Ford Transit With 220,000 Miles on the Clock Arrives at 2011 CV Show

It’s not just brand new vehicles that commercial vehicle drivers enjoy to see at shows, so Ford has brought a 2003 Ford Transit Connect with 220,000 miles on the clock to its stand at the CV Show (Hall 4, stand 4C20). Aside from the monster mileage and the few parts changed during rutile inspections, this vehicle is completely original with the exception of the biggest item that’s been changed in the eight-year life of the Connect T200 1.8 TDCi: the alternator.

The van is still in use regularly by Deeside engineering firm DRB Power Transmission Ltd, which intends to keep all its vans for about 200,000 each, but has a few that have surpassed that figure. The company uses Ford Transit Connect models either for permanent allocation to a single engineer for site visits or as a pool vehicle for use by fitters and welders.

“DRB has always bought Ford vehicles. We have tried other marques but they’ve never come up to the same standards. When the Ford Transit Connect came out it was ideal - the right capacity for the loads we carry, sturdy and also the right size for getting into the tighter places we work in,” said transport manager Richard Wheatley.

“The service the dealerships give us is second to none. They follow the regular service schedule but also look for other required work - they go one step further. It may sound more expensive if they’re finding extra fixes, but it means the van is only off the road once which in the long run saves us time and money,” Wheatley added.