Vantastic

THE backbone of Britain is celebrating a birthday bash this week - and Ford wants van fans to join in the party.

Ford's faithful Transit is 45 years old and to mark the occasion the company has unveiled a special version of the British-built load lugger, the appropriately-named Ford Transit Sapphire.

Available in three different wheelbases and powered by the same 115bhp diesel engine as the standard Transit, the Sapphire comes with a dazzling array of optional extras to mark the occasion, including new 'Ink Blue' paint, air conditioning, front fog lights, tinted glass, and cruise control.

Ford now makes the Transit - which it dubbed the “backbone of Britain” in a long running series of TV adverts - in three factories, including one in Southampton, and has sold more than two million of them since it was first introduced in 1965.

The name Sapphire comes from the British tradition of naming wedding anniversaries and linking them to precious materials, with Sapphires traditionally being used to mark the 45th anniversary.

The Transit Sapphire is on sale now, costing £14,995. For more information visit Ford's website online at www.ford.co.uk