The party's over... The Ford Fiesta Story
Вставка
- Опубліковано 25 жов 2022
- 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?
More about the "Secret Fords" books by Steve Saxty: www.stevesaxty.com/
Ford's own "Farewell Fiesta" video: • It’s Time to Say #Fare...
If you'd like to support what I do, and get early access to advert-free videos and exclusive channel updates, please consider supporting the channel from just $1 or 80p a month: / bigcar
Support me using PayPal: www.paypal.com/paypalme/bigcartv
Big Car merch: teespring.com/stores/bigcartv
Twitter: / bigcartv
My second channel - Little Car: / littlecar
Sources:
Steve Saxty - Secret Fords vol 1 & 2
ateupwithmotor.com/model-hist...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Fi...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Fi...)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Fi...)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Fi...)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Fi...)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Fi...)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Fi...)
www.motorbiscuit.com/the-best...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Es...)
amv-prod-aut.s3.amazonaws.com/...
testdrivejunkie.com/1978-fies...
www.projectbobcat.com/history/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Es...)
classiccars.fandom.com/wiki/F...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Fo...)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Gl...
www.topgear.com/car-reviews/f...
www.topgear.com/car-news/ford...
www.topgear.com/car-news/ford...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Fe...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_R...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Figo
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vignale
www.thedrive.com/news/12773/t...
www.thecarexpert.co.uk/ford-f...
www.express.co.uk/life-style/...
www.nbcnews.com/business/auto...
en.escuderia.com/ford-fiesta-...
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/fo...
#bigcar - Авто та транспорт
Three friends and I crashed a fiesta into a telegraph pole at about 30mph. The copper who came out to help us stood by the fiesta with a telegraph pole stuck in its front end, looked at all of us totally uninjured and said firmly , " Tough little cars these!"
my mate got rear ended by a long wheelbase van in one and it basically just crumpled a bit, it was still a write off but its amazing the damage wasnt worse as he was at a complete stop, all he had was a mild concussion.
@@johncoleman6927what difference does the wheel base make 😂
@@somervillearronmore weight I guess
@@somervillearron engineers can design a deeper crumple zone. Energy can only be mitigated by time-to-stop.
Absolutely crazy decision. It was only a few years ago when half the cars in the uk seemed to be a Fiesta
Not really, the future is EVs and large SUVs.
@@TriviaChallenge EVs are trash
Crossover SUV’s are hatchbacks on stilts. Lacking the handling on road capabilities of a hatch back and off road handling capabilities of a true 4x4 SUV they are the worst of both worlds.
@@oscarosullivan4513 Humans are CRAZY-- Else everybody would drive a COROLKA--Sedan 6 speed manual stick shift 1.8--Best Car in the WORLD !
This planet is no UK only
I currently have my 2014 Ford Fiesta Titanium and I love it to bits. Plan to have it as long as possible. Incredibly reliable. Comfortable. Good sound system. Decent power and looks modern even 8yrs later.
yes I drove one in 2016 (rental) was good
Same here
My first car was a UK Mk1 that was registered on my birthday date in 1980, it was in "Solar Gold". It was a 1.1L (UK spec). I absolutely loved that car and did huge amount of miles travelling between South Wales and South Somerset many years ago. I kitted it out with a Sharp sound system, a graphic eq and Pioneer speakers with an aftermarket centre console. After many years of driving various Vauxhalls (Astras, Novas, Vetras), my wife got a lease car from work and I inherited her 2009 Fiesta Titanium that we had ordered from new with a 1.6 petrol engine. I'm still driving it today with 160k on the clock and the 1.6 engine still zipps along. Fortunately my commute is now only around 10 miles a day rather than the 130 miles I was doing a few years ago.
I am now planning to buy one of the last new petrol examples before production is ended as the Fiesta has been so much part of my driving history.
Sad to see the demise of hatchbacks, saloons and their fast variants Crossover SUV’s are hatchbacks on. Lacking the handling on road capabilities of a hatch back and off road handling capabilities of a true 4x4 SUV they are the worst of both worlds.
RIP Fiesta. The Fiesta sedan carved out a reputation here in India for being a lovely sporty handler with great styling, continuing on from the ‘Josh (strength) machine’ Ford Ikon’s legacy. Sadly, the Fiesta was eventually discontinued due to low sales, and Ford left the Indian market in 2021. Unlike GM when they left India in 2017, Ford had gained quite a fan following among car enthusiasts for making solid products with excellent powertrains, and hence many were unhappy when they shut shop. Thanks for covering this iconic nameplate!
Oh get a grip! They still make them you wally so cut the amateur dramatics!
@@dommidavros2211 Well with the Fiesta set to end production soon as per most reports, I can understand why people are unhappy over its demise, especially considering its supposed replacement is the rumoured electric Ford Puma that probably won’t drive as well as the Fiesta, and comes in as yet another generic electric crossover.
I always thought the Fiesta sedan was the absolute ugliest car ever to be deisgned. And I mean it.
Dont worry theyll reuse the name for whatevers in fashion in 20 years
I never knew they made those as sedans. I always thought they were hatchbacks only.
RIP Fiesta. What a terrible business decision to retire it. A wonderful vehicle that's still a class leader to this day, and such a great nameplate, Fiesta. My first car was a 1985 Fiesta 1.1 Popular Plus mk2 with white disc hubcaps. I can still remember the no. plate B76 MPH.
Tbh being a teenager back then i hated it, it wasnt sporty or fast and it was brown (i wanted an XR2i but insurance was unaffordable), but looking back it gave freedom, awesome memories, met friends, lost my virginity in it, filled it full of subwoofers, had great roadtrips and went everywhere with it as petrol was 0.74p a Litre it was super cheap.
