End of the Fiesta

[Jim H]

Despite being the most popular new car in Britain for many years, Ford have announced they are dropping the model from the line up next year after 46 years in production.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-63391466

 

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/ford/fiesta/359074/ford-fiesta-set-be-axed

 

 

Edited 25 October, 2022 by Jim H

[StevesTruck]

Love my VAG cars, but there's only been one make and model of car ever made, that there's never been a bad version of, and that was the Fiesta.

[J.R.]

"The Fiesta is Britain’s best-selling car ever having shifted nearly five million units over its 46-year lifespan so far. "

 

Working from my memories of when new cars were of interest to me the above sounded wrong, it turns out it was released in Europe in 1976 and the UK in 1977, I don't reckon there were many on the road until 1978 onwards.

 

A great vehicle but like all series vehicles it has grown to become a lardy caricature of its former self losing most of its attributes along the way.

 

I think back in those days the Nova was the real groundbreaker/gamechanger. The Micra also.

 

 

[AnnoyingPentium]

I've just took a screen grab of this as I think I summarised all this fairly well.

 

 

Not just driving instructors, but young people looking for their first or second cars, or just people looking for a simple small car.

 

TLDR? Ford are being a bit daft, IMO.

[KenONeill]

5 hours ago, StevesTruck said:

there's only been one make and model of car ever made, that there's never been a bad version of, and that was the Fiesta

"mk1 Popular 957"

[StevesTruck]

Was alright for what it was. I've had a 900cc MK1 polo, loved it, but the fiesta was a far better car technically 

[Ootohere]

The Low Compression engines Fiesta's were pretty common in 1976 / 77 when i was working on the petrol pumps when not prepping cars for delivery and those company car drivers were limited to what star of leaded petrol they could get on their 'Shell card'. 

 

First Registrations / Sales were high for Fiesta and Corsa as they have been now due to many being bought by Motability, and many more bought by Ford & Vauxhall and then sold used / pre reg, and leased / loaned out for maybe only a matter of months before being sold pre-loved.

 

Lots of Fiesta's into the UK were from the Channel Isles.  Supposedly 'Hire Cars', many came to Scotland still with the interior in Plastic & cars as new but 'Clocked up' because 'Delivery miles only would have had the Inland Revenue all over them.  

These sold at various places including the biggest car dealerships. Good value nearly new and on the never never. 

Edited 26 October, 2022 by roottoot

[Gaz]

5 hours ago, StevesTruck said:

Was alright for what it was...

 

I agree.  We had them as fleet cars when I worked in transport in the very early 1980's.  At the time, people who got Chevette's instead felt quite cheated.

 

Wifey had a 1.1L when we first met, then moved up to a 1.3S.  Both great cars for what they were.  We saw the 1.1 for a good 20+ years after we sold it.

 

Gaz

 

[PetrolDave]

I have to admit I went for a Metro instead of a Fiesta, after 2 Austin Metro's and 2 MG Metro Turbo's I vowed never to buy another Austin/Morris, Austin Rover Group (ARG) vehicle as the last one 'eat' 3 batteries and 2 exhausts in just over a year (all replaced under warranty but just too much hassle).

[AnnoyingPentium]

4 hours ago, PetrolDave said:

ARG

 

This is also the sound that a Rover owner makes when something has broken on their car.

[Jim H]

 

 

The Mail has a good article with a nostalgic look back.

 

 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11350555/Ford-Fiesta-set-axed-46-years-4-8million-sales-no-electric-model-works.html

[BJM]

In 50 odd years of driving the Motorways, highways and by-ways of this fair land one thing has always been conspicuous by its rarity, and that was the sight of a Fiesta outside of its natural home in a built up area.

And that explains why Ford are dropping it.

Without it being described as one, it was in reality a town use car, frequently a second car used for the school run, shopping etc. (yes I know that the one you had when you were 18 did 100,000 miles driving you all around the UK at an average of 68 mph.)

That niche (small size, short journeys, town use etc.) is now being filled by  by the new generation of small electric cars.

[Ootohere]

A basic car starting price is quite high.

Edited 26 October, 2022 by roottoot

[skomaz]

Personally I never liked the fiesta after the Mk2.  My mum had a 1990 mk3 1.1 LX from new and it was a bit of a boat, under powered with a wheezy engine and not a patch on the 1991 1.5 GLX Mitsubishi Colt that I bought new for the same money a year later.  In fact my dad was so impressed with the colt he bought a Lancer a couple of years later that was effectively a bigger colt with a larger liftback. 

 

I then had a mk4 diesel for work and the interior was naff and you needed ear defenders to drive it on the motorway it was that loud inside...   You got out after a long journey with your ears ringing. 

 

As for the latest mk 6 and mk7s they had a horrible interior and very poor rear visibility so we're, in my view inherently dangerous with far better options out there from other manufacturers...   And that's before you even get into the 1.0 ecoboost lack of reliability. 

[gumdrop]

I had and enjoyed Fiestas for years my top car was a 1.6 diesel Ghia  beautiful car!

 

[PetrolDave]

I always had a chuckle at how the rear silencer on the early XR2s just sort of hung in mid-air, just waiting for some corrosion and a large bump/pothole to make it snap off onto the road.

[Ootohere]

Ford might be dropping the Fiesta but Renault are updating the Clio and they will be hybrid only.

 

Not a Hot hatch but 145ps used to be and warm enough for UK speed limits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[EnterName]

Well hello front camera! This I like, assuming it is a front camera.

[ChoonDoode]

my first car was an N reg 1995 mk3.5 Fiesta Azura with a 1.1lt engine. It was my nan's old car which she'd given up for me.

 

Considering it only had about 50hp, it wasn't that slow. But I suppose when it doesn't have luxuries like power windows, AC, power steering and a passenger airbag  to weigh it down and you can understand why.

 

The vast majority of my friends either own one, have owned one or learned to drive in one. I understand small EV cars may be getting increasingly popular, but as has been said, you're stuffed unless you can charge them. Two of my friends live in terraced houses without a driveway, so home charging would be difficult and I know their workplaces don't have charging points. One of them used to lift in a flat, so albeit throwing an extension lead out the window to the car park, owning an EV there would have been a non starter.

[Ootohere]

Unless there are huge changes of mind by whatever UK government there will need to be hundreds of thousands of charging points going in at workplaces, on streets and many other places over the next decade as new ICE cars will not be getting sold in the UK in less than 8 years time.

There will still be millions on the roads though and ones being bought new up to 2030. 

No way do 60% of properties or properties that have residents with motor vehicles have off street parking.