A recent UAW press release has confirmed that the full-sized Ford Transit is on its way to North America, with production destined for Kansas City.
The Transits are expected to begin rolling off the line by 2013. However, they may be sold under a different nameplate here in North America. Ford recently filed trademark applications for the T-250, T-450, and T-550 nameplates. The trademark application claims they will be used for “motor vehicles, namely, vans and cutaway van chassis, and their structural parts; exterior insignia badges for motor vehicles.” This seems to indicate that the Transit could wear the T-Series moniker here instead. Such a name would also help avoid confusion with the smaller Transit Connect.
While Ford has not given a direct confirmation, a spokesperson has said that both the E-Series and the Transit will be part of their “global vehicle-platform approach,” the driving force behind the global Fiesta and Focus. Moreover, the spokesperson claims Ford “fully recognizes that today’s E-Series customers in North America have differing needs from Transit buyers in Europe, Asia, and other markets.” This suggests that the Transit will be treated to some tweaks before hitting showroom floors in North America.
Now if only we could be treated to a SportVan like the one at the beginning of this article, I think we’d all be happy campers.
Source: UAW via Car and Driver