Transit Connect Wagons Get Ultimate Upfits
Ford and MAKE magazine are highlighting the Transit Connect's flexibility and upfit possibilities with this year's Maker Faire, an all-ages event celebrating the do-it-yourself spirit

Photo: Ford

Photo: Ford
Ford and MAKE magazine will show two creative takes on personalizing the all-new Transit Connect Wagon as part of Maker Faire, an all-ages event celebrating the do-it-yourself spirit.
MAKE magazine put on the first Maker Faire in 2006 in the San Francisco Bay Area, bringing together tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, hobbyists, engineers, and artists. It has since grown, with several Maker Faire events taking place around the world. Last year, about 195,000 people attended the two flagship Maker Faire events, held in San Francisco and New York. This year, Maker Faire events will take place in more than 60 cities in North America and beyond.
Hackmobile and Happy Mutant Mobile Transit Connect Wagons will make a public appearances at several of the events, including those in San Francisco, San Mateo, and New York City.
“Transit Connect Wagon is exactly what customers want it to be,” said Minyang Jiang, brand manager for Ford Transit Connect Wagon. “Whether it’s used as a people mover or to carry cargo, the spirit of the vehicle is in how it can be transformed by its owners to express their passions. We think these two vehicles are a perfect example of the unminivan, of how to inspire the imagination in a new way.”
Hackmobile, a fabricating workshop on four wheels, was the winner of MAKE magazine’s Ultimate Maker Vehicle Challenge, a competition that saw 10 teams vie to create the ultimate Ford Transit Connect Wagon for the do-it-yourself enthusiast. As part of winning the contest, Ford commissioned California-based builder CGS Motorsports to build Hackmobile.
The winning design team, Twin Cities Maker, is part of a Minnesota-based community nonprofit that operates a shop called Hack Factory, where members build projects and hold classes for the community.

Photo: Ford
The concept was for a Transit Connect Wagon to be designed and built around a machine the team dubbed “The Fabber” due to its use as a multipurpose tool in fabricating. Hackmobile has shelving and storage for tools to do woodworking, metalworking and 3D fabrication.
Happy Mutant Mobile was developed in collaboration with MAKE magazine and Boing Boing, a Web-based magazine devoted to technology and culture.
Boing Boing’s editors designed Happy Mutant Mobile to be as original as its name, serving as an official vehicle for the site.
The custom-designed exterior features a large screen that can roll down to show outdoor movies, a hood ornament that blows bubbles and LED signs mounted to the roof. The interior is decorated in dark custom woodwork and green leather upholstery. It houses a mix of oddities and knickknacks, a 3D printer, camera equipment, magazine rack and computer equipment.
Theresa Contreras of California-based LGE*CTS Motorsports, which served as builder on the project, said the whimsical design features, like the bubble machine on the hood, make it one of the most unique builds the team has worked on.
“Transit Connect is a great platform for any build of this magnitude, or for the weekend warrior, for that matter,” Contreras said. “It’s amazing that the minute everyone lays eyes on this vehicle, they start thinking about how they would use it. I’ve heard everything from office desks to mountain bikes to band equipment. The unminivan can be a vehicle for everyone.”
Originally posted on Automotive Fleet
More Operations

EV Fleet Reality, Ford Fathom, Robots, and Smarter Fleet Tech Lead the News
EV fleet lessons, Ford’s new Fathom electric truck, robots, manufacturing shifts, and smarter fleet technology headline this week’s Truck Chat Cheat Sheet.
Read More →
Elite 11 Semi-Finalists Announced for the 2026 Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence Award
The 11 semi-finalists for the 2026 Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence award have been announced. The award honors the achievements of military veterans who have transitioned into careers in the professional trucking industry.
Read More →
Are You Saying These Work Truck Company Names Correctly?
Think you know how to pronounce the biggest names in work trucks? We asked the companies themselves to settle it once and for all.
Read More →
Why Reactive Fleet Management Is Becoming Too Expensive to Sustain
Research highlights a growing need for proactive management strategies to address rising costs in fleet operations effectively.
Read More →
Is Your Fleet Structure Built to Scale?
As fleets grow across regions, structural inconsistencies can increase costs, limit visibility, and create operational risk. This guide helps fleet and business leaders evaluate whether their current operating model can support growth without sacrificing control or performance.
Read More →
Fleet Management Guide for Growing Field Service Fleets
As HVAC, plumbing and contractor businesses grow, fleet complexity can begin to affect technician productivity, customer response times, operating costs, and revenue. This guide helps field service leaders build a more structured approach to managing vehicles, drivers, maintenance, safety, and lifecycle decisions.
Read More →
Fleet Forward Conference Registration Opens With Plenty on Tap for Work Truck Fleets
From commercial vehicle safety and AI to benchmarking, crash costs, OEM relationships, and autonomy, this year’s Fleet Forward Conference agenda has plenty aimed at the issues work truck fleets are dealing with now and preparing for next.
Read More →
Viatec Fleet Intelligence: Turning Fleet Data into Actionable Insights
Fleet managers don't need more data, they need better answers. Viatec's new Fleet Intelligence platform connects telematics, maintenance, fuel, finance, video, and other systems to deliver actionable insights through simple, natural language queries.
Read More →
Drones, Robots, DTNA Manufacturing Moves, and Smarter Fleet Tech Lead the News
Drones, robots, major manufacturing moves, and smarter connected fleet technology headline this week’s Truck Chat Cheat Sheet.
Read More →Motive Automations Explained: From Insight to Action
Motive Automations helps fleets turn real-time insights into immediate action. In this video, you will learn how automated workflows can notify drivers, alert maintenance teams, streamline coaching, and even use AI-powered Atlas calls to improve safety and efficiency.
Read More →

