44 years after Autoglass took delivery of its first Ford Transit, the firm has added nearly 100 new Transit Custom vans to its fleet.

The vehicle glass repair and replacement company, which serves more than one million motorists each year and has 100 branches across the country, is refreshing its 1,250-strong Transit van fleet with an order of 90 new Transit Customs.

As a result of the trend for larger windscreens with greater curvature in modern cars, Autoglass is increasing the size of its staple work vehicle to enable its mobile technicians to carry larger vehicle glass.

Fleet manager Ged Raymond said: “The glass we have to carry is getting bigger and therefore so must our vehicles. The 290 long wheel-base Transit Custom meets our needs perfectly and is being well received by our mobile technicians. They have always loved the Ford Transit and they like this one even more thanks to its comfort and drivability.”

Each Autoglass van is specially equipped with racking to carry the firm’s stock-in-trade as well as an electrical conversion unit to provide 240-volt power for tools and equipment. The Transit models used by Autoglass are all supplied through Heartlands Ford in Birmingham, and typically enjoy a four-year/100,000-mile working life.

Raymond added: “The Ford Transit has been the mainstay of our fleet for 44 years, which speaks volumes for the product. Ford continues to offer the best value solution for Autoglass in terms of cost, reliability and dealer support.”

Phil Hollins, Ford of Britain fleet director, said: “The continued loyalty shown by Autoglass to Ford and the Ford Transit is excellent news. The company’s commitment over the last 44 years demonstrates how successfully the Transit has performed, meeting the changing needs of businesses over the course of nearly 50 years in production.”