About Us
Where did it all start? In the 1960’s, Roy was a prolific ¼ mile oval superstox racer, designing and fabricating his own space frame race cars. It’s still this lifeblood competitive and innovative way of thinking that’s at the heart of everything we do today.
From humble beginnings, Roy started to buy and sell used MK 1 Transits following its launch in 1965 and soon learnt this amazing van could become a business. In 1970, Roy Wood Transits started trading and was then incorporated as Roy Wood Transits in 1973.
The business grew, enabling us to buy small fleets of nearly new vans from rental companies and auctions supporting both retail and trade sales, however with the advent of the internet and improved online auction remarketing, we discovered the heritage of our engineering skills were being used to specify more and more bespoke vehicles. Today we embrace the internet and the technology of smartphones which allow us to demonstrate stock virtually and sell nationally.
Van sales have always been at the core of our business. As an independent Transit specialist, we have the freedom to select the very best stock and competitively price. We also have a wealth of knowledge to stock not only vans, but tippers, trucks and other variants such as plant transporters with lifts etc.
Our highly valued & loyal team of managers have all served their apprenticeships with us and over the decades progressed to senior management. It’s this depth of knowledge and our pride in customer service that enables us to appreciate your business and to win the prestigious Auto Trader Customer Service award year on year.
Mobility & wheelchair accessible vehicles have always been part of what we do, because the engineering and certification knowledge reads across from commercial lifts to passenger lifts. In 2011, we became accredited with motability and worked through the European type approval process, working with Manchester University to crash test and pass our Innov8 wheelchair accessible 8 seat WAV minibus. This experience proved invaluable for the multistage type approvals which later became mandatory for tippers, trucks and other bespoke chassis cab variants.
Today we work closely with individual wheelchair users to find the optimum access solutions, such as 6 way turney seats, linear passenger lifts, hoists, underfloor cassette lifts, certified wheelchair bonded floor tracks, plus wheelchair and occupant safety restraints.
Motorhomes & campers have evolved within the business over the years. In the 70’s, Roy converted a MK 1 Transit SWB with a glass fibre roof for his family of 6!
To more recent times, son & MD Steve has represented Kentucky Camp, Horizons Unlimited, Westfalia and Wellhouse.
In 2011, Steve’s work with Ford’s special vehicle options team led to the confidential exciting discovery of Transit Custom. We immediately recognised Ford’s kinetic design would be a serious contender against the dominant VW Transporter in the camper market, leading Steve to be the co-designer and founder of Auto Campers.
The 1st Auto Campers were constructed with ground-breaking polypropylene furniture and our hallmark twin sliding doors and were built in Reading.
In 2014, production moved to Auto Camper partners Firth Campers in Sheffield and the launch of our 1st day van camper, winning Camper Of The Year on its debut. Later models followed to include our Leisure Van and MRV, both winning national awards.
The future is bright and we continue to look ahead. We have gained BVRLA accreditation to support vehicle leasing and attend exhibitions and seminars to explore alternative fuels.
Whichever element of our business we hope holds an interest, our attitude is both professional, yet personal. We work well as a team, enabling us to be flexible, giving you the service of an independent but with the facilities and knowledge only a specialist can offer.
Very responsive and helpful re a technical Transit enquiry I had with them.