Ford Transit Team Scoops Prestigious Engineering Award for Delivering ‘Outstanding’ Transit Custom

DUNTON, UK – The Ford Transit engineering team responsible for the design of the latest generation Transit Custom has been honoured with a prestigious Richard Parry-Jones Memorial Medal by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).

The much-coveted award was presented to the team at Dunton Campus recently by Lisa Bingley, Chair, IMechE Automobile Division, and Andrew Fraser, Immediate Past Chair, IMechE Automobile Division.

The Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) – founded in 1847 and based in London - has over 110,000 members in 140 countries. Its mission is to “improve the world through engineering by developing and supporting members while maximising the impact of their achievements which benefit society”.

The Richard Parry-Jones Medal was founded in 2023 to recognise outstanding automotive product or technical achievement. Transit Custom won this year’s award for technical excellence based on several factors including:

Design of fully flexible platform ICE/HEV/EV (unmatched in the segment)
100kg weight saving over prior product (increased payload)
13 per cent improved aero
Optimised ergonomics including more spacious cabin and lower load floor
Customer led innovation including Multicab L-shaped bulkhead and ‘cab as office’

“It’s a great honour to receive the Richard Parry-Jones Memorial Medal from the Institute of Mechanical Engineers for the Ford Transit Custom,” said Seamus McDermott, Director Commercial Vehicle Programs.

“Thanks so much to all of our engineers all over the world who helped us deliver an amazing vehicle – the number one best-selling van - and of course thank you to our customers for trusting us for over 60 years.”

Richard Parry-Jones was a British Engineer who had a distinguished 38-year career with Ford that culminated with his appointment as Global Head of Product Development and Chief Technical Officer.

Serving as group vice president of global product development for nearly a decade, from 1998 until his retirement in 2007, Parry-Jones was the driving force behind the Ford Focus, Fiesta, Mondeo, Mustang, Thunderbird, F-150 and Ford GT. Born in Wales in 1951, he joined Ford’s product development group as an undergraduate trainee in 1969.

After retiring from Ford in 2007, he led the development of a strategic plan for the UK automotive industry in a low carbon future, leading to the formation of the UK Automotive Council. As well as his automotive achievements, he served for several years as Chair of Network Rail, Yorkshire Water and, at the time of his death in 2021, the Marshalls Motor Group.