I would like to hear the story of how you lost your virginity in a Mk2. Fiesta. I dont care for the intimate details, more about the logistics of it , especially if it was more than a blowjob. I only sat in one once, and they're SO tiny!
My first car was a 1994 fiesta, great little box got me everywhere, such a shame thwy are getting rid of it
74p a Gallon not litre
Mark Prior memories! I have a similar story my first car was Mk 3 Escort 1.3 CVH, reg B392 FNP. Loved the car but lusted after the sports XR3i or RS Turbo. I loved the FiestaXR2 but like you say insurance was out of this world! Didn’t lose my virginity in it but I did “park and ride” in it a few times. After being cheap for a few months (a Walkman and speakers lol) I got a good stereo fitted speakers and it was transformed. I was always in the car I practically lived in it. Happy days 😊
@@anthonycrompton6922 the OP is most probably from the UK and certainly meant 74p a litre. Fuel prices are much higher when compared to the US
It's really amazing that in spite of how slow Ford was to make upgrades or even obviously needed competitive improvements, the buyers were waiting in a line for their next one!
The Ford dealership network was / is one of the most comprehensive and parts and servicing were normally cheap. In contrast I'm sure many people got caught out buying brands like Rover, Proton, and Daewoo which disappeared from the market.
@@MrDuncl But Rover (previously with a portfolio of brands like Austin, Morris, Triumph, and Wolseley before consolidating the name) were very common in the UK market, weren't they? You'd have thought Austin Rover (i.e., British Leyland) dealer network + Honda mechanicals would have been a market success. Now all that remains is BMW MINI and Jaguar Land Rover. Perhaps selling to BMW instead of Honda was a mistake by Austin Rover. 🤨
@@TassieLorenzo My point was that without a dealer network, parts and repairs become more difficult. It is very rare to see a Rover of any kind on the Road these days>
Yes , many people think that the sale to BMW was a mistake and that BMW was only interested in the Mini name and plans. The Rover 75 won European Car of the Year but was also an obvious competitor to the BMW 3 and 5 series.
Excellent summary of one of Ford's most popular cars. Now that Ford has ditched the Fiesta, I suspect its SE Asian/ AU/ NZ equivalent - the Mazda2 (which shares its platform with the 5th & 6th gen Fiesta) - is next on the chopping block. It's a pity that the Fiesta and small(ish), efficient superminis like it are disappearing because there are many who don't want/ can't afford SUVs or EVs.
Sad to see the demise of hatchbacks, saloons and their fast variants Crossover SUV’s are hatchbacks on. Lacking the handling on road capabilities of a hatch back and off road handling capabilities of a true 4x4 SUV they are the worst of both worlds.
Car market becomes SUV dump.
Car companies like Ford dumping affordable small cars like the Fiesta may regret it later on ,by dumping affordable small cars the Japanese European and South Korean car companies may have created gap in the market that the Chinese and Indian car companies could full.So small affordable cars may make a come back accept they likely to be Chinese and Indian brands .
17:38 the pre-facelift Mk4 Fiesta had such a sad face
A bit like the old Ford Anglia did, they had a really sad 'face'!
Loool 🤣😂🤣😂
So sad to see the Fiesta go. We thoroughly enjoyed ours from '15 to '18 with the 1.0 Ecoboost chipped to 145 bhp!
Ecoboom has put me off fords now been bitten by that the the stupid design of belt in oil breaks up and blocks the oil pickup eventually and its an expensive replacement job and the coolant issues had those too on mk3.5 focus ecoboost spent the money on a different car instead of forking out to fix it again only for it to break down again getting seemingly every common fault with that engine all at once put me off fords fix or repair daily with that car
@@sbrader97 The Ecoboost runs well when the oil is changed every 10000km with oil of the correct specification.
But this makes buying a used car a gamble. If it has been topped up only once with 250 ml of cheap oil
the engine is doomed.
@@Mnkskanal Meanwhile, it just means I can pick one up cheap, replace the belt, and be good to go.
@@benthurber5363 Replacing the wet timing belt is considered a non-trivial job on those 1.0L (as you know being in the trade)! 10-12 hours book time I believe (it's not like a simple timing belt job like on an old Civic D-Series or something). Apparently it's popular to do a conversion to the timing chain from the later 1.0L Ecoboost. Why not consider a nice Honda Civic instead? 😉 The 1.8L petrol 9th-gen Civic is extremely dependable AFAIK (it's a nice car and practical too)... They might hold their value more, but I guess that's for a reason (rust permitting). [I'm biased as I had a 1.8 9th gen, a nice runabout with lots of thoughtful features, before going dropping back to a 8th gen Civic Type R! I will say that the non-ST Fiestas are way sportier than a non-Type R Civic though. That seems to be the way Ford does it, which is quite different to the Japanese way of doing things where there is a much bigger difference before normal models and sporty models.]
@@benthurber5363 and check the filter of the oil pump
Thank you, little Fiesta, for all the driving fun and memories you gave us, like a loyal puppy you were always there, always eager to go and eager to please. You may be gone but you will never be forgotten. Rest in Peace my friend, we won't see the likes of you again.
(Thank you, Big Car, for a comprehensive epitaph to one of the best "people's car" ever made)
It's just not the same these days.
Troublesome (and expensive) Bosch alternator in the S.
Glad to report my step son has just bought himself his dream car, a 2018 plate Fiesta ST, and he loves it! The Fiesta lives on, long live the Fiesta!
