Ford E-Series is a line of Club Wagon or Econoline rolled out by the Ford Motor Company. It is versatile is nature and can both be used as a cargo van or a passenger van. Ford E-Series full size vans were introduced in 1961 and have still been evolving since then. Since 1980, it has been occupying the number one position with regard to its sales in the American market. It holds 79.6% of the full sized van market in the United States.
The first E-series vans were compact and designed on the lines of Ford Falcon. These vans had a flat nose with the engines behind the front seats. This style was later adopted in the designs of Dodge A100 and Chevrolet Van. It was powered by a six cylinder engine with a manual three speed transmission. It also had eight passenger seats arranged in a row of three. A 75 kg weight was fitted to the rear wheel to balance the heavy front. However, you had the option of removing it. The first generation of the E-series van included models like Falcon and Econoline Camper Version.
In 1968 Ford altered the design of the E-series van by placing the engine in front protected by a short hook. This was similar to their European counterpart Ford Transit. This version also used the concept of "Twin I-Beam" as its front suspension design, which is very much similar to the V8 engine today. These vans were now evolving from compact vans to full sized pickup trucks. The grille design was completely altered. This version came with the sliding doors and a stripped chassis. Other remodeled E-series vans that were rolled out in between 1975 and 1980 had more ergonomic controls with a full frame. Square headlights were fitted in and finally in 1983 the blue oval shaped Ford logo occupied the front grille.
In the year 2001 the Econoline model was revamped as the Ford E-150 Traveler model, especially to woo the families. This model was spacious and could accommodate eight to fifteen passengers along with their baggage. Though sales dropped a certain segment of the customers continued buying the mini vans. In 2008, the company unveiled the new E-series at the New York Auto Show in the year 2007. The redesigned front sheet metal made it tougher and sharper. Larger headlights and the super bold grille were newly mounted as a symbol of strength and reliability. The suspension, the steering systems and the braking were upgraded in this model.
The Ford E-Series in the year 2009 was unveiled with a new dashboard and an ultramodern navigation system. The passenger side glove compartment which was integrated with the engine cover before was segregated. Rear view camera was a common feature in smaller vehicles, but Ford was the first to introduce it in the full size vans. However, the Twin-I beam suspension system remained intact even in this model.