The Ford Transit Custom has proved popular with fleets and SME buyers and sold 10,000 units within 12 months of its launch.

There are now 10,000 Ford Transit Customs circulating on the UK’s roads, despite the fact that one year ago, there were none.

Ford says it sold 10,000 Transit Customs during the first 12 months of launch, one month earlier than expected. Ford sells around 65,000 vans in the UK every year — more than in any other EU country — meaning that the Transit Custom now accounts for nearly 1-in-6 of Ford’s UK van sales.

Commenting on the figures, Andy Barratt, Ford of Britain sales director, said:

“I couldn’t be happier that we’ve reached our target to sell 10,000 Transit Customs a whole month earlier than planned. Ford is in a strong position, offering customers more choice by selling previous generation Transit alongside new Transit Custom, helping to maintain our firm grip on the UK’s medium van segment.

“As Ford continues its product onslaught, it is also investing to meet the precise needs of its business customers by introducing 100 specialist Transit Centres across the UK.”

The ‘product onslaught’ referred to by Andy Barratt is the company’s plan — now nearly complete — to completely replace its commercial vehicle range by 2014. According to Ford, all four new models – Transit Courier, Transit Connect, Transit Custom and next generation two-tonne Transit – will be launched by 2014.

The quality and modernity of the Transit Custom — whose people carrier variant recently became the first vehicle in its class to earn a five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating — means that it’s a natural premium alternative to the Volkswagen Transporter and Mercedes-Benz Vito, and although the van itself isn’t built in the UK, buyers can feel confident that they are supporting British manufacturing jobs, as the Transit Custom’s 2.2-litre diesel engine is built at Ford’s plant at Dagenham, whereas the German vans are entirely built abroad.