Ah man, RIP The Ford Fiesta. I'm almost 50, and my first car for my 17th Birthday was a Mk1 Fiesta 950cc Popular. With a few rare diversions, I've always been a Ford man, and I have owned 6 Fiesta's over the years, incl. Mk1, Mk3 (2 of them), Mk4 (2 of them), and Mk7. I'm sure there'll be examples on the roads for a good few years yet, but it'll be sad not see another New Ford Fiesta.
Sad to see the demise of hatchbacks, saloons and their fast variants Crossover SUV’s are hatchbacks on. Lacking the handling on road capabilities of a hatch back and off road handling capabilities of a true 4x4 SUV they are the worst of both worlds.
Same age as you, and my first car was a Fiesta 1.1 wave 1993. I drove it for 17 years. His problem was having to change the oil frequently.
There is no one better than you to mark the end of an era for a brilliant little car!
As my failed hot cake business will attest, hot cakes don't really sell that well
I've always pictured hot cakes as cupcakes but I've just now learnt they're like thick American pancakes.
Almost as bad as my Muffin Top business.
All's fair in oven war.
@@DavidCurryFilms give peas a chance!!
24:30 We had a B-Max when our first child was born and we absolutely loved it! Sliding doors are so practical for getting a baby in and out of the car! We were gutted when it was cancelled.
They look cool.
My father always had a Fiesta from the early 1980s until 2000. I was driven home in a Fiesta after birth, I experienced my first holiday in a Fiesta, I experienced how my father pulled the choke swearing in the morning in winter and had a nylon stocking in the boot as a replacement for a broken fan belt and how scared I was at 130 kph on the motorway because the whole car shook and hummed. 😂
And then a few months ago I got a rental car paid for by the company because I had to go to a seminar. And I got a Ford Fiesta ST with 200 hp. I never had so much fun as on the (German) autobahn my whole life as with this car.
My Dad loved the first generation Fiesta after selling his Honda Z (which made even the Fiesta look big)
The Honda Z, N and S are adorably small.
The Ford Fiesta and Focus were very good sellers here in the US. They started to have a bad reputation with the many automatic transmission failures. Where I worked we had a fleet of Ford Focuses more than half had transmission failures.
In the U.K. stick shifts still outnumber automatics which until the advent of things like DSG weren't as economical. Also if you take your driving test in an Automatic, that is all you are allowed to drive while if you take your test in a stick shift you can drive any car. Therefore most driving schools use stick shifts.
@@MrDuncl Young people in North America are no longer interested in driving manual transmission. I drove manual transmission for much of my life and I moved to automatic transmission. You get better fuel economy, safer, smoother and faster gear shifting with modern automatic transmissions. Automatic transmission is safer if it is not the Fiesta type.
@@oldtechie6834 That is why, after four stick shift cars I now drive a VW with a DSG gearbox. The Government economy figures say it is more economical than a stick shift which saves me over £100 a year road tax.
@@oldtechie6834 While modern automatic transmissions have improved substantially some of them still lack the long turm durability that the average manual transmission has in a cheap models. And if your someone on a budget would you rather have a manual that you can just push start when you get a dead battery or even worse a bad starter. When I was young the starter failed in my first car. However I was able to still push start it for a week to go to work because I could not afford to get it fixed until my next paycheck.
I drove 2 that had the failures. If you learned how to drive the temper-mental trans, it could get you around for a while, but I'd never trust it with my life once it starts to show the issues. Felt like the car itself was trying to learn how to drive a manual.
Transmission problems in the 2011 generation Fiesta (and Ford Focus) in North America were actually never addressed. The automated dual clutch units tended to leak oil (input shaft I think) onto the clutch assembly producing shutter and eventually causing damage. Aside from dealerships, relatively few independent shops wanted to repair them because of an expensive jig that was required to reassemble the clutch pack into the transmission. I don't know how effective the revised input shaft seal was but the transmission issues remained one of the more common issues with the Fiesta in US and Canada.
Bahahah 30:42 loved that little Liz Truss reference! Truly loved the Fiesta because it was quirky enough, but still remained reliable
My mother had one of the earliest Fiestas in 1976. It was the absolute bottom base model, and even had the optional low compression engine with just 40Hp. Color was the dayglo green seen @ 5.28. I eventually inherited that car, and would thrash it flat out on the French Autoroutes driving between where I lived in London and my parents in Geneva.
"The optional low-compression model"? I guess your mother wanted to sit front seat row for next to nothing (who doesn't?) and never was in a hurry?
Sad to see the demise of hatchbacks, saloons and their fast variants Crossover SUV’s are hatchbacks on. Lacking the handling on road capabilities of a hatch back and off road handling capabilities of a true 4x4 SUV they are the worst of both worlds.
Sad to hear Fiesta ended production, although here in Indonesia only Mk6 (or Mk7?) model ever sold during 2010-15
Mk6
Yes in those parts (where automatic transmission is preferred), the combination of Powershift transmission and general lack of market support, killed the car off against the dominant rivals the Toyota Vios (Yaris sedan) and Honda Jazz. It just wasn't convenient to have a Fiesta -- whether that be because you have to take it in to get the Powershift repaired under warranty, or (once it is past the warranty) that you can't find auto parts for it everywhere & mechanics to work on it everywhere unlike with a Toyota or Honda.
I owned an xr2, 205 GTi, and 5 GT turbo as a young lad, and despite its power disadvantage, there was something about that glorious exhaust note that made the xr2 a joy to drive.
In '81 a young second hand bronze metallic Fiesta 1.3 Ghia was my first car. Drove it happily for 6 years, averaging over 25K km/year.
On one of the last holiday trips with it, driving from the Netherlands nearing the Costa Brava in Spain, the cooling system leaked, the engine consumed oil and started to overheat. One moment I feared it wanted to die, reaching its place of birth, Barcelona. I donated it a heart transplant and a second life.
