If it hadn’t been for Ford’s CEO,
Henry Ford II and his right-hand man, Lee Iacocca pushing to build the Fiesta,
Ford of Europe may well not have built it. It was big gamble to create a new front wheel
drive platform that wasn’t needed for any of their other cars, and with Fords selling like
hot cakes, and little profit in superminis, why take the risk? But take it
they did, and it’s become the third highest selling Ford vehicle of all time.
Why was the Fiesta so popular for so long, and why did it all end with the seven
generation? This is the Ford Fiesta Story. (music) Even before Fiat rocked the automotive world
with their 127 supermini hatchback in 1971, Ford was looking at creating something smaller
than their new Escort, and the orders had come straight from the top – CEO Henry Ford II. So,
by 1971 the design department had already got to work, producing some interesting designs. Ford’s
boss was keen for the Europe operations to lead the project, but they had their hands full with
the second-generation Escort, Capri and Granada, so Detroit took the lead. With the launch
of Fiat 127 Ford had a rabbit to chase, and what Ford was great at doing in the 1970s
was catching and beating their competition. Ford’s development team suspected front wheel
drive was best, but they needed to be sure. They built two similar cars, one using
parts from a front wheel drive Fiat 127, and the other using a chopped down rear wheel
drive Escort. Just for good measure they asked Ghia to produce something based on the Fiat 127.
All three cars were tested by the public and it quickly became clear front wheel drive was best.
That was bad news. All of Ford’s cars in Europe were rear wheel drive which meant a lot of money
to develop something new, including the cost to turn their Kent engine 90°. So, if they were
going to make something to beat Fiat, and now Renault with the new Renault 5, they would need
to spend big, and hope whatever they made sold well. Even if the car was a runaway success, it
still wouldn’t make the development money back, and might take sales away from their
other cars. But if they did nothing, they could become irrelevant by the 1980s. If
Ford decided to make a supermini, they needed to amortise the front wheel drive technology
with their other cars, possibly a future Escort. There hadn’t been a single design that interested
Ford’s management, but Ghia’s car had and they asked them to produce a follow up. The result,
the Ghia Wolf got even more attention. By now, the middle of 1973, Ford of Europe’s
design teams had completed their Escort, Capri & Granada design work. Would they
like to produce something like the Wolf? Well, of course they would! The team took on the project with relish.
UK & German design teams were pitted together to see which of their Wolves would win out.
It was a close thing, but the German team were victorious. As it was so close, and as
an act of contrition the German team asked to take elements from the British design. The
exterior would be designed in Germany, while the UK design team would produce a smart interior that
wouldn’t have looked out of place on larger cars. Some progress had been made by Detroit on the
mechanicals while they’d been running the project, and this was handed off to the European
team to produce Ford’s first supermini. As new competition appeared, Ford took note and
made sure their car could beat it. Initially it was conceived as a 2-door saloon or a three-door
hatchback. A five-door version was investigated, but ultimately rejected, as was the idea of a
2-door as it became clear customers preferred a hatchback for its all-round practicality.
Work progressed smoothly. Ironically, although Ghia had provided the genesis of the project, the
top of the line Ghia trim level would have nothing to do with them – it was just one of the interior
styles created by Ford’s British design team. They cleverly reused parts, such as the door pulls
being grab handles from the ceiling of the Escort! The car would be called “Fiesta” which is "Party" in
Spanish, and Spaniards must have had a party when they heard Ford would be building the Fiesta
in Valencia. For Ford it made perfect sense, Spain had good, inexpensive workers, and
the Fiesta needed to be produced for next to nothing. Market studies showed the Fiesta
would be a hit, so production lines in the UK and Germany were tooled up for the expected
demand. With consumers rushing to cheap, efficient cars after the oil crisis,
not just in Europe but North America, it made perfect sense to sell the new Fiesta
in Ford’s home market as well, especially as US Government rules dictated the average fuel
economy of a car manufacturers line-up needed to hit certain targets. (music) The Ford Fiesta launched in 1976, first in Europe,
and then with right hand drive models in 1977. Like the larger Escort it came with a 950cc and
1.1L engine. There was a sporty “S” version, although with a 1.1L engine it wasn’t particularly
sporty. The press was underwhelmed – it didn’t seem to do anything better than the competition,
and wasn’t any cheaper. But as an all-round package it worked well, and with Ford’s marketing
machine in full swing the public felt differently. Everything Ford touched in the 1970s turned to
gold, and the first generation Ford Fiesta was no exception. They needed it to sell big
to recoup the massive development cost, and it did – within 14 months they’d sold
½M cars. Within 3 years they’re reached 1M. The Fiesta also performed well when it launched
in North America in 1977. To help hit US emissions standards, ironically Ford fitted the Fiesta
with the larger 1.6L engine from the Cortina which made it quite a peppy car. Ford even tried
different body styles with the 1978 Fiesta Fantasy show car. But with the Fiesta selling well,
European sales were prioritised, and in any case, Ford only wanted to sell just enough to help get
them past the Government’s emissions hurdle. So, it’s no surprise that they only sold around the
75,000 they needed to sell. It didn’t help that the German produced cars were getting more
expensive to import due to exchange rates, so the Fiesta was replaced by the larger,
fuel-efficient North American Escort in 1981. Ford was excited about its new supermini platform,
and as Ghia had done such good work shaping the Fiesta design, they charged them with pushing
the supermini envelope. The Fiesta-based Corrida concept was shown at the 1976 Turin Motor Show.
