Goodbye, beloved Econoline, hello Ford Transit. Dearborn's new line of workhorse vans is debuting today... in Europe, but will be on these shores soon. No more being confused by European Transits, these are Built Ford Tough for the North American market.

The Ford Econoline wasn't just a van, it was America's draft horse. It was how Americans got stuff — building stuff, delivering stuff, repairing stuff — done. Now it's going away, to be replaced by the Ford Transit. But the Econoline was more than just a work truck. It was freedom in a box.

Ford announced today that the evergreen E-series Econoline will be replaced in 2013 with the European Transit van. The new full-size vans will be built in Ford's Kansas City plant, and will possibly debut at the Chicago Auto Show. Say farewell to the E-Series — the era of the T-conoline is now upon us.

Ford introduced the Econoline to the world in 1961 as the truck with a new shape, new design and new name. Based on Ford's compact Falcon, the Econoline was available as a "panel truck" work loving, fun loving "station bus" and our personal favorite, the pickup truck.

Meet Mertin Grundy, formerly known for having a weird name and being small change at the bank where he was employed. That all changed when Mertin made the questionable decision to purchase a custom van. Now Mertin has a customized 1975 Ford Econoline featuring plenty of space to do his own thing with his special…

Haven't you ever wanted to be both jammin' Econoline and surveillin' criminals — kinda like an awesome 80s cop show starring a punk rock detective. Now there's a way. it's the Econoline surveillance van. And I want it. Badly.

Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. Here's a front-engine Econoline with Aristocrat RV conversion on the back.

This is Down On The Street Bonus Edition, where we check out interesting street-parked cars in places other than the Alameda. Here's some nice iron I spotted at the Maker Faire parking lot last weekend.

After the Ford Fiesta, the 2010 Ford Transit Connect is the second most lust-worthy European Ford to make it Stateside. Can a small, practical cargo van appeal to big, burly American workers?