You get these out so fast! Holy crow.
I'd been working on it for 3 weeks. Just coincidence.
@@BigCar2 I figured, just from the amount of research and editing alone
The FIAT 127 was not a hatchback when originally launched in 1971. It had a separate luggage compartment and a (rather small) bootlid. A hatchback variant with folding rear seats appeared a year later and both versions were produced from that point forward, though admittedly the hatchback was more popular than the booted version.
Dreadful gearchange. Like pushing a coin with a piece of wet spaghetti.
Rusted very quickly.
21:02 I never realised the 3 and 5 door versions had different body shapes until you pointed this out!!! Mind blowing
With the base model Fiesta pushing 20 grand this was the obvious result. The Fiesta had always been great value, but at recent prices it was going head to head with more prestigious options.
It's crazy isn't it. It was literally just 5 or 6 years ago you could get yourself a brand new ST for £18k! I know the price of everything has gone up but even within the context of inflation generally the price of new Ford vehicles has gone completely OTT so its no surprise people aren't buying anymore.
I was amazed to see a Vignale Fiesta in the local Ford dealer at over £29000. Almost a "go away" price.
@@MrDuncl 29k is more foxtrot oscar than a mere go away.
@@MrDuncl I wonder what that works out as per month on a PCP. Probably still quite a lot for a Fiesta!
Vauxhall COrsa is also 20k too. Small cars have become so big and high tech they are just unaffordable. Regulations and rules have destroyed the small car segment, EU rules make it harder for a ford Fiesta to meet emmissions standards than it is for a Ford Kuga. There is just no money in smallc cars for car makers anymore and they are not good value for customers.
Unexpected but brilliant video, with great timing.
Thanks for your hardwork.
It's hardly a shock that the Fiesta was so popular as they were truly great cars. My First car was a Fiesta and with the money from her brothers will, my wife bought a 1999 Mk 4 (I think) when it was 3 years old and we owned it for a decade. It was a fabulous car being reliable, dependable and great fun to drive having the 1.2 zetec engine. the last 3 MOT's were pricey so we sadly let it go but it remains her favourite car to this day and I really loved it too. I am gutted that they have ceased production but I reckon we will see them on the roads for many, many years to come. This was an excellent look at a British institution, thanks for your effort, hugely appreciated.
My mum had a mk2, an early mk3 and a late mk3 over the years. But now she has a Puma and I have to say as a 43 year old man now I LOVE it. It handles amazingly well, incredible amount of storage with it's 'sink' in the boot, lot's of power with 155bhp and it does 50mpg! Add to that it's quirky, distinctive good looks (my mums is in red with black trim) and I have to say it's probably the best small car money can buy in 2022.
My first car was a 1982 Y plate Fiesta Pop. I discovered just how little weight there was over the back axle when I had to slam on the brakes on a roundabout, and the rear wheels came up off the ground. It was most alarming!
Love all the Ford's car Story, thank you 👍
In Brasil we had the Fiesta pick up, made in 4th gen platform it was also called "Courier" and stayed in line, only recieving the facelift for 2000, from 1997 util it was killed in 2013! It more or less resemble the Bantam, but it looks way better, not like some adaptation.
In South Africa we had the Ford Courier too, but it wasn't based on the fiesta, I think it was a Mazda B series with a Ford 3L V6 and excellent suspension, my best friend had one and it was the car I learned to do burnouts, donuts and J turns in, and it was the car I learned to jump ramps in. We would load both our motocross bikes in the back with all our tools and Jerry cans and drive to remote locations and spend the day riding.
Yes, great little pickup
@@RachaelSA Ah, the Mazda B series, what we also know as the Ford Ranger.
@@computernerdinside We also got the Ranger after the Courier, I had the 1st generation one cause I was always borrowing my dads one to move my motorbikes and other things around, and he told my to just keep it and then he got a little Nissan pick up, which I really liked, but you couldnt fit a superbike in with out the tailgate hanging open at the back.
The UK Fiesta Courier was a van with a square box body!
I'm from South Africa... You still see old 'Bantams' everywhere and they have a great reputation. One of my friends has one with over 600000kms, most of which were spent on rural gravel roads. My partner has the latest and last Fiesta. Also a great little car.
Where are you from? I don't see many Bantams or any old cars anymore matter of fact here in Durban. Everyone has gone new Hyundai, Kia, VW or Toyota 😂.
@@rayixon7890 No watch the video. The "Bantam" was a small pick up truck (utility vehicle) in South Africa developed from the Fiesta (and Mk 3 Escort) platform
@@SherwinR89 Not sure about Durban but there are still plenty of them around in Cape Town.
Sad to see the demise of hatchbacks, saloons and their fast variants Crossover SUV’s are hatchbacks on. Lacking the handling on road capabilities of a hatch back and off road handling capabilities of a true 4x4 SUV they are the worst of both worlds.
@@oscarosullivan4513 yes they are terrible. I hate them. Like Hyundai Venue, Renault Kiger, Kia Sonet and some VW I can't remember the name of. Not sure where are you from but we have those here in South Africa. They're all just raised hatchbacks and not SUVs 😂 😒
In the late 90s through to the mid 2000s whenever I needed a dirt cheap car I knew I could rely on I just bought the cheapest mk2 Fiesta I could find in a twenty mile radius from eBay. I never had to spend more than £150 on a MOTd example - once I secured one for £65 - and as I used to get free oil I’d give them a service and they would always be reliable for however long I needed them for. Great cars.
A maternal aunt of mine has a Fiesta Steel from the mid to late 2000’s with sunroof. Good car.
The days of cheap run about cars are over.