The door handles might seem in an odd location, but they made perfect sense for the folding gull
wing doors that were perhaps perfectly practical. It was easier for those in the front and the back
to enter this two door car in tight supermarket parking spaces, and had a futuristic style. The
one downside was the side windows couldn’t open. Ford also tried the Fiesta Tuareg off-roading
concept in 1979, the tall Pockar with space in the doors for luggage the following year, and the
shorter Ghia Shuttler city car the year after. In 1977 the European Fiesta light van appeared
by removing the rear seats and filling in the rear windows. The passenger car would get
a little more power with a 1.3L engine, but passed up the 1.6L from the American Fiesta.
Ford asked Donald Healey, of Austin-Healey fame, to come up with a sporty Fiesta. The result was
the 105hp (78 kW) 1.6L Healey Fiesta concept. It was displayed at car shows, and may have
persuaded Ford to offer the “Series X” aftermarket upgrades for the Fiesta, delivering
up to 89hp (66 kW). But what Ford needed was a pre-packaged sporty Fiesta, something to take
on the Golf GTi. Ford tried an RS version, but it proved to be far too expensive. The XR3
had cracked the price vs performance problem, and it was transposed into the Fiesta in 1981 as the
1.6L 83hp (62 KW) XR2, sporting a natty body kit. Strong sales in Europe meant the Fiesta
crossed the 2M barrier in 1981. The front wheel gamble had paid off, and helped reduce the
development cost of the third generation Escort that was also selling like hot cakes. “The small car share of the market has more than doubled over the last 10
years to over 23% of the total in 1982. The cars are small, the stakes are big.” But in 1982 the Fiesta was outsold in the UK by the new Austin Metro, and the supermini category
was becoming crowded. Good thing the second generation Fiesta was coming in 1983! “Second
generation” might be a little flattering. It sat on the same chassis, with a new slightly
more aerodynamic body that wasn’t a patch on cars like the new Fiat Uno. The new front end
gave a clue as to what the fourth generation Escort would look like three years later. Inside
it got a chic update to keep the Fiesta selling. The new lean burn CVH engines provided a little
more power and economy along with a little loved, unrefined diesel. The updated engines meant it
could use the 5-speed gearbox already used by the Escort. This was something Ford commonly
did with its models – major updates to the running gear in one generation followed by
engine updates in a subsequent generation. It allowed Ford to always have something new
and improved to talk about. That’s not to say the handling remained the same – Ford did some
work in that department, but only minor tweaks. Superminis were selling well, but with lots of
competition there were razor thin margins. That meant little money for development, so Ford had
to stretch its limited budget as far as it could. Like Volkswagen with their sporty Polos, Ford
had to be careful the lighter Fiesta XR2 didn’t outperform the more expensive Escort XR3. So, the
Escort would get fuel injection while the Fiesta would have to do without. It’s a problem Peugeot
didn’t have with the 205 GTi, which is why it ran rings around the XR2. But with Ford’s stranglehold
on the UK company car market the XR2, and the cheaper “S” sold well, and at double the profit
of a regular Fiesta, Ford was very happy it did. They designed a constant velocity gearbox
with Fiat, and it was introduced on the Fiesta in 1987. It proved to be noisy, which
Ford acknowledged by using the same sound insulation it used on its diesel models.
