Latest news with #Transits
Courier-Mail
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Courier-Mail
New Ford Transit Custom: The $63k van that rivals popular utes
Don't miss out on the headlines from On the Road. Followed categories will be added to My News. No self-respecting British tradie would be seen dead in a ute. What a Pommy geezer needs is a Ford Transit van. Preferably in white and on steel wheels – hazard lights working overtime as it's slung up a kerb, blocking traffic for 'just a minute, mate!' While Aussies buy utes, pick-ups or American trucks for work and lifestyle, the Brits' relationship with the mighty Transit goes back to 1965. Aussies buy roughly ten times more utes than vans, but it's vice-versa in the UK. As a kid growing up in England, Transits were an integral part of daily life. 2025 Ford Transit. Picture: Supplied MORE: Why 'dumb ute' incentives don't make sense Ambos and posties had them, a rusty 1976 example was our school sport bus, and a police Transit would sit outside the local pub at closing time. Transits remain the patriotic choice of UK delivery drivers, market traders, removalists, fruit 'n veg sellers and dodgy Del Boys literally selling out the back of a van. 'Thieves chariot' is common slang for Transit. As part of my birthright, it was my duty to test the new-generation Transit on Aussie soil. Ford facilitated me being White Van Man for a week, furnishing me with a Transit Custom Trend LWB (long wheelbase). At around $63,000 drive-away, it's the cheapest available bar a 367mm-shorter SWB at a grand less. 2025 Ford Transit. Picture: Supplied It's a lot of coin in the 'one-tonne' medium van segment. Rivals include the Hyundai Staria Load (from $46,740), LDV G10+ (from $37,884) Toyota HiAce (from $48,886) and Renault Trafic (from $49,490). But look to van tests here and overseas, and it's the pricey Ford scooping awards. On first drive, it's apparent why. A 'car-like driving experience' is a cliche for any commercial vehicle, but the Transit really is an easy, composed and comfortable thing to live with. Piloting one isn't a huge departure from a large SUV. There are all your driver aids, adaptive cruise control, a small digital driver display, giant 13-inch landscape infotainment, wireless CarPlay/Android Auto, wireless phone charger, sat nav and 5G modem. Two of its three bench seats are heated. There's fancy independent rear suspension helping ride quality and handling, and unladen or with almost a tonne in the back, the Transit absorbs bumps well and corners safely. And proves incomparably useful. My daughter got a (pre-assembled) bunk bed, we bought a new Queen mattress ($70 delivery fee saved), and for tradition's sake, we even transported an old piano. Damn, they're heavy. 2025 Ford Transit. Picture: Supplied MORE: Jet pilot tech to change Aussie cars The Transit's easier to load than a ute with its kerbside sliding door and mighty wide opening rear barn doors. And the cargo stays dry, protected and locked under the metal roof. But I hear you, Ford Ranger faithfuls, a Transit won't off-road or tow a 3-tonne caravan. Even so, there's 2500kg towing and 1223kg payload capacity. Its 2.0-litre turbo-diesel offers only 125kW, so it runs out of puff quite quickly, but its chunky 390Nm makes it rapid off the mark in town, where these Fords are at their best. We retuned an impressive 6.9L/100km over 630km of delivery jobs. Bar a few stutters, its eight-speed auto's a smoothie. The turning circle's adequate at 12.8 metres, but this LWB is 5450mm long, so parking's a hassle. But nobody seems to mind you abandoning a Transit up a footpath … Van traits remain. You sit very high almost over the front wheels; scratchy cabin plastics feel a long way from a $60k vehicle, and seat cloth is rather workmanlike. 2025 Ford Transit. Picture: Supplied In this entry-level spec you must adjust seats manually and wheels are titchy 16-inch steelies. I also found its giant 6.8 square metres load area too spartan. The walls have soft cladding and there are eight tie-down floor points, but nothing to secure loads up high. Insulated ceiling wiring looked too exposed, and I had to towel-wrap the tethered car jack to stop it damaging my cargo. Rear visibility's poor through the rear cabin glass, and at night the giant screen reflects on it, making things worse. A digital rearview mirror showing the (excellent) rear camera view would solve this. 2025 Ford Transit. Picture: Supplied MORE: Bold plan to seduce millionaires Positively, Transit choice is lengthy. There's also a full size van; a 12-seater bus; cab chassis; five-seat double cab Transit Custom; a Sport grade and all-wheel-drive Trail grade. Greenies can ditch the diesel and go plug-in or full EV. Are these big white boxes as sexy as your tricked up dual-cab ute? Of course they're not. But you'd be fool to underestimate the versatility of a Ford Transit. They securely haul a lot more stuff and the drive experience is rather lovely. And there's nothing quite like leaning out the window, putting on your best London accent and shouting: 'Get out that way, ya Muppet!' to fellow road users. Originally published as 2025 Ford Transit review
