A rebuilt Supervan was the highlight of Ford’s Transit Day celebrations at the Dunton Technical Centre in Essex as the van’s 60th anniversary countdown begins. Alongside Supervan 3 and the all-electric Supervan 4.2, this event marks the first time three generations of Supervan have been displayed together.
The classic Ford Supervan, with its distinctive blend of racing performance and Transit van aesthetics, captured the imagination of automotive enthusiasts from the moment it roared onto the scene in 1971.
Powered by a Le Mans-winning V8 engine while still retaining the utilitarian look of a regular Ford Transit, it became an icon, not just for its engineering but also for its sheer audacity.
After Ford got its marketing use from it, the Supervan was deemed surplus to requirements. Rather than quietly retiring into Ford’s Heritage Collection or being abandoned in the corner of a dusty garage, it found a devoted custodian in Andy Browne, a Ford engineering apprentice and lifelong Ford enthusiast.
Andy’s journey with Supervan began in the early 1970s when he acquired what was left of it; the Supervan’s builder, Terry Drury, had stripped it of its valuable components, leaving only a bare shell and four wheels. But where others saw a derelict piece of metal, Andy saw potential.
“I bought Supervan in late 1973 for £500,” said Andy. “But there was nothing; all it had was a shell and four wheels. Nothing else. Luckily, I had access to the Ford machine shops so I could produce parts, and I bought a transaxle off Terry for another £500. Back then, I was a Ford apprentice on £5 a week!”
Getting Supervan roadworthy was no small feat. “The body that Terry had got hold of was an experimental shell,” explained Andy. “It had never been registered, no duties paid, nothing like that. It was off the radar.” Convincing the authorities that a 19-year-old owned and drove a Transit van with a 4.7-litre V8 engine was also a challenge in itself. Yet, Andy’s persistence paid off, and soon, the Supervan was back on the road and turning heads everywhere it went.
Keeping Supervan operational, however, required ingenuity. Andy often had to combine the skills he’d learned at Ford with after-hours machine workshop time to fix all kinds of issues, but he needed a helping hand with the wheels.
“The original wheels were magnesium and kept cracking,” Andy explains. “Terry used to just fill the cracks with resin because Supervan was never on track for long! I knew there was no way I could cope with that so one day I took the wheels into work with me. A guy called Charlie Mudge was our welding instructor and he was an absolute wizard at magnesium welding, so he got them fixed!”
As life moved on, Andy’s priorities shifted. Family and career took precedence, and he eventually sold Supervan. The van passed through several hands, and rumours of its fate — ranging from theft to complete destruction — circulated among enthusiasts.
“You couldn’t go to any van show – any – and I’ve been to thousands, without someone saying that they’d found Supervan, seen Supervan, or that their mate had Supervan,” commented Peter Lee from the Transit Owner’s Club
. “It never, ever stopped.”
Yet, the Supervan never faded from Andy’s mind, and decades later, he began seeking it out again. He received a tip about the possible whereabouts of the original Supervan, and although sceptical after numerous false leads, he went to see it and was stunned to find remnants of the vehicle he once 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.”
Despite that, Andy decided to undertake a restoration. With the help of old friends and newfound resources, Andy’s project became a labour of love. His daughter, a 3D design engineer, assisted in recreating parts of the Supervan, using her skills to maintain the van’s authenticity.
This project, however, was more than just about restoring a vehicle; it was a tribute to the friends, mentors, and memories that had shaped Andy’s life. The Supervan is more than just a piece of automotive history; it symbolises his lifelong connection to Ford, his trade, and the friends who shared his passion.
“I am Ford through and through. Ford gave me a transportable trade which has carried me through all my life as an engineer. I’ll always be grateful to Ford.”
“There aren’t many of us left now! It’s just us in the old folks’ corner who remember the Supervan and what an incredibly gifted engineer Terry Drury really was. His sons Jack and Steve had a great mentor. Terry and I were friends, I was with him three days before he passed away, and I can still feel him sitting on my shoulder.”
As he works to bring the Supervan back to life, Andy’s dedication ensures that the legend of the Supervan — and the era it represents — will live on.
- Renault Niagara pickup revealed, but it’s only for Latin America - 10 September 2026
- Mitsubishi L200 Commercial swaps rear seats for van tax treatment - 10 September 2026
- Volkswagen launches blacked-out Amarok Dark Label pickup - 9 September 2026