Ford announced last week that they will be stopping the production of their small but practical hatchback – the Ford Fiesta. With twenty-two million Fiestas sold since the model first began in 1976, this car became an icon in efficiency and practicality. This is one of the UK’s all-time best-selling vehicles.
The First Fiesta
The Ford Fiesta has had seven different versions over its long run. However, it all began with the Fiesta 1 back in 1976. The Fiesta was designed to be an affordable, efficient model of car that could combat the problems that arose from the oil crisis in 1973. At the time, it was the smallest model made by the brand, but it became an instant star when it was released. This fantastic car could have been called the Ford Bravo, but it was Henry Ford II that insisted on the Fiesta name.
By 1980, Ford had sold one million Fiestas which increased to two million by 1982: establishing it as a one of a kind car.
Britain’s Love for The Small Car
The Ford Fiesta is the car you learned to love driving in. Many young people either learnt to drive in these brilliant cars or bought one as their first car. The Ford Fiesta was the top-selling model in the UK for 12 years in a row (from 2009 to 2020). Although beaten by the Corsa in 2021, the Fiesta stays in the top 10 best selling cars to this day. In September 2022, it was sixth best-selling of the year so far.
The Fiesta was not a big or extravagant car, but Britain loved it.
Why did Ford stop the Fiesta?
Ford have decided to focus on creating electric vehicles instead of production on the Fiesta. While the car has such popularity in the UK, its popularity has been decreasing across US and European markets. It makes sense that Ford have decided to retire the compact car.
Although no new Fiestas are going to be made as of next year, the model is still alive and kicking in the used car market. This car isn’t going to totally disappear for a while.
Fun Facts:
- The Ford Fiesta has appeared 4000 times in films.
- Idris Elba spent two years building Fiesta car parts before starting his acting career.
- The Fiesta could have been named the Ford Bravo or the Ford Bobcat.
- The most popular colour of Fiesta is black followed by silver then blue.
- One Fiesta is made every 86 seconds.