FYI: The iconic Ford Supervan, first introduced in 1971, is making a comeback as an original model has been discovered and is undergoing restoration.
The Rebirth of a Legend: Ford’s Original Supervan Undergoes Restoration
In 1971, Ford revolutionized the van industry by unveiling the first Supervan, a powerhouse melding the practicality of a van with the performance of a sports car. Decades later, the legendary original Supervan has been found and is being carefully restored to its former glory.
The Initial Spark
British car collector Andy Brown, intimately familiar with the Supervan’s builder Terry Drury, initially nabbed the van’s exterior in 1973. Drury’s Terry Drury Racing crafted the Supervan by integrating a Ford Transit Mk. 1 body with the chassis of a Cooper Monaco race car and a mid-mounted Ford GT40 V-8 engine, creating a van that was as popular in Britain then as the Chevrolet Express is in the United States today.
Ford Supervan 1
Journey Through Time
Post its promotional tour, the Supervan returned to Drury’s workshop, stripped of valuable components. Brown, an apprentice at Ford at that time, ingeniously rebuilt the van using second-hand parts and components fabricated in Ford’s machine shop. He managed to fit a 4.7-litre V8 engine, repair its cracked magnesium wheels, and make it roadworthy. Sadly, financial pressures forced him to sell the van in the late 1970s, after which it disappeared from the public eye for decades.
A Fortunate Rediscovery
Years later, with time and resources at his disposal, Brown contemplated creating a replica Supervan. In a fortunate twist, he reconnected with the owner of the original wreck and embarked on what Ford describes as a “sympathetic modification,” blending original and new parts to enhance user-friendliness while preserving the van’s authentic spirit.
Ford Supervan 1
The Legacy Continues
The Supervan series didn’t stop there. Ford built three more models to showcase its engineering prowess:
- Supervan 2 (1984): Featured a fiberglass body reminiscent of the Transit Mk. II and a 582-horsepower Cosworth V-8 engine from the Ford C100 race car.
- Supervan 3 (1994): Based on the Transit Mk. III, it boasted a 641-horsepower Cosworth HB Formula 1 V-8 engine.
- Electric Supervan (2022): Initially configured with four electric motors generating 1,972 horsepower, it was later down-tuned to 1,400 horsepower for the 2023 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. There, driver Romain Dumas clocked an impressive 8 minutes, 47.682 seconds, beating his previous record in 2024 with the Ford F-150 Lightning Supertruck, crafted using insights from the electric Supervan.
Conclusion
The restoration of the original Supervan isn’t just about reviving an old vehicle; it’s about preserving a legacy of innovation and performance that started over five decades ago. With Andy Brown’s heartfelt efforts and Ford’s continuous vision, the Supervan tradition lives on, inspiring automotive enthusiasts worldwide.
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Authored by: Donald Smith, Editor of Automotive.fyi
