The Ford Transit MkII arrived in 1978 as a thorough redesign of its predecessor, introducing a cab-forward body with revised aerodynamics and updated powertrains. Almost immediately, the platform found its way onto circuits across Europe, where near-standard Transits competed in dedicated van racing series that attracted commercial sponsors and genuine crowd enthusiasm. The Kinley Team Belgium entry of 1978 is one of the more specific and lesser-documented expressions of that culture.
Launched in 1978, the Transit MkII represented a clean-sheet rethink of Ford's commercial workhorse. The standard wheelbase variant measured 4,674 mm overall, and the revised cab-forward architecture gave the new generation a notably different character from the MkI. Engine options in period included Ford's 'Essex' V4 and various inline-four petrol and diesel units, with racing variants typically running modified petrol engines to satisfy series regulations. The platform's robustness and relative simplicity made it a natural candidate for grassroots motorsport.
Kinley Team Belgium and the European Van Racing Scene
Transit van racing flourished in Belgium and across Europe during the late 1970s as a low-cost circuit and endurance category accessible to commercial sponsors. Kinley, a soft-drink brand owned by the Coca-Cola group and marketed across Belgium and other European markets during the 1970s, appeared as the headline sponsor on this Belgian-entered Transit in 1978. Beverage brand investment in grassroots motorsport was routine in the era, and the Kinley livery with its period-correct typography represents an authentic slice of late-1970s European racing sponsorship art.
IXO Models RAC Series: The 1:43 Scale Model
This 1:43 scale model is produced by IXO Models under their RAC (Racing) prefix series, a line dedicated to racing car subjects and distributed through specialist European retailers. The model is constructed in die-cast metal and replicates the Kinley Team Belgium livery as raced in 1978. IXO's RAC series has a track record of covering diverse and historically specific racing entries that other major manufacturers at this scale have not catalogued, making it a primary source for collector-grade documentation of lesser-known European competition cars.
In the Display Cabinet
This Transit racer sits naturally alongside other IXO RAC series entries, particularly those covering Belgian and Benelux motorsport subjects from the 1970s and 1980s. It also pairs well with Ford Escort MkII race and rally models in Belgian or European liveries, and with other beverage-sponsored European racing cars of the same decade. For collectors focused on Transit van racing specifically, this Kinley Team Belgium piece occupies a genuinely rare position: commercial vehicle racers from this era are far less commonly represented at 1:43 than Formula 1 or sports prototype subjects.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
What is the Kinley brand seen on this Transit?
Kinley is a soft-drink brand owned by the Coca-Cola group, marketed in Belgium and other European countries during the 1970s. It sponsored this Belgian-entered Transit van racer in 1978.
What is the Ford Transit MkII?
The Transit MkII was launched in 1978 as a complete redesign of Ford's commercial van, featuring a cab-forward body and updated powertrains. The standard wheelbase version measured 4,674 mm in overall length.
What material is the IXO Models Transit made from?
The model is constructed in die-cast metal at 1:43 scale, produced by IXO Models as part of their RAC racing series.
Why is this particular model of interest to collectors?
Transit van racing subjects are a distinct and growing niche at 1:43. The Kinley Team Belgium livery is a specific and rarely documented Belgian motorsport reference from 1978, not replicated by other major manufacturers.
