Ford slammed the Transit Custom front doors 250,000 times, the sliding side door 150,000 times, and the rear cargo door 150,000 times in a special test facility where temperatures can be plunged to -40 degrees Celsius, sent soaring to 82 degrees Celsius, and deliver 85 per cent humidity.

“This is a modern-day torture test, more than half-a-million slams, in everything from tropical heat to Arctic cold,” said Barry Gale, Ford’s chief commercial vehicle engineer, based at Dunton Technical Centre, in Essex – Ford’s research and development centre for all its vans.

The new Ford Transit Custom one-tonne commercial vehicle will go on sale in the UK later this year and made its debut at April’s CV Show in Birmingham. The Transit will be available with advanced technology including Ford SYNC, which enables hands-free voice-controlled use of mobile phones and MP3 players, plus fuel-saving technologies such as Auto-Start-Stop and smart regenerative charging.

The 550,000 door-slam test is just one of a range of rigorous testing procedures Ford has used to make sure the all-new vehicle further enhances Transit’s reputation for superb reliability.