▼
▼
Ford Taunus Transit
The first production Ford to wear the "Transit" badge was a van built in Ford's Köln (Cologne) plant in Germany. It was introduced in 1953 as FK 1000 (Ford Köln carrying 1,000 kg) with a 1.3 litre inline-four engine from the contemporary Taunus. The bus was frontb engined, rear wheel drive.
In 1955 the engine capacity was enlarged to 1.5 litres. From 1961, this vehicle was called the Ford Taunus Transit. Production of this model ceased in 1965.
The FK 1000 van was also offered in a variety of configurations for the police and ambulance services and Brenz-based Albert Ziegler Giengen also manufactured a neat fire truck variant. The FK 1000 briefly went head to head with the famed Volkswagen Transporter, and the first FK 1000 prototype shared many features with its storied counterpart including a split windscreen.
Ford launched the first dedicated Camping Bus model in 1957 and production of this variant continued until 1960. The rigs were outfitted in a similar fashion to the VW campervan with a small dinette table, kitchenette and bed but ultimately it was VW who were to triumph in this niche market sector.
Other streetview classic cars in this location