@@gravemind6536 Sadly
@@oscarosullivan4513 It is sad and there are many things that have killed it and its mostly governments that are to blame but its exactly what they want.
@@gravemind6536 Declining birth rates means the days of a endless supply of new customers is gone.
In Germany the 3rd generation Fiesta was launched by mounting a gold-painted one with gold wings on top of Cologne cathedral.
Sad really, I'm in my late 40s now and I think most people my age have had a Fiesta at some point in their lives.
I had a mk2 Fiesta year's ago I bought for just £65 but it went well and was economical.
I've moved on to bigger and much better car's now but I'll miss the little Fiesta.
Indeed. It really is the end of an era. My first car was a mk2 1.6 Diesel. Super reliable, still kind of peppy, carried me and 3 girls from Germany to the north end of Scotland and back at age 20 (best holiday ever).
And your little Fiesta misses you
That much for a car!?!?!
Here in the U.S. Fiestas were just affordable transportation that was sold for a brief period in the 80's then replace by the better selling and bigger Escort. Then by 2011 it was brought back untill 2019. It sold a little better but not enough to keep it around. However the Fiesta ST model was highly praised by car enthusiast some so that several car reviewers would end up buying one because they enjoyed them so much.
Here in the U.S. Fiestas were just affordable transportation that was sold for a brief period in the 80's then replace by the better selling and bigger Escort. Then by 2011 it was brought back untill 2019. It sold a little better but not enough to keep it around for another generation. However the Fiesta ST model was highly praised by car enthusiast. Several car reviewers that tested it would end up buying one of their own because they enjoyed driving them so much.
My first car was my fathers hand me down 1979 Fiesta here in the US. I sold it 10 years later with 189,000 miles on it. I had stripped all the emissions gear off the engine by that point - it could really move. Loved that car.
A great video on the history of Fiesta, thank you. My first car was a Mk1 957cc Popular.....as basic as they came, but it was my first taste of freedom and I loved it. So much so that when looking for a first car for my daughter las t year, the Fiesta was my first choice for her. Her Mk5 feels like a luxury car compared to my old Mk1, but it's still a great car to drive. RIP Fiesta, you will definitely be missed :(
Sad to see the demise of hatchbacks, saloons and their fast variants Crossover SUV’s are hatchbacks on. Lacking the handling on road capabilities of a hatch back and off road handling capabilities of a true 4x4 SUV they are the worst of both worlds.
Did it have the foot button window wash that was funny
I like the look of that Indian 'Fiesta Classic' (25.30)
Erratum: CVT stands for "Continually Variable Transmission".
My mum had a fiesta with CVT, god it was awful to drive, put me off CVT for life lol
I'm absolutely gutted tbh
Being an avid ford lover
I just can't see why they would pull the plug on let's face it
A car or a name at least that has been with us for 40 years
The fiesta was the go to car for a lot of people/familys back in the day & mostly for all of the following reasons
Economy
Practicality
Reliability
Cheap to repair etc
There will never be another little car like the fiesta
R.I.P fiesta 😢😢😢
I’ve had a 06 and 60 plate Fiesta and they have always been my absolute favourite cars. I had such love for my 06 particularly and regret ever getting rid of it. I’d love a new model one day.
Learnt to drive in a Fiesta mk3... hated it. First car I bought was a Clio mk1... loved it!
I came to this Ford 'party' for the 5th generation and then had two of the 6th generation starting with their Titanium trim model then ditching it to get the ST when it became available.
I have been really impressed by all the Fiestas I have owned by just how great their handling is when you push them to the limit and far beyond
You reminded me that the US racing organizations NASA and SCCA had banned the 2011-2019 Fiesta from being able to race in all events with the exception of the ST model because of the high roll over risks.
A maternal aunt of mine has a Fiesta Steel from the mid to late 2000’s with sunroof. Good car.
My father bought a new 1979 Fiesta Ghia. He loved that little car. In fact, I learned to drive a manual trans with his car. The clutch was light but a little touchy. The finicky clutch taught me how to drive ANY manual trans. Still miss that car to this day...light weight and decent handling made this car fun to drive.
A maternal aunt of mine has a Fiesta Steel from the mid to late 2000’s with sunroof. Good car.
So sad to see the Fiesta go (and equally sad to see Ford quit the Indian market as well). I learned how to drive in a Ford Ikon 1.3 and I absolutely loved every bit of it. The looks, the interiors, the relative performance and handling. The brakes were terribly wooden and the electricals were shoddy towards its end of life.
Sad to see the demise of hatchbacks, saloons and their fast variants Crossover SUV’s are hatchbacks on. Lacking the handling on road capabilities of a hatch back and off road handling capabilities of a true 4x4 SUV they are the worst of both worlds.
i had a 1980 us-model fiesta with the 1.6 liter engine. the biggest problem with the us versions was due to the emissions controls that were added but not fully perfected or tested, so overheating was a very common problem. on mine, i removed the catalytic converter, installed a better weber carburetor, built a custom exhaust header with 2 inch piping and a high flow muffler and it turned into a little rocket ship. it was extremely quick, top speed was limited by the 4-speed gearing but it was great for zipping around in parking lots and city streets. unfortunately we only had them here for 4 years and it's replacement, the us-version of the escort was a big pile of garbage for it's first 5 years of production.
I had a 1978 US Fiesta. It was a fun car, the first car I had any kind of passion for, but it was trouble-prone, far more than any of my Japanese cars. I had to replace both half-shafts and the cylinder head. The interior plastic door handles frequently broke off. For a while, it suffered overheating problems, and the speedometer cable broke. Still, I did drive the hell out of it. It was orange, and I called it the Tangerine.
