The Ford E-Series van was first introduced in 1961.
Ford released the first-generation Econoline on September 21, 1960, as a 1961 model-year vehicle. It replaced Ford’s F-Series panel van and the smaller Ford Courier sedan delivery. The new van used a forward-control layout, placing the engine between the front seats to create a relatively flat floor and improve access to the cargo area.
The original range included a cargo van, passenger versions marketed as the Station Bus and Club Wagon, and a pickup derived from the van. Its main competitors included the rear-engined Chevrolet Corvair van and Volkswagen Transporter. The Econoline’s layout helped establish design ideas later used by other North American full-size vans.
The name E-Series became widely associated with the line after later generations, but “Econoline” and “Club Wagon” were important early names. Ford eventually shifted the commercial-van role to the Transit in North America, while E-Series production continued primarily in cutaway and stripped-chassis forms for uses such as buses, ambulances and work trucks.