Introducing the Scalextric Supervan!

What happens when you take one of Britain’s most familiar vans and give it the heart of a GT40? You get the Ford Supervan: a boxy, brilliant and completely outrageous racing machine that turned the humble Transit into motorsport folklore.

The Transit was always marketed as a versatile vehicle, suitable for tradespeople, postal workers, or the emergency services. But few people expected it to be used in a racing capacity. When the Ford Supervan MK1 made its public debut on Easter Monday 1971, it astonished the watching world.

The making of a legend

The Ford Transit was released to the public in the 1960s and it was an instant success. But a few years later, the team at Terry Drury Racing decided it needed an upgrade.

They paired the boxy Transit body with a modified Cooper Monaco spaceframe chassis and a mid-mounted Ford V8 derived from the GT40. This gave it a 400bhp boost and a top speed of 149mph.

Suddenly they had a machine that looked like a working Transit van, but it performed like something built for the circuit. This unique van was the perfect promotional tool for Ford, ensuring the steady, reliable Transit van became a firm favourite among tradesmen, delivery drivers and racing fans everywhere.

On its first outing, the Ford Supervan MK1 whizzed around Brands Hatch, delighting crowds with its accessible, yet slightly ridiculous style. It was so popular that Ford released a few iterations of the van, including the Supervan 2, Supervan 3, and the Ford Pro Electric Supervan.

Return of the Supervan

Then, in 2024, 60 years after the Transit first appeared, the original Supervan was brought back to life by former Ford apprentice Andy Browne, who had been involved with its creation the first time around.

Andy rebuilt it using original parts, so that it was almost identical to the Supervan MK1 that was so beloved by motoring enthusiasts. The perfect tribute for the icon’s diamond anniversary, honouring the people, engineering and eccentric spirit behind the machine.

The perfect Scalextric tribute

We’ve now released our own tribute to this legendary machine. Our racing model accurately captures the distinctive, boxy shape, and boasts lights, a DPR hatch and fully detailed interior. With a vehicle this chaotic, Magnatraction is a welcome addition, helping to keep all four wheels firmly planted!

On a Scalextric layout, the Supervan offers something a little different. It has all the character of a working Transit, but with the performance story of a true motorsport showpiece. That combination makes it a brilliant talking point for collectors and a wonderfully unusual addition to any race line-up.

Whether you’re a Ford fan, a motorsport fan or a collector of unusual car memorabilia, the Supervan is a must-have purchase. Can it live up to its reputation on your Scalextric layout? There’s only one way to find out!