The van of my dreams

Judged on fitness for purpose alone, you could argue that the Ford Transit is the best vehicle on sale: up there with the Rolls-Royce Phantom, the Ariel Atom and the Honda Super Cub for its simple, single-minded focus on doing one thing brilliantly.

The Transit has been Britain’s best-selling commercial vehicle for 56 years, since shortly after its launch in 1965, and last year for the first time it was Britain’s best-selling vehicle of any kind, outselling even the Fiesta thanks to the weird market distortions caused by COVID and the chip crisis. But despite the accolades, I think panel vans of all makes remain criminally under-appreciated, both as vehicles and for their contribution to the life of the nation.