A maternal aunt of mine has a Fiesta Steel from the mid to late 2000’s with sunroof. Good car.
I used to drive a Bantum bakkie, I always thought it was based on the Ford Laser / Tracer. Mazda had the Midge / 323, and the bakkie was the Rustler.
I had one of the first Fiestas off the boat in 1977. I drove it until 1991; as a cyclist I didn’t put a lot of miles on it. Initially there was a problem with the carburetion, Webbers as I recall. These were sorted out, but my Fiesta never got the advertised mileage. The biggest problem was water pumps; it was replaced three times. I gave it to my kids in 91. Subsequently they sold it and I would see it around town until almost the end of the millennium.
Had a 1987 XR2, traded it in six years later, 158,000 miles, running sweet as new, still with complete original exhaust system under the car. Loved every mile in it. Decades and many cars later, have discovered it again in the Sportka. Driver's cars !!
Great story about a great little car!
You never mentioned one of the most sought after Mk1 Fiestas, the 1980 Supersport. The forerunner to the XR2.
@@randommute100 yes. They were something else at the time. Fetch big money now. Only 3000 were made.
A bit like fords version of peugeots 205 ralley.
Only fiesta I've never been in or seen.
My old man had a mk3 escort 1.3s though that was a car I've still never seen again it had similar stripes as the mk3 rs 1600 on the bonnet.
Tinny stripped out hard to find bits in navy blue he still goes on about it.
??
@@zedfender9423 was he in the Army?
@@raftonpounder6696 he wasn't in the army but maybe he bought it off some one in the army.
@@zedfender9423 I wonder if it came from Northern Ireland?
MK3 Fiesta RS turbo was mentioned a few times but there was no image for it. The dark blue Fiesta image was actually a later XR2i with the 105 HP Zetec engine. The RS was distinguished by its 3 spoke alloys and green piping around the front and rear bumpers, and of course the two bonnet vents. The best balanced Fiesta and therefore the most fun was the Zetec S circa 2001. Absolute blast of a car.
14:43
Ich habe einen Fiesta 1.25 mit 82 PS von 2015.4 Zylinder..
Ein super Auto. Noch nie was kaputt gegangen.
Sehr halbarer Motor.Immer noch modernes Design.
Ein oft sehr unterschätztes Auto.
Das sehe ich ganz genauso 😊
I got a 2013 1.0 ecoboost as my first proper car and it's a blast to drive. Only the 100hp version but compared to what I'm used to driving it's fast haha
Great production, as always. The Australian one was always going to be an XR4, as the XR6 and XR8 were in long use on the Falcon model with the digit indicating the number of cylinders. We only got them from the fifth generation after Ford Australia mainly looked to Mazda for small cars following the second-gen Escort and the Cortina.
That makes much more sense.
@@BigCar2 The Focus ST was also given the 'XR' treatment in Australia, as did the Mondeo. The sporty Focus was marketed as the Focus XR5 and the Mondeo as the XR5T (Turbo). At the time, we had the Fiesta XR4, Focus XR5, Mondeo XR5T, Falcon XR6, Falcon XR6T and Falcon XR8, all being sold by Ford Australia.
Still confusing as the XR4i was a high performance 2 door Sierra here in the U.K.
@@MrDuncl No Sierra in Australia, only on the racetrack in Group A in the Australian Touring Car Championship. As you know the rulemakers plotted to abandon Group A, kick out Nissan and BMW, and come up with the local 5L pushrod V8 category for Falcons and Commodores instead of adopting the multi-make 2L regulations that the British Touring Car Championship went to with great success.
Sad to see the demise of hatchbacks, saloons and their fast variants Crossover SUV’s are hatchbacks on. Lacking the handling on road capabilities of a hatch back and off road handling capabilities of a true 4x4 SUV they are the worst of both worlds.
Thankyou for that Mr Big, This is a video of a car that I’ve been waiting for for a while now.
I guess there had to be a day eventually when Ford decided to end production of this icon of British Roads, it’s a car you couldn’t miss at one time, a very popular car indeed.
A generation or two have learnt to drive and passed their test in a Fiesta of some mk or other, I’ve owned 2 mk4’s myself and aside from the corrosion issues they were reliable and great cars.
It’s sad to see that Fiesta name go but I guess times and the market are changing, companies can’t afford to continue producing a car with falling sales.
Love this model. Honestly though I feel Ka had more fiesta spirit in it now than the last couple of actual fiesta models
First the Mondeo, then the Fiesta... is nothing sacred? I wish they'd discontinue all crossovers
Always loved Ford’s radical decision to have the ignition keys interchangeable between different cars. It meant you could walk down any street and just jump into the first Ford you came across. It’s what made it so popular with teenagers in the early 90s and you could regularly see them being driven on the limit around many a council estate.
My old man fell victim to this "radical decision" he got his escort back about 3 days later; obviously utterly caned to within an inch of it's life!! The cracked radiator ended its reign and took most of the engine along for the ride, when combined with faulty thermostat (classic Ford problem, am I right?) 😉
Many cars were like that in the 1970s, i think they only had a handful of different key variations! Failing that, any key shaped bit of metal often worked as well!
I remember doing this with the key on my ford focus, I had read that you could lock the doors with any ford key, so I tried my wife's key from her focus and locked my door with it. It was such a great experiment that backfired on me as I had the engine on my own focus running and no way to get in! It turned out you could not unlock the car with another ford key!
Excellent tribute, I went off the fiesta from the 4th generation but still always fond. Long live Fiesta x
Owned five various models over the years . Currently on my Sixth which is a mk 7 . Got to admit its the best one out of all of them . Intend holding onto it for a few more years .