Telegraph
17-03-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Weird and wonderful Irish cars, from the Shamrock convertible to Back to the Future's DeLorean
Have you heard the one about the Irish motor industry? Today is St Patrick's Day, but it's no joke. The history of car production in the Emerald Isle isn't a mythical fairy story and stretches back well over a century. Most famously, Cork was the home of the first purpose-built Ford factory outside of America. Originally built in 1919 to make Fordson tractors, in later life the plant assembled and also manufactured every type of Ford, from Transits to Cortinas, until it finally closed in 1984. While people often wrongly assume that Henry Ford was from Ireland – his parents hailed from West Cork and he was born in Michigan, USA – the factory employed thousands of people on the production lines in its heyday. Such was the paucity of output in the Republic of Ireland that we shall also consider the part of the north-east of the island that's part of the United Kingdom. In Northern Ireland, Chambers Motors was the first car manufacturer on the island of Ireland. Established in 1904 by brothers Charlie, Robert and Jack Chambers, their high-calibre cars were hand-built by skilled craftsmen using quality materials. As well as popular cars such as the 12/16 Model, the company built a range of commercial vehicles that saw service in the First World War – ambulances were a speciality. Post-war financing problems led to the firm's demise in 1929 and only four Chambers cars are thought to have survived. Assembly plants sidestep imports tax Many major European brands shipped cars to Ireland for assembly to sidestep taxes on imported cars. Among them was the first VW Beetle built outside of Germany, at the Shelbourne Road factory in Dublin in 1950. Mercedes and Mazda vehicles were also assembled in the Irish capital. And while Toyota, Fiat and Renault all had a footprint in the Republic, Ireland never developed a car industry of note. Author and Irish car historian Bob Montgomery explained why. 'While Belfast was swept along with the industrial revolution, the rest of the island was primarily agricultural. 'It had limited industrial infrastructure and, quite frankly, the Irish government didn't help. Its attitude was 'why encourage a manufacturing industry that would build products mostly for export?'. Had the politicians embraced the idea it could have been very different.' Great museums At least Ireland boasts at least three car museums worth a visit. Mondello Park at Naas, near Dublin, is the country's only international circuit, hosting events since 1968. Drivers who have thrilled the crowds on the track include Ayrton Senna, Mika Häkkinen and Eddie Jordan. The late property developer Martin Birrane owned the circuit. A GT class winner at the Le Mans 24 Hours race and Irish land speed record holder, his collection of cars is available to view during driving experience days. Among the highlights are IndyCar and Nascar racers and a Benetton B186 that earned the team its first grand prix victory in Mexico in 1986. North of the border, the purpose-built Ulster Transport Museum houses everything from steam trains to the original design drawings for the Titanic, built at the nearby Harland & Wolff shipyard. An eclectic range of cars includes a Hillman Imp and a Sunbeam Grand Prix that won the 1924 Spanish Grand Prix. The National Transport Museum of Ireland, in Dublin, is more focussed on commercial vehicles but a personal favourite is way off to the west, in the stunning scenery of County Kerry. Just finding Kilgarvan Motor Museum can be an adventure. The Mitchell family began the collection as a hobby in the 1970s. Don't expect digital displays or a virtual reality experience – most of the exhibits are well within touching distance and all the better for it. The country's motoring history is represented by a 1926 Model T but beyond Ford, what other marques made a name for themselves in Ireland? The Shamrock (1957) A glass-fibre-bodied convertible built on a ladder frame, the Shamrock was optimistically advertised as 'the latest in functional modern design blended with the skills of old-world craftsmanship'. Castleblayney was hardly known for car manufacturing. However, Californian businessman William Curtis picked