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Hurrah! The original Ford Supervan has been found and rebuilt

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Hurrah! The original Ford Supervan has been found and rebuilt | Top Gear

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The GT40 engine-powered cathedral is soon going to be on display at Ford Dunton, forming part of the Transit’s 60th-anniversary celebrations next year

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Hurrah! The original Ford Supervan has been found and rebuilt

# data.attributes.metatag[].attributes.content
The GT40 engine-powered cathedral is soon going to be on display at Ford Dunton, forming part of the Transit’s 60th-anniversary celebrations next year

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The GT40 engine-powered cathedral is soon going to be on display at Ford Dunton, forming part of the Transit’s 60th-anniversary celebrations next year

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Hurrah! The original Ford Supervan has been found and rebuilt

# data.attributes.metatag[].attributes.content
Hurrah! The original Ford Supervan has been found and rebuilt

# data.attributes.metatag[].attributes.content
Hurrah! The original Ford Supervan has been found and rebuilt

# data.attributes.metatag[].attributes.content
The GT40 engine-powered cathedral is soon going to be on display at Ford Dunton, forming part of the Transit’s 60th-anniversary celebrations next year

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Remember the original Ford Supervan? Powered by the 4.7-litre V8 from the GT40, and stripped of every nut and bolt that wasn’t necessary to keep it intact, it showed the world what the Transit platform could be when enough anoraks got their hands on a few spare parts. And now, as we approach the legendary nameplate’s 60th anniversary, it’s been found and is being rebuilt once more.

It’s being overseen by former Ford Apprentice Andy Browne, who took ownership of the Supervan’s remains in 1973 once its original creators, Terry Drury Racing, had concluded its motorsport campaign before he too had to move it on after a few short years. But there was to be a twist.

“One day I got a call and somebody said to me they thought they knew where the remains of Supervan were,” said Browne. “I’ve lost count, but this must have been at least the twentieth time, easily. I went to see these remains, ran my hand under the sills and knew that it was the van that I’d owned. It wasn’t even a van at all – just a floor pan and a bit of bulkhead, and some parts of a chassis that had been cut.”

With the original van - or something that slightly resembles a van at least - located, Browne set about rebuilding it using original parts. It retains the mid-engined layout atop a Cooper Monaco Chassis, with bits like the exhaust manifold shared with the GT40.

That lightly massive power plant should also remain, which means around 435bhp at the flywheel resulting in a 0-62mph run in seven seconds and a top speed of 150mph. Small numbers by today’s standards, but back in 1973, 150mph for a cathedral on wheels would’ve been the equivalent of a modern-day demon love-child between a Mercedes Sprinter and a Bugatti Chiron.

With the rebuild almost complete, the first-generation Supervan will be seen alongside its second and third iterations at Ford’s Dunton Technical Centre. How’s that for a Friday night sightseeing adventure?

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Remember the original Ford Supervan? Powered by the 4.7-litre V8 from the GT40, and stripped of every nut and bolt that wasn’t necessary to keep it intact, it showed the world what the Transit platform could be when enough anoraks got their hands on a few spare parts. And now, as we approach the legendary nameplate’s 60th anniversary, it’s been found and is being rebuilt once more.

It’s being overseen by former Ford Apprentice Andy Browne, who took ownership of the Supervan’s remains in 1973 once its original creators, Terry Drury Racing, had concluded its motorsport campaign before he too had to move it on after a few short years. But there was to be a twist.

“One day I got a call and somebody said to me they thought they knew where the remains of Supervan were,” said Browne. “I’ve lost count, but this must have been at least the twentieth time, easily. I went to see these remains, ran my hand under the sills and knew that it was the van that I’d owned. It wasn’t even a van at all – just a floor pan and a bit of bulkhead, and some parts of a chassis that had been cut.”

With the original van - or something that slightly resembles a van at least - located, Browne set about rebuilding it using original parts. It retains the mid-engined layout atop a Cooper Monaco Chassis, with bits like the exhaust manifold shared with the GT40.

That lightly massive power plant should also remain, which means around 435bhp at the flywheel resulting in a 0-62mph run in seven seconds and a top speed of 150mph. Small numbers by today’s standards, but back in 1973, 150mph for a cathedral on wheels would’ve been the equivalent of a modern-day demon love-child between a Mercedes Sprinter and a Bugatti Chiron.

With the rebuild almost complete, the first-generation Supervan will be seen alongside its second and third iterations at Ford’s Dunton Technical Centre. How’s that for a Friday night sightseeing adventure?

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The GT40 engine-powered cathedral is soon going to be on display at Ford Dunton, forming part of the Transit’s 60th-anniversary celebrations next year