Ford Transit SuperVan 3 roars up Goodwood hillclimb

Ford's famous Transit SuperVan 3 turned heads on Goodwood Hill last weekend, driven by former Ford racing driver Anthony Reid.

Ford SuperVan 3 - a one-off replica 1994 Ford Transit - was developed in the UK more than 20 years ago. It has a top speed of 150mph and is powered by a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 Ford Cosworth engine, which produces 295bhp.

Reid, a former driver for Ford Team Mondeo in the BTCC, finishing in second place with 193 points in 2000, said: "Over the last 20 years of racing cars, Ford's SuperVan 3 is by far the craziest vehicle I have ever driven. It's ludicrously loud, incredibly quick and received masses of attention from the Goodwood crowd."

Supervan 3 is a much-developed version of Supervan 2, the Transit-like body hiding a mid-engined Ford C100 racing chassis. 

Although it looks like a load-carrying vehicle, there is absolutely no space for a payload, as the engine and transmission are mounted behind the cabin. The all-independent suspension and vast racing tyres are out-and-out race car specification, though the driving position is that of a van.

When first built as Supervan 2 in 1984, it was powered by a Ford-Cosworth DFL engine - the long-stroke endurance version of Ford's famous DFV F1 engine. 

When the van was re-furbished in 1994 this original power unit was swapped for a 650bhp 3.5-litre Cosworth-developed Ford HB engine.  

A few years later it was decided to fit a less powerful Ford-Cosworth Pro Sports 3000 engine, enabling more people to have the opportunity to drive this unique vehicle.