's Transit Kombi after six months buried in deep snow?
a) The lunch he had left behind had been preserved and was still edible b) The van started first time c) A new road had been constructed around it
9. Considered the noisiest Transit in the world with 65 amplifiers and 61 subwoofers, how loud was it (decibels)?
a) 130 b) 140 c) 155
10. In a 2006 advert, what did a Transit driver do when half way up the outside of a skyscraper?
a) Got out and stood on the van roof b) Cleaned the skyscraper windows whilst still sat in the cab c) Parachuted to the ground
11. Which film characters joined an inflatable Transit for a children’s charity at the 2006 London marathon?
a) Manny and Sid (Ice Age) b) Wallace and Gromit c) Lightning McQueen and Cruz Ramirez (Cars)
12. Ford almost launched its all-new European van under another name. What was it?
a) C-Series b) V-Series c) T-Series
13. What was the codename the Transit project was given while in development?
a) Project Redcap b) Project Taunus c) Project Yellowhat
14. Which English town is considered to be the birthplace of the Transit?
a) Dagenham b) Coventry c) Langley
15. When the Transit was launched, what price was the cheapest version?
a) £425 b) £542 c) £765
16. In 1972, the UK’s Scotland Yard police said that Transit vans were used in what percentage of bank raids?
a) 70% b) 85% c) 95%
17. How long did a Transit take to make the 16,000km journey from England to Australia in the 1970s?
a) 10 weeks b) 14 weeks c) 18 weeks
18. In 1977, a Transit featuring a 1.5-metre drink can on the rear was promoting what type of drink?
a) Lemonade b) Beer c) Cola
19. In 1979, Ford commissioned a six-wheel Transit concept vehicle. What else was unusual about it?
a) It had gullwing style doors b) It was hydrogen powered c) It was autonomous and no driver was required
20. What well known connection did the Ford Transit have with the music industry?
a) Bands used the van to move between gigs, often overnight b) The van was often used to deliver the latest releases to record shops c) Transit vans were converted into mobile recording studios
21. Which British boxing legend used a Transit in the 1960's while working in his family’s greengrocers?
a) Walter McGowan b) Terry Downes c) Henry Cooper
22. Which country first adapted the Transit to run on its railway network for maintenance purposes?
a) Switzerland b) Austria c) Spain
23. Which UK wrestling star appeared in an ad highlighting the versatility of the Transit chassis cab?
a) Big Daddy b) Mick McManus c) Giant Haystacks
24. Which legendary car did the powertrain for the first Transit SuperVan come from?
a) Ford Mustang b) AC Cobra c) Ford GT40
25. When the longest production Transit was launched, what did it become known as?
a) Transit Mammoth b) Transit Rhino c) Transit Jumbo
26. What unusual issue caused Czech Transit operator Radek Němec to visit his local Ford dealer?
a) His distance recorder had stuck at 999,999 kms b) A family of mice had made their home behind the dashboard c) His neighbour complained that the custom colour was causing him migraines
27. When all-electric SuperVan 4.2 was at Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2025, how much power did it have?
a) 900 PS b) 1,200 PS c) 2,000 PS
28. Why did the BBC Top Gear team add two extra engines to a Transit van?
a) To attempt the world van speed record b) To convert the van to a paraglider c) To build a hovervan
29. What average speed did two Transit vans achieve during a two week, 10,000-mile endurance test in 1972?
a) 95 km/h (59 mph) b) 119 km/h (74 mph) c) 130 km/h (81 mph)
30. In what year was the one millionth Transit built?
a) 1972 b) 1976 c) 1979
31. What feature did Ford introduce in 1982 to appeal to those who needed to drive on more demanding surfaces?
a) An offroad tyre option b) 4x4 transmission c) High level engine air intake and exhaust
32. What speed did the Transit SuperVan 2 achieve at the Silverstone, UK race circuit in 1985?
a) 212 km/h (132 mph) b) 280 km/h (174 mph) c) 350 km/h (217 mph)
33. What record did the SuperVan 2 break in 1985 at Silverstone circuit?
a) The caravan towing speed record b) The fastest speed achieved in reverse in a van c) The lap record for a van
34. A Transit was used by royal couple William and Kate to remain incognito when moving around which island?
a) The Isle of Wight b) Jersey C) Anglesey
35. In which movie did Michael Caine use a Transit van in a car chase?
a) The Bourne Supremacy b) The Fourth Protocol c) Die Hard
36 .How many of Ford Pro’s own fleet were used to assist over 40 organisations during the 2020 pandemic?
