[8] To improve cargo access by creating a flat load floor and enlarging the rear doors, the engine was placed between the front seats.

The midengined placement enlarged the cargo area, as the engine compartment was located forward of the flat load floor.

In Canada, the Econoline was marketed through both the sales networks of both Ford and Lincoln-Mercury (as a Mercury), to increase its presence outside of urban areas.

Alongside the Station Bus (branded as both a Falcon and Econoline), Ford marketed the Club Wagon.

Following a lengthy United Auto Workers strike in 1967, the launch of the second-generation Econoline van was delayed almost four months, until January 1968.

Losing its Falcon roots, the second-generation Econoline became a heavier-duty vehicle, sharing many of its underpinnings with the F-Series full-sized pickups.

The introduction of the cab-chassis variant became popular in the recreational-vehicle industry (a Class C RV), a segment still dominated by the E-Series in the 2010s.

Based on an all-new chassis, Ford became the first American manufacturer to adapt body-on-frame construction to a full-size van.

With a full frame, the Econoline became popular as a cutaway van chassis; the design served as a basis for many ambulances, and various types of trucks and buses.

Using the sparsely-equipped Econoline cargo van as a basis, a luxurious interior was fitted, along with extensive customization of the exterior.

In 1983, to increase the fuel economy of the Econoline without a major loss in engine output, Ford introduced the option of a 6.9L IDI diesel V8 produced by International Harvester; in 1988, this was enlarged to 7.3L.

Specific to the 1984 model year was a standard grille finish of dark argent with bright surround for both the Econoline and Club Wagon; chrome remained an option and was included with the latter's XLT trim.

For 1999, the Club Wagon nameplate was discontinued and the Econoline was renamed the E-Series, a nomenclature closer to that of Ford's full-size F-Series trucks.

[6] From the 2015 model year onward, the E-Series has remained in production solely in cutaway and stripped chassis configurations.

While gaining an intercooler over its predecessor, due to the lack of airflow in the engine compartment (compared to Super Duty trucks), Ford had to detune the E-Series version of the 6.0L V8.

[21] Since the 2021 model year, the E-Series has only used the gasoline 7.3L V8 from the fourth-generation Super Duty truck, offered with an option for conversion to CNG or LPG.

To optimize the aerodynamics of the van body, the hood was angled slightly downward and the windshield was raked back (though far less than the Aerostar).

For the 1996 model year, Ford introduced a new Class 4 medium-duty variant of the Econoline, offered exclusively as either a cutaway van chassis or cab-chassis.

Dubbed the E-Super Duty (in line with the F-Super Duty sold at the same time), this version was created using heavier-duty components than the existing Econoline 350 commercial models, such as a Dana 80 rear axle with higher 4.63 axle ratios, new parking brake assembly, and heavier-duty shocks to allow for a maximum GVWR of 16,000 lbs.

Due to its shorter front nose and tighter turning circle compared to the equivalent F-Series model, the E-Super Duty was a popular choice for box truck and bus conversions.

[23] For 1997, the Econoline underwent a revision of both its exterior and interior, largely to bring its appearance in line with other Ford trucks.

[25] Offered solely in a cutaway-cab design,[25] the E-550 was intended to bridge the gap between the pickup truck–derived F-450/550 Super Duty and the F-650 medium-duty trucks.

For 2008, the E-Series received a restyled front-end design similar to that of the newly-redesigned Ford Super Duty trucks.

The Ford Sync entertainment system, designed by Microsoft, and adding USB integration and hands-free Bluetooth calling and wireless audio streaming capabilities was now also offered as an option.

At the time of its 2008 update, 95% of sales were to commercial or fleet users, with nearly half of production represented by cargo vans.

[30] Sold outside of North America since 1965, the Transit was introduced to the United States and Canada, offering increased fuel economy and additional body configurations over the E-Series.

For the 2021 model year, the E-Series interior underwent a redesign, adopting a more modern electronic instrument cluster with steering wheel controls first developed for the fourth-generation Super Duty truck.

[22] Under the hood, all models use the larger 7.3L V8 Godzilla naturally aspirated gasoline engine also used on the fourth-generation Super Duty truck.

The new instrument panel also allowed for the addition of new optional safety equipment that was previously not available on the E-Series, including adaptive cruise control, a forward collision avoidance system, a lane departure warning system, and automatic high-beam front headlamps.

Following the introduction of the V363N Ford Transit, the VN E-Series ended production as a cargo/passenger van after the 2014 model year.