Purdy is an ex-BT Ford Transit Mk 2 — an increasingly scarce model.
Purdy is a rare ex-BT Ford Transit Mk 2 that’s owned by Penny Panagi from St Leonards-on-Sea. This van is well-known around Hastings and among the classic car community, but has fallen on hard times in recent years and is now in urgent need of some serious TLC.
As part of Ford’s celebrations of 100 years of commercial vehicles, Purdy will appear on the Ford stand at this year’s FordFest, which will take place at the Santa Pod drag strip on Sunday, 17 September.
The van is currently described as “too far gone to be economically viable to repair”, but owner Penny is determined to rescue this increasingly rare model and get it back on the road. She’s hoping that UK Transit fans will dig deep and help to fund some of the restoration work this great lady needs.
Such is Purdy’s fame that she even has her own Facebook page, where you can keep up to date with progress on the restoration and chat with other supporters or volunteer your help.
If you’d like to support Purdy’s restoration directly, she also has a crowdfunding page where you can donate: https://www.gofundme.com/23ztpmk.
FordFest event director, Phil Weeden, said:
“It’s imperative that, having survived this long, Purdy remains on the road. Most vans have a very hard life and few live to being over 30 years old, especially ex-utility vehicles such as this one. Penny adores Purdy and the van has become something of an icon among Transit fans and classic vehicle preservationists alike, so we’re hoping that her presence at FordFest will be sufficient to help raise enough funds to continue the restoration. What better way to celebrate 100 years of Ford Commercial Vehicles than to contribute towards the preservation of one so iconic?”
Apparently Purdy does still run, but she’s no flyer and won’t be taking part in the FordFest Drag Race. But visitors to the event should be rewarded with a feast of Ford delights, as more than 2,000 cars are expected to be on display.
Other highlights planned for the show are magazine cover style photo shoots from Blue Pig Photography, where showgoers can have their car modelled on the front of a mag for just £40, plus a Show and Shine sponsored by ValetPRO, entrance photography by Photography UK and stands from the leading Ford titles, Fast Ford and Classic Ford.