The iconic Ford Transit is celebrating its 45th anniversary with another British icon - boxer Henry Cooper - toasting the success of the legendary van.
Since its launch in 1965, more than six million transit vans have been built in 22 countries around the world, with more than two million of these being sold in Britain.
The huge success of the Ford workhorse continues today with the Transit currently leading the way for van sales in 2010 with more than 23,000 sold in the first six months.
In its time the Transit has achieved legend status but not all for the right reasons. As well as being the chosen carriage for small tradesman, it has also been used as a suitable getaway vehicle for scores of villains.
Attending the birthday celebrations, Henry Cooper said: 'I bought my van for my fruit and veg business - it was ideal for the job, the perfect workhorse. I never had any problems with it.'
To celebrate the special anniversary Ford is releasing a special edition SportVan. The limited run of 100 vans will come in a distinctive red paint with white stripes on the bonnet.
This blinged up limited edition version will also come with 18-inch graphite coloured alloy wheels, twin exhaust pipes and spoilers. It will be powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine with 138bhp.
The special edition model will be the first medium-sized van to come with DAB digital radio as standard and will go on sale in October from £22,630.