Home » Law & Government » In the 1970s the Ford Transit Van, with Car Performance and Space for 1.75 Tonnes of Loot was Used in 95% of Bank Robberies in the United Kingdom.
Ford Transit Van

In the 1970s the Ford Transit Van, with Car Performance and Space for 1.75 Tonnes of Loot was Used in 95% of Bank Robberies in the United Kingdom.

If you want to rob a bank and get away with it, you’ll need to plan a little more than just picking a common-looking car with good maneuverability. Did you know that there was a popular vehicle used specifically for robberies back in the 1970s?

The Ford Transit van, which had car performance and space for 1.75 tonnes of loot, was used in 95% of bank robberies in the UK in the 1970s.

The Go-To Getaway Van

A Scotland Yard spokesman stated in 1972 that Ford Transits are used in 95% of bank raids. With the performance of a car and the capacity for 1.75 tonnes of loot, the Transit is proving to be the ideal getaway vehicle and is often referred to it as Britain’s most wanted van.

The pig snout version has led an exemplary and honest life as a delivery vehicle and sold on November 27th for £17,250 with H&H Classics.

It has covered a warranted 79,000 miles with the correct Perkins diesel engine and comes complete with a handbook, spare wheel, jack, wheel brace, and bag. It has always been garaged and has a rare opening side door option.

The load bay appears to have been barely used, with no apparent visible damage. The interior seems to have been lightly used, with the headlining, door cards, and rubber matting presenting well. This charming example of an iconic vehicle is looking for a new enthusiastic owner to put it to good use and enjoy it.  (Source: Handh

The Iconic Ford Transit Van

The Ford Transit is one of Europe’s most successful van models and has been the best-selling van in the UK for more than 40 years.

For those unfamiliar, the Ford Transit is a line of Light Commercial Vehicles that have been produced since the mid-twentieth century to assist professional working people with their daily tasks.

Although the first official generation of the Transit was introduced in 1965, the origins of this iconic model can be traced back to the 1950s when Ford Cologne in Germany introduced the Taunus Transit. It had a 1.3-liter engine which was expanded to 1.5 in 1955 and looked much like the Volkswagen Transporter of the time.

The platform’s success inspired Ford to build on the foundations and create the success story we see on the roads daily.

The model’s remarkable success had to begin somewhere, and when the first Transit arrived in the United Kingdom, it was a revelation. One of its main advantages was that it had significantly more cargo space than its competitors.

With its vast body and square shell, the style was very American, and it seemed to impact UK customers significantly. Buyers had a lot of options with the Transit lineup, including pick-ups, minibusses, panel vans, and crew-cab versions with diesel or gasoline engines.

The Transit’s shape remained essentially unchanged for 12 years until 1978 when it received a significant facelift that included a new front end and an updated interior. The vehicle’s mechanics were also overhauled, with the Pinto engine from the Cortina being used.

The first fast Transit was also produced, with the well-regarded Essex V6 engine. For the first time, an automatic transmission was also available. (Source: Handh

Image from Vanarama

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