the County Monaghan town in 1957 to build a luxury soft-top which could then be exported to the US. The design was best described as 'unusual', an awkward-looking Ford Thunderbird with front and rear overhangs that stretched the car to 17ft. Unfortunately, a 1.5-litre, 53bhp engine was barely up to the job. Too big for Irish roads and not powerful enough for American drivers, less than a dozen examples of the Shamrock were built. The remaining bodies were reputedly dumped in a nearby lough. TMC Costin (1983-1987) Who put the 'Cos' into revered engineering firm Cosworth? Mike Costin co-founded the company with Keith Duckworth and created engines that powered drivers such as James Hunt, Sir Jackie Stewart and Graham Hill to success. His brother, Frank, championed monocoque chassis construction and famously designed the Vanwall racing car that won the first F1 Constructors' Championship in 1958. In later life, he also designed the Irish-built TMC Costin. A coupé-esque Lotus 7, the Costin was built by the Thompson Motor Company in Wexford. Made from glass-fibre over a spaceframe with aluminium side panels, the two-seater was manufactured from 1983-1987 and achieved notable success in motorsport. Silver Stream (1907-1909) A prototype of the stately Silver Stream was constructed from 1907-1909 as a luxury car to rival the Rolls-Royce. The brainchild of wealthy Irishman Philip T Somerville-Large, the 22hp tourer was built in County Kildare but never went into production. The sole example sold in 2007 for £130,000 at auction. DAWB 6 (1962) Rejected by renowned Italian design houses Bertone and Pininfarina in the 1950s, this elegant coupé was the brainchild of former Harland & Wolff shipyard fitter David Woods and Isle of Man TT racer Artie Bell. The rather unfortunate name is an amalgamation of their initials, one unlikely to impress the stylists of Turin. Cut from 20-gauge steel and fitted with parts from an assortment of cars – including a Ford Zephyr windscreen, door frames from a Humber Hawk and a Volvo back window – the car had an unusual 1.4-litre DOHC (dual overhead camshaft) engine, which developed a decent 135bhp. The DAWB took eight years to complete, by which time Woods is said to have lost interest and turned his attention to building a boat. The only existing example is housed at the Ulster Transport Museum. DeLorean DMC-12 (1981-1982) Perhaps the most famous, or infamous, car ever built in Ireland, the DMC-12 was a Giugiaro-designed coupé that rocketed to fame in the film Back To The Future. Unfortunately, John DeLorean's financial affairs and brush with the law forced the Dunmurry firm into bankruptcy in 1982.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Weird and wonderful Irish cars, from the Shamrock convertible to Back to the Future's DeLorean
Have you heard the one about the Irish motor industry? Today is St Patrick's Day, but it's no joke. The history of car production in the Emerald Isle isn't a mythical fairy story and stretches back well over a century. Most famously, Cork was the home of the first purpose-built Ford factory outside of America. Originally built in 1919 to make Fordson tractors, in later life the plant assembled and also manufactured every type of Ford, from Transits to Cortinas, until it finally closed in 1984. While people often wrongly assume that Henry Ford was from Ireland – his parents hailed from West Cork and he was born in Michigan, USA – the factory employed thousands of people on the production lines in its heyday. Such was the paucity of output in the Republic of Ireland that we shall also consider the part of the north-east of the island that's part of the United Kingdom. In Northern Ireland, Chambers Motors was the first car manufacturer on the island of Ireland. Established in 1904 by brothers Charlie, Robert and Jack Chambers, their high-calibre cars were hand-built by skilled craftsmen using quality materials. As well as popular cars such as the 12/16 Model, the company built a range of commercial vehicles that saw service in the First World War – ambulances were a speciality. Post-war financing problems led to the firm's demise in 1929 and only four Chambers cars are thought to have survived. Many major European brands shipped cars to Ireland for assembly to sidestep taxes on imported cars. Among them was the first VW Beetle built outside of Germany, at the Shelbourne Road factory in Dublin in 1950. Mercedes and Mazda vehicles were also assembled in the Irish capital. And while Toyota, Fiat and Renault all had a footprint in the Republic, Ireland never developed a car industry of note. Author and Irish car historian Bob Montgomery explained why. 'While Belfast was swept along with the industrial revolution, the rest of the island was primarily agricultural. 