Customers didn’t warm to it, although Ford continued to offer it into the 2000s. But back
in the late 1980s the whole Fiesta package, designed in the early 1970s was really looking
its age, and decisions taken then to make it only a three door were starting to affect sales.
Thankfully, Ford had been working on a third act. The development of the third generation car
would cost about as much as the first generation, and all the money was poured into the new
body and running gear. Ford had to make sure it produced a car that could beat the
competition. It had to be bigger inside, if not outside, and it must, definitely have 5 doors.
The first serious design was the Libra concept, an attempt at making a family car look like a coupé.
It was a little wild for management’s tastes, so the second Libra concept went for something a
little more conservative that, like the Volkswagen Polo went to hatchback extremes to pack in as much
space as possible. The third concept in early 1983 clearly had influences from the just released Fiat
Uno, but management were worried it was a little too safe. It didn’t look like something that could
be turned into a fire-breathing XR2 for example. They could shoot for something like the new
Peugeot 205, but then the new Honda Civic appeared and the designers were torn. Which
way should they go for the new Fiesta? This was at a time when management were second
guessing every decision coming out of the design department after the aerodynamic
gamble that was the Ford Sierra launched… and bombed. Not a good time for indecision.
It fell to Ford’s management to choose. They decided the new Fiesta should be something prettier than the
Peugeot 205, with just one body shell for both 3 and 5 door models. Detroit was asked to submit a
design, along with Ghia. These designs along with ones from Ford of Europe were given a fashion
show in front of a select few members of the public in early 1985 to help decide. The winner
was something instantly recognisable as a third generation Fiesta, but the design team would
spend another 6 months tidying up the design, especially around the rear with the Fiesta’s
trademark wraparound rear lights. The Fiesta sold well but Ford didn’t take that for
granted. The new car had to be truly great. Once the base car was completed, Ford moved
on to style the high margin sports versions. Interior work carried on in parallel with design,
and soon the final package came together. By 1987 the body was ready to be mated to the new
running gear to produce the third generation Fiesta platform. Then the decision came to
produce an RS Turbo version. The design team had to make something a little wilder than the
XR2 look, without making it looking silly. The engineering team had to work out how to fit
a turbo into the already cramped engine bay! (music) The new Fiesta broke cover at the end of
1988 and sales began the following year. The wheelbase had grown 16cm (6”), but the
interior grew by more than this using clever design tricks. Inside it was all new, with
creature comforts such as electric windows, central locking and ABS. The new XR2 got fuel
injection which gave it a little more power, but no more acceleration with the car
weighing an additional 50kg (110lb). The RS Turbo turned the Fiesta into a
pocket rocket with a 0-60 time of 7.7s. The refined, better handling, more fuel-efficient
Fiesta was a hit with customers, proving the team that designed the acclaimed mk3 Escort then the
much-maligned Sierra hadn’t lost their touch. It was soon Britain’s best-selling car, and by
1991 over 1M third generation cars had been sold. The Fiesta van continued to be sold,
as well as a new box van, the Ford Courier. Ghia produced a couple of concepts to see if Ford
could use their new Fiesta platform for other purposes. The Bebop was a mini pickup pitched as
a sport activity vehicle, and the Urba was built around city driving and shopping. It got a single
door for the driver, but two on the other side for passengers. Features such as a fridge in the boot
to keep the shopping cool didn’t make it, but a built-in garage opener and parking aids would
eventually come to almost all passenger cars. An update in 1993 focused on structural
improvements to help safety. The XR2i got a Zetec engine, and the new RS1800 replaced the outgoing
RS Turbo. But joy riders were stealing hot hatches across the UK, maybe why the updated Fiesta got
an immobiliser. The “S” had always been the entry level sports model, so it was perhaps inevitable
that when the XR2i name was dropped for the ”Si”, it didn’t exactly set the pulse racing. But it
didn’t need a second mortgage to insure either. The priority for the fourth generation Fiesta was
fitting the new Zetec engines into the cramped engine bay, and improving crash protection which
was becoming increasingly important to customers. To this end, all cars got a driver’s airbag
for the first time. This wasn’t going to be a major update – the essential
platform would remain the same. As far as styling updates, Ford initially tried
a Porsche look, then a happy buggy design, but soon coalesced around flat headlights and an oval
grille that would appear on the mid-90s Escort and Mondeo. This would bring some corporate identity
back to Ford’s disparate line-up. The interior would have the same swoopy oval design that
would appear on the upcoming Ford Ka, which would also be built around the third generation Fiesta
platform as would the Ford Puma. Ford was in love with ovals in the 1990s, even the North American
third generation Ford Taurus got its fair share. The luxury model that Ghia lent its name to had
been a little unloved with the third generation car, but the 4th generation Fiesta Ghia got
power steering, optional air conditioning, CD changer and a healthy dose of leather and
something that looked like wood. The new Zetec engines were about as fuel efficient as the
outgoing models while offering a bit more get up and go. But with hot hatches being a
dying breed, the best the new generation could offer was a 1.4L fuel injected 16V engine which
couldn’t crack 10 seconds in the 0-60 sprint. Speed junkies would have to look elsewhere,
unless they wanted to swap their engine for the 153hp (114 kW) 1.7L beast in the Ford Puma.