The development processes that took place, together with projecting future trends is fascinating. Using Fiat parts, again fascinating and brilliant in order to get a development mule up and running……….superbly explained 👍
Great little car! The Ford Ka and Fiesta are great vehicles. Sadly we didn't have any XR versions in Brazil. Only the Escort and Ka had.
And we had a Pickup version called Courier.
Merci beaucoup pour ce documentaire très complet ! The handling of lasts Fiesta and the talent of ecoboost engines surprised me compared to the first generation ! 👍🙏
I drove a mk7 hired from devon to London. The steering feel was great and handled lovely on the right road however I found limitations to the chassis on crests and dips the car didn’t settle quickly enough. Regarding this was an almost new car which the press made out to be the best car ever. I didn’t find that myself, headlights were dim, seats not so comfortable on a long journey, affected by cross winds badly. After getting back I was so happy to get back into a 2002 Renault Megane with high mileage lol
A maternal aunt of mine has a Fiesta Steel from the mid to late 2000’s with sunroof. Good car.
One of the very few Ford's like I've liked. Very sad to see it go.
I recall my teacher having one way back when it was first released.
I think we need to launch a petition to save the name!! What a terrible business decision by Ford, although it will probably increase sales of the last remaining models being produced, how about being the owner of the last one ever built!
@@RichieReportsUK Knowing Ford they would probably "save" the name by putting it on some kind of SUV, like they did with the Puma name!
@@TassieLorenzo Yea, for sure. I fully expect to see the names Escort, Cortina and Capri resurrected at some point in the near future.
Brilliant documentary, as always! My first car was a beige, ‘R’ reg 1977 Fiesta 1.1L which I bought in 1989 to learn in (aged 17). Brilliant little thing which I kept for three years before ‘upgrading’ to a 1982 Y reg Vauxhall Cavalier L in China Blue. Happy days 😂
I love how much research you put into your videos. I could go out today and buy every fiesta book available and I still wouldn’t have half the information that’s in your video. Thank you for your dedication.
That’s thanks to Steve Saxty and his books. Excellent!
A great vid again. I love it how much research you do on fairly common cars and I think all your vids will still be watched in years and years to come.
I believe Ford have made a huge mistake here, dropping their longest running & best selling Fiesta car.
Although the current Fiesta looks worlds away from the original design, (it's basically a slightly smaller Focus now) its the history of the name itself that was the selling point. Why not just keep using the name for their upcoming smaller electric range??
I remember there was a lot of backlash In the 1980s, when Ford dropped the Cortina name, after over 20 years.
Terriffic video, legendary car. I ran a mk 2 up a bank on the side of the road, managed to correct it and get back on the road. Fixed the spot light and mum never noticed the scrapes on the underside. Loved to fly around country lanes in it.
You are a true car-geek, but I find your presentations top-notch and fascinating, especially when you make dull cars seem so interesting. I owned a Ford Fiesta for 24 hours. After buying it (and regretting it), I returned it to the dealer and got my trade-in car back and considered myself lucky. Since it was a Capri II with a sweet 2.3 engine that pulled like an Ox, I vowed to appreciate it until the engine finally blew out 2 years later. After that, I settled for a Honda CRX and was sold on Japanese genius.... until I bought my first VW GTI Mk6!!!!!! As far as performance hot-hatches go, it was the best 'sportish-car' I ever owned beating out the Mk7.5 I owned a few years later easily.
My wife had a little 1.1 Fiesta in 1997 and it would hammer up and down the motorway at 85 all day loaded up with us and crap. The big hill outside Exeter going south on the M5 caused it a bit of trouble but all good as long as you got a good run up!
Thank you - as watchable and informative as your videos consistently are! We are the proud owners of a year 2000 Mk IV which has covered nearly 300K miles. Tatty now but it STILL drives beautifully. We can therefore testify as to how great these little cars are.
I drove 2 US market Fiestas, both used cars I was considering buying, over 30 years apart. The first was a lovely orange 4 speed 1st generation that I found quite entertaining and still regret not buying. The second was a 5 speed 6th generation that was quite nice to drive, but the hot mess of tiny buttons on the instrument panel was a deal breaker. Sad to see the demise of the marque, but as they say, all good things must end.
I'm in the US. My first car that I owned was a used 1978 Fiesta 4-speed that I got in 1984. It's the car I learned how to drive a stick shift on. No frills, but what a great little car! Super mileage (40 mpg), very reliable, easy to work in and so fun and perky to drive. I really loved that little car. Replaced it with a new 1988 Honda Civic, also a 4-speed... had it for 245,000 miles. I still get warm and fuzzy over both cars and would still love that format.
A maternal aunt of mine has a Fiesta Steel from the mid to late 2000’s with sunroof. Good car.
I had a 78 ford Fiesta for a college car. I bought it used for $500 in 84. Went through an alternator every year because it was mounted really low, and was getting sprayed by water and salt from front tire. Also tiny radiator, was prone to overheated, I had to take thermostat out in summer to get better fluid flow and put it back in winter for heat. Also, door handles rusted out in inside and I had coat hanger hanging out the door handles, and even rear hatch. Back in the day, most kids did not have cars, so I would load up 6 and go to parties. Had a short friend that sat on emergency brake and shift. It was a lot of fun, but was always fixing it.
Fascinating presentation on a great car that actually we Americans we fortunate enough to get in the first and alas last generations....What I find most interesting in this presentation is the cooperation between the home office in Dearborn, along with the units in Dagenham and Cologne. GM did not seem to have this synchonicity with Vauxhall and Opel, had consistent losses in many years, and then sold off to what is now Stellantis. But as Henry Ford II liked to remind Lee Iaacocca, "My name is on the building.", but it was also on Ford cars sold throughout the world, so there was a personal pride and stake in the success of each model for him. Considering how he liked the big cushy cars of the 1970s, he also liked the sporting small cars sold in Europe. An interesting man indeed.