'It had limited industrial infrastructure and, quite frankly, the Irish government didn't help. Its attitude was 'why encourage a manufacturing industry that would build products mostly for export?'. Had the politicians embraced the idea it could have been very different.' At least Ireland boasts at least three car museums worth a visit. Mondello Park at Naas, near Dublin, is the country's only international circuit, hosting events since 1968. Drivers who have thrilled the crowds on the track include Ayrton Senna, Mika Häkkinen and Eddie Jordan. The late property developer Martin Birrane owned the circuit. A GT class winner at the Le Mans 24 Hours race and Irish land speed record holder, his collection of cars is available to view during driving experience days. Among the highlights are IndyCar and Nascar racers and a Benetton B186 that earned the team its first grand prix victory in Mexico in 1986. North of the border, the purpose-built Ulster Transport Museum houses everything from steam trains to the original design drawings for the Titanic, built at the nearby Harland & Wolff shipyard. An eclectic range of cars includes a Hillman Imp and a Sunbeam Grand Prix that won the 1924 Spanish Grand Prix. The National Transport Museum of Ireland, in Dublin, is more focussed on commercial vehicles but a personal favourite is way off to the west, in the stunning scenery of County Kerry. Just finding Kilgarvan Motor Museum can be an adventure. The Mitchell family began the collection as a hobby in the 1970s. Don't expect digital displays or a virtual reality experience – most of the exhibits are well within touching distance and all the better for it. The country's motoring history is represented by a 1926 Model T but beyond Ford, what other marques made a name for themselves in Ireland? A glass-fibre-bodied convertible built on a ladder frame, the Shamrock was optimistically advertised as 'the latest in functional modern design blended with the skills of old-world craftsmanship'. Castleblayney was hardly known for car manufacturing. However, Californian businessman William Curtis picked the County Monaghan town in 1957 to build a luxury soft-top which could then be exported to the US. The design was best described as 'unusual', an awkward-looking Ford Thunderbird with front and rear overhangs that stretched the car to 17ft. Unfortunately, a 1.5-litre, 53bhp engine was barely up to the job. Too big for Irish roads and not powerful enough for American drivers, less than a dozen examples of the Shamrock were built. The remaining bodies were reputedly dumped in a nearby lough. Who put the 'Cos' into revered engineering firm Cosworth? Mike Costin co-founded the company with Keith Duckworth and created engines that powered drivers such as James Hunt, Sir Jackie Stewart and Graham Hill to success. His brother, Frank, championed monocoque chassis construction and famously designed the Vanwall racing car that won the first F1 Constructors' Championship in 1958. In later life, he also designed the Irish-built TMC Costin. A coupé-esque Lotus 7, the Costin was built by the Thompson Motor Company in Wexford. Made from glass-fibre over a spaceframe with aluminium side panels, the two-seater was manufactured from 1983-1987 and achieved notable success in motorsport. A prototype of the stately Silver Stream was constructed from 1907-1909 as a luxury car to rival the Rolls-Royce. The brainchild of wealthy Irishman Philip T Somerville-Large, the 22hp tourer was built in County Kildare but never went into production. The sole example sold in 2007 for £130,000 at auction. Rejected by renowned Italian design houses Bertone and Pininfarina in the 1950s, this elegant coupé was the brainchild of former Harland & Wolff shipyard fitter David Woods and Isle of Man TT racer Artie Bell. The rather unfortunate name is an amalgamation of their initials, one unlikely to impress the stylists of Turin. Cut from 20-gauge steel and fitted with parts from an assortment of cars – including a Ford Zephyr windscreen, door frames from a Humber Hawk and a Volvo back window – the car had an unusual 1.4-litre DOHC (dual overhead camshaft) engine, which developed a decent 135bhp. The DAWB took eight years to complete, by which time Woods is said to have lost interest and turned his attention to building a boat. The only existing example is housed at the Ulster Transport Museum. Perhaps the most famous, or infamous, car ever built in Ireland, the DMC-12 was a Giugiaro-designed coupé that rocketed to fame in the film Back To The Future. Unfortunately, John DeLorean's financial affairs and brush with the law forced the Dunmurry firm into bankruptcy in 1982. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
