Ford Pro has been teasing a product on Twitter for the past week that looks like it could be both electric and fast. The tweets feature years, headlights, and the logo of an upcoming and legendary motorsports event.
Last week, Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Farley posted a video of a racing helmet with the Goodwood Festival of Speed logo and a mystery lightbar. On Thursday Ford Pro CEO Ted Cannis tweeted another video that starts with the year 1971 and ends with 2022 and the Goodwood logo again.
At this point, Ford has confirmed nothing about the product publicly.
The year graphics shown in the video and the obvious Ford Pro connection point to the reintroduction of the Ford Supervan, whether as a one-off or as a production model. The European Supervan debuted in 1971 and others were introduced in 1984 and 1994. Each of those years is represented in the imagery.
The first Ford Supervan used a Mark 1 Transit shell with a GT40 race car chassis and a 5.0-liter V8 making 435 horsepower. It debuted at a meeting at the Brands Hatch racetrack and wore the company’s racing colors of blue and white.
The next Supervan was a fiberglass replica of a second-generation Transit. It featured a front air dam, side air inlets and a high-mounted rear spoiler. It had a top speed of 174 mph using a Cosworth racing engine. In 1994 the Supervan 2 was converted into Supervan 3 to promote the third-generation Transit.
Earlier this year, Ford launched a new version of the commercial van for the U.S., the all-electric Ford E-Transit. It joins the Ford F-150 Lightning Pro as part of the built-for-working professionals portfolio the company offers.
The new E-Transit starts at less than $45,000 and comes with a 126-mile range in its most efficient configuration. It delivers 266 horsepower and 317 pound-feet (lb-ft) of torque, far from what could be called “super.”
The old Supervans, in addition to more horsepower, were developed by race teams who addressed almost every part of the vehicle. Terry Drury Racing built the first with the Ford racing chassis. The team also installed the engine in the rear and covered the wider wheels with fender flares. The second van was built by Auto Racing Technology and hit 174 mph in tests at the Silverstone racetrack.
To do the historical vans justice, Ford could transplant its all-wheel drive powertrain from the F-150 Lightning. In the F-150 Lighting Platinum trim the electric motors combine for an output of 563 horsepower and 775 pound-feet of torque. If Ford really wanted to make a showing, it could also install its Mustang Mach-E 1400 concept car powertrain that makes 1,445 horsepower.
Fans won’t have to wait long. The new product will premiere at the Goodwood Festival of Speed June 23-26. The Festival is an annual gathering at the Goodwood Estate in England where car enthusiasts come together to watch the famous Goodwood Hill Climb as well as other debuts.
This year guests will see the Polestar 5, a new Bugatti, this Ford mystery car, and plenty more. Fans can watch the Festival live on Youtube.
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