But those small engines meant low insurance premiums. The Fiesta was reliable and as always
running it didn’t worry your bank manager. The new car continued to sell well. It topped the
UK sales charts again in 1996, and would stay there until toppled by the new Ford Focus in 1999.
Ford had a deep partnership with Mazda, and the Fiesta would be rebadged and sold as the Mazda
121 in markets such as South Africa and Europe. Ford’s South African factory produced the
Fiesta passenger car but also turned it into a light pickup - the third generation Ford
Bantam that was a lot more practical than the Fiesta Bebop concept from 1990. And the
old third generation Fiesta continued to be sold in some markets as the “Fiesta Classic”
to get some extra use out of the old tooling. The Fiesta was also sold across South America.
In 1999 it became a four-door saloon for the first time as the Fiesta Sedan. In this form it
would have a second life into the 2000s as the Ford Ikon in India, South Africa, Mexico and
China where it would be produced until 2010. Ford’s new corporate identity was the
New Edge styling of the Ford Focus, and the 1999 facelift gave the Fiesta as much
of a New Edge makeover as could be done on a limited budget. It remained true to its oval
roots inside. But it got more leather trim and side airbags to keep up with the competition. A
larger 1.6L Zetec engine gave a little more pep. When Ford produced its cars in the 1970s each
of them would get its own bespoke platform, but by the new millennium this was ancient
history. Sharing platforms was the thing, as could be seen with the Puma, Ka, Bantam and
Ikon. The fifth generation Fiesta would use the Global B-car platform that was developed with
Ford’s partner Mazda. It would be used for the Mazda2 and Verisa, along with the Ford Fusion
MPV and EcoSport SUV. Most mainstream cars grow over time, and the new Fiesta was no exception,
giving a little more leg and elbow room. That very slightly longer wheelbase combined with improved
suspension gave a better ride, making it feel like a much bigger car. The looks naturally continued
the New Edge styling cues from the popular Focus. “I see you baby!” (music) Ford of Australia clearly seemed to be confused between the new Fiesta and the new Renault Mégane,
which won the contest for the largest bottom! Inside it was all new with smart doors and seats.
The dashboard was logically ordered and clear to see, but the solid dark wall of plastic felt
like Ford’s designers had lost the will to live. On the third generation car, the team had been
denied a different body for the three and five door version. For the fifth generation two shapes
were permitted, creating better headroom for the five door, and a sportier look for the three
door. That sporty look wasn’t just for show, as Ford released the 2.0L ST with a 7.9s 0-60
time. It would still be pipped to the post by the 1990 RS Turbo on the dragstrip, but thanks to the
vastly improved suspension it behaved much better when a bend appeared. The 182hp (136 kW) Fiesta
Mountune Performance version made for a fun ride for those willing to pay for it. In Australia the
Fiesta got the coveted XR badge, not called the XR2 as you would think but the XR4. Ford hinted
at an RS version at the 2004 Geneva Motor Show, but it would remain just a concept. Customers
were directed to the larger Ford Focus RS. Joy riding was a less serious problem, and
insurance rates for cars like this, while not being low, weren’t at least eye-wateringly high.
The new Fiesta was, on paper, better than ever, but it didn’t sell as well as the previous
generation, and it was even usurped in the UK by its main competitor, the Vauxhall Corsa.
That wasn’t part of Ford’s plan. The facelift in 2005 did better, at least proving more popular
than the Corsa in the UK. It got a light spruce up both inside and out. Features from other Ford
models made their debut such as Bluetooth, MP3 connectivity and rain sensing wipers. The Zetec
S “30th Anniversary” edition arrived in 2007, 31 years after the first Fiesta appeared.