a) 110 b) 131 c) 145
37. A replica of a car used in a famous children’s movie was built on a Transit chassis. But which film was it from?
a) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang b) Herbie Rides Again c) Cars
38. For a UK radio station stunt, a Transit drove around the M25 motorway in 1986 for how long?
a) 24 hours b) 7 days and nights c) A month
39. In PS, how powerful was the Transit SuperVan 3 when originally launched?
a) 500 b) 650 c) 1000
40. In 2006, the Transit became the first van to offer what choices of drivetrain?
a) front, rear- or all-wheel drive b) automatic transmission c) front or rear wheel drive
41. The Port of Aarhus in Denmark uses a Ford E-Transit for what unique purpose?
a) To winch ships into docking positions using ropes, b) To drive catering supplies directly into the ship’s cargo bay, avoiding harmful emissions in an enclosed space, c) Boated to off-shore facilities to use Ford Pro Power Onboard
42. In 2021, Fords esports team, Team Fordzilla converted a Transit van into…
a) A mobile DJ deck with roof mounted sound system b) A mobile first aid van c) A gaming van, with Xbox consoles, and adapted for wheelchair access to be used when visiting children’s hospices
43. An unusual brief given to the Ford Pro Special Vehicles team saw a Ford E-Transit become...
a) A launch vehicle for an amateur home-made rocket club b) A mobile sauna c) A combine harvester
44. In 2005, a UK Ford dealer converted a Transit into a monster truck, fitted with a transmission from what?
a) A London bus b) An armoured personnel carrier c) An airport fire truck
45. In 2006 Ford created a one-off stretch limousine called the Transit XXL. How long was it?
a) 6.3 metres b) 7.1 metres c) 7.4 metres
46. Which racing circuit did the late Sabine Schmitz drive a Transit around for the BBC’s Top Gear TV programme?
a) Nürburgring b) Brands Hatch c) Spa-Francorchamps
47. Approximately how many equivalent times around the world was the latest Transit driven during testing?
a) 110 b) 275 c) 320
48. In which year did the Transit Custom go on sale?
a) 2011 b) 2012 c) 2013
49. By 2020, how many awards had the Transit Custom won?
a) 10 b) 19 c) Over 25
50. Which city is home to the Transit manufacturing plant in the USA?
a) Kansas City b) Louisville c) Dearborn
51. What colour were the four Transit vans that toured the UK to mark the Transit’s 50th anniversary in 2015?
a) Bronze b) Silver c) Gold
52. What made the birth of little Alfie Kerr so special?
a) His mother got to hospital by flagging down a passing Transit minibus b) He was born in the footwell of his father’s Transit van c) The Transit ambulance took his mother to a hospital being opened by The King
53. SuperVan 4.2’s aerodynamic design sees how much downforce created at 241 km/h (150 mph)?
a) 2000kg b) 5000kg c) 10000kg
54. How much power did the diesel engine produce that was fitted to the first Ford Transit van in 1965?
a) 39hp (39.5PS) b) 43hp (43.6PS) c) 51hp (51.7PS)
55. How much power does the electric motor in the new MS-RT E-Transit Custom produce (PS equivalent)?
a) 190 b) 250 c) 285
56. A Transit van competed in a cross-desert rally in Africa. How many miles were covered?
a) 4800 (7725 km) b) 6300 (10,139 km) c) 7500 (12,070 km)
57. Which video game offers the chance for players to drive an original Mk1 Transit van?
a) Forza Horizon 4 b) Gran Turismo 7 c) Need for Speed Unbound
58. How fast could Transit Center Motorsport team's V8 Drift Bus accelerate from zero to 100 km/h?
a) 6.7 seconds b) 4.9 seconds c) 4.5 seconds
59: In 2013, a Ford Transit Custom van was used to show films at the Cannes Film Festival. What was it called?
a) Films in a Ford b) Customised Creativity c) Cannes in a Van
60: Ford dealers can offer a Transit Custom based camper direct to the customer. What is it called?
a) Custom Nugget b) Custom Ingot c) Custom Ore
So, how did you do?
50-60/60: Your Transit knowledge is exemplary. You’ve clearly been keeping on top of the Transit, its successes and stories over the last six decades. Well done.
30-49/60: A very good result, some of these questions are pretty tricky and statistically it’s unlikely that you’d get this score just by guessing. Congratulations, a very good effort.
15-29: OK, well, as the school reports may say, ‘could do better’ but you’ve answered a reasonable number correctly. Nothing to be ashamed of.
14/60 or less: To the back of the class for you! OK, the quiz was tricky and you need to have some ‘van knowledge’ to get a decent score. Thanks for taking the time to take the quiz though, we hope you found it enjoyable.