By the look of the 2006 license plate on the publicity photos, Ford was a little late
getting the car out of the factory gates! The Ford Ikon got an update with the
fifth generation Fiesta platform in 2007, and the Fiesta hatchback would be reworked
as the smaller Indian produced Ford Figo, which was sold all over the world.
The Fiesta had been getting heavier since its introduction, to the point where three
original Fiestas weighed about the same as two fifth generation Fiestas. For the sixth generation
Ford decided to make it lighter, and therefore nimbler. No mean feat when customers demanded air
conditioning, airbags, a strong safety cell and all those natty gadgets to make their little car
feel premium. The new car ended up 66kg (145lb) lighter, the weight of a fully grown human.
The first clue of what the new shape would be appeared as the Verve concept
at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, continuing Ford’s new Kinetic design language
first seen on the S-Max. The saloon also appeared for those international markets that demanded
it. The press and the public were impressed, but were sceptical how much of this exciting
shape would make it to the production car. (music) The final design might not be quite as exciting
as the Verve, but it was damned close. The new Fiesta went on sale in 2008 and was an instant
hit. The handling matched the exciting looks, and easily impressed you on the test drive.
It was cheap to run, it was reliable, and as with all Fords it didn’t give you much trouble.
The platform would be used for the 2014 third generation Ka, as well as the B-Max mini MPV that
Ford was excited about, but left customers flat. The interior was inspired by
the buttons on a mobile phone, just as the world was ditching keypads for a
wall of glass. The exciting shape limited rear headroom even on the 5 door hatchback, and the
seats didn’t fold flat, making it not the most practical supermini on the market. But without
any rear seats it was practical enough as a van. The Ghia badge had lost its allure by this point,
so the highest trim level was “Titanium” like that credit card advertisers want you to aspire to.
“Titanium” brought you creature comforts like climate control and cruise control. But the fast
ST or XR models were a thing of the past, at least for now. Instead of a sports model, Ford offered
the “ECOnetic” with a diesel engine that Ford claimed would emit only 98 grams of carbon dioxide
per kilometre with an added particulate filter. The fifth generation car, like the third
generation would be sold alongside the new Fiesta in India, again as the
budget-priced “Fiesta Classic”. The Fiesta had exited the US market in 1981. Ford
would sell small Mazdas in North America – the Ford Festiva in 1986 and the Aspire from 1993 to
2000. After that the smallest Ford was the new Focus. But with both unemployment and fuel prices
rising, Ford signalled they might be interested in bringing the Fiesta back once more. They showed
a North American version of the Verve concept in 2008, and the reaction must have been good enough
that the Fiesta appeared in American showrooms in 2011 as a 4 door saloon & 5 door hatchback, and
Ford’s new SYNC infotainment system appeared. Early problems with the automatic
gearbox hit Ford’s JD Power rating, but they were quickly addressed. That same
year worldwide Fiesta sales hit 15 million. An update appeared in 2013 with a restyled nose
that featured the Aston Martin-like trapezoidal grille that would be used across the Ford
range. Inside there were some minor changes, and Ford’s troubled MyFord Touch system was
added to the top of the range models, the other reason why Ford’s JD Power ratings had tanked!
Ford had unveiled a Fiesta ST concept a couple of years earlier, and a new ST appeared with the 2013
update. And Americans also got a dose of Ford’s mad hot hatch fun. The 1.6L 180hp (134 kW) engine
featured 15 second of “overboost” producing nearly 200hp (147 kw) which made it to 60 in 6.5 seconds
and went on to 137mph (220 km/h). It could also get nearly 50mpg (5.9l/100km) if driven carefully,
proving the wonders that engineers could perform getting more and more power out of tiny amounts
of fuel. On the other end of the spectrum was a new 1.0L EcoBoost engine, delivering 66
combined mpg (4.3l/100km) with a faster 0-60 time than the first generation XR2, and vastly
superior handing. And that wasn’t even the most economical Fiesta. That honour fell to the 1.6L
diesel that got an astounding 86mpg (3.3l/100km). The Fiesta ST’s combination of power
and handling were proved on the rally circuit when the Fiesta won the World
Rally Championships in 2017 and 2018. The second generation 2015 Figo was based on
the sixth generation Fiesta, and again built in India and shipped across the globe. In 2018 Ford
released a crossover version. The upcoming seventh generation Fiesta wouldn’t come to South America,
so the sixth generation got another facelift. Sales might have started well for the 2008 Fiesta,
but they’d quickly tailed off. Superminis weren’t as popular as they once were. Could Ford
turn it around with the next generation car? (music) The new car was built on a new generation
of the Global B-car platform, and still got excellent handling. Although much of it was
new, from the outside it looked like just a small styling update. Ford clearly thought it
couldn’t improve on the 2008 look. The new top of the range was the new Vignale edition, Ford’s
attempt at recreating “Ghia” exclusivity. Vignale was an Italian coachbuilder that Ford bought with
the Ghia purchase in the early 1970s. The Vignale trim level got heated seats & steering wheel,
climate control, keyless entry and updated seats. Supermini customers were rushing to crossovers,
so Ford tried to appeal to them with the Fiesta Active which they said had crossover styling.
But being a mere 2cm (0.75”) higher than the regular Fiesta, probably due to larger alloy
wheels, I’m not sure many people were fooled. The interior felt premium, mostly. If you
looked hard there was some cheap plastic to be found. But it continued to get more tech like
a rear-view camera, cruise control that scanned the traffic signs and maintained the speed limit
and the car could be unlocked from your phone. There was an EcoBoost engine with a mild hybrid
option. The 197hp (147 kw) ST got a little more poke, and different driving modes. With the
Fiesta’s excellent handling, and a high spec it remained a great little hot hatch.
Ford made a big effort to produce a new class-leading supermini, and they succeeded, but
the market was moving on. The Fiesta remained Britain’s best-selling car, but year on year
sales were dropping. Ford announced the end of the Fiesta in North America in 2018 as a booming
American economy drove sales of larger cars. But in other parts of the world,
Europe and Latin America in particular, the Fiesta was an institution. Leaders
may come and go, but there was always the dependable Fiesta to get you home from work.
In 2021 Ford launched the mid-cycle refresh with another small change to the front end.
In 1972 Ford had the UK’s number one selling car. For the next 48 years that never changed, be
it the Cortina, Escort, Fiesta or the Focus. 2021 was the first year Ford didn’t have the top
selling car, and the first time since 2009 that it wasn’t the Fiesta, ceding the top spot to the
Fiesta’s long-time rival, the Corsa. Ford weren’t even number 2, or three, or four. The top selling
Ford in 2021 was the Puma at number 8. The Fiesta wasn’t even in the top 10! What happened? The
global chip shortage was a big factor, as was a shift to taller cars, but with Ford losing
money on every Fiesta produced, they prioritised more profitable cars such as the Kuga and Puma.
And with a new Fiesta costing more than double that of a Dacia Sandero, selling Ford’s venerable
supermini was always going to be an uphill task. The Corsa might have won the supermini battle, but
it’s a battle that’s almost over. Ford announced in 2018 they would stop making passenger
cars in the US except for the Mustang, switching to trucks, SUVs and crossovers. That was
the directions customers were going, and Ford had to chase profits or die. Customers preferred the
upright Puma that was more practical while still giving a good ride, and being based on the same
platform as the Fiesta was this what the Fiesta should have become for the seventh generation?
But over seven generations the Fiesta has proven remarkably popular, as Ford seemed to know just
what customers wanted. At over 17 million sold it’s a car that has been a part of our
lives. The first car I got to drive was a first generation Fiesta, and like millions
of others I’m very happy Henry Ford II decided in the early 1970s to push to make a little
car that could and did beat the competition. You can get much more about the Fiesta story
in Steve Saxty’s excellent “Secret Fords” books – link in the description. And if you want
to know more about the Ford Escort, there’s an equally long video linked on the right! Thanks
for watching and I’ll see you in the next video.
Big Car is quick on the ball with their Ford Fiesta story after the model's announced end.
Fond memories of a 50 quid fiesta with the battery held on by a block of wood so it wouldn't short on the bonnet.
Weird to see, Ford, one of the oldest and biggest car makers strip all yhe normal cars and do just crossovers and pickups. Which only crossovers are in europe, like 3 models is their lineup. Even Mitsubishi has more models
Damn I didn't know the Fiesta had such a history.
Another American moment I guess.
Love mine, shame its getting discontinued.
I love Big Car. Such a high quality channel.