I love this channel. I left the UK in 2001 and so I lost all touch with the cars that changed since then and this way I get to see what happened over there.
Where do you live now
A maternal aunt of mine has a Fiesta Steel from the mid to late 2000’s with sunroof. Good car.
Actually i think it is a good decision. I had the opportunity to drive 2012 Fiesta for 6 months last year. Some of plastic elements inside just fell off. Always felt exausted when driving Fiesta on longer trips (30 minutes + driving time). Other superminis like Polo are just so much better to drive.
Thanks for a very thorough Fiesta story….
Being a Ford employee who worked in Dunton 1996-2006, and Ford of Australia 2007 until today…it’s very sad to see the end of the Fiesta but on a positive note I managed to just get a 100km marketing Fiesta ST and plan to hang onto it…..
Ford has seriously changed and is so focused on the American Ford business model, hopefully it won’t be the end of Ford of Europe and other Ford outposts which are not in the USA….. luckily Ford of Australia developed Ranger so we seem to be safe for now….but make the success of the Ranger and it’s huge profit margins are part of the reason why the car variants are being killed…. I’m just an engineer so what would I know….
The second stick shift car that I drove was a fiesta, while the first one was a focus. I have had memories with fiestas from a young age, so it's really sad they are stopping it.
The death of the fiesta is the car equivalent of the death of the queen
@*Uncle Shrimp On The Barbie* I didn’t know you Aussies didn’t like the queen
Always loved the Fiesta. My dad bought a 2010 mk6 (or mk7 depending on who you ask) Fiesta Econetic after I coaxed him into test driving one. (Especially as I really liked the styling on the verver concept) 12 years on the Fiesta is still doing quite nicely and with only a couple of smaller issues throughout the years.
As first car I on the other hand bought a 2007 mk5 (or mk6.5) Fiesta diesel. I found it to be a very fun, practical and economical car to drive, although a bit sluggish with the Peugeot diesel engine.
Had it for 7 years and absolutely loved it. Replaced it with a mk3.5 Focus, as I wanted a bigger car with a bit more power. My cousing still drives my old Fiesta and is getting along with it quite nicely. If she's ever to get rid of it I'll try to buy it back.
Sad to see the Fiesta go. In my opinion a bad decision, but a decision that most likely all manufacturers will make in the next generation of cars.
Baby Boomers still remain the largest part of the car buying public and manufacturers mainly provide cars to their liking. Being it coupes in the '70's, Hatchbacks in the '80's, bigger estate cars in the '90's, MPV's in the '00 and now SUV / Cross overs in the '10-'20's. Next to that rising cost on making everything electric, and much needed extra space for the batteries, tend to make small cars both expensive and have quite short ranges.
A maternal aunt of mine has a Fiesta Steel from the mid to late 2000’s with sunroof. Good car.
Still remember being a kid at the local Ford dealership, I was with my grandpa and they gave me some depliants meant for kids with small Ford Fiestas to crop and make 3d paper models. It was maybe 1979 or 1980. I’ve never owned a Fiesta but my fiance (now wife) had one when we first met, still remember our drive on our first date, stereo was playing her favourite chinese singer Jay Chou. Silly being nostalgic for a car I never owned…
gotta say I never owned one (well I had a puma 1.7) or had an attachment, my dad has had several, but when I saw that last advert saying goodbye I got genuinely teary. What a lovely send off.
All the small hatchbacks will go this way, the point of them was always to be cheap, simple transport but fiestas start at nearly 19 grand and can be specced to around 30. For the same or slightly more money, you may as well have something larger
Sadly, I think it's the end of "normal" hatchbacks (when it comes to new cars, anyway). All people seem to want nowadays are tall, boxy SUVs.
Definitely! Everyone wants to be higher up, to have that "off road feel " incase they need to drive through a few big puddles, to feel "safer " a.k.a wanting to be bigger than the cars beside you to make you feel less of a peasant. A load of rubbish if you ask me. I'll keep my fiesta's thank you!
@@tg92277 not me at all. I like the smaller car. Its only me after all.
My first car was the 2001 mk1 Ka and if only Ford built it to last, it wouldn't have been scrapped and carried on its go kart like life. My 2nd and current car is a 2005 206. Love it too but its looking tired and dated. Next car, shall hopefully be a Reanult Clio, 2013-15 model.
Small cars all the way. Even my mum in her 55 years, hasn't owned an SUV type car. Although my colleague left her 207 Pug behind for the new Kuga, courtesy of her son, cause she was struggling to get in and out. She's in her 60s now.
Bruh I bought my fiesta st with 3k miles for 18k
I paid about £12k for my mark 7 back in 2011, and went to the Malvern autumn show last month and they had a mid range fiesta on special offer but they wanted £24k. Ouch. I've still got my 2011 fiesta, it still looks smart, and working from home now spending a lot on a newer car is not a priority at the moment. It's mot time next week, so we'll see if I'm still as pleased with the car then!
83 horsepower in the XR2. 😂😂😂
One tends to forget that 100 horsepower, 0-60 in under 10 seconds and a top speed of 100 mp/h once used to be unobtainable, crazy, insane performance figures that only "real" men with hairy chests could handle.
Lol is true
96bhp in the MK2 - they kept the power low so as not to overshadow the xr3i...
Fond memories of J65 PVU.
Sadly remember the off hand sales guy trying (and failing to flog a warranty) and it crying out for an extra gear...
My second car was a mk2 model. After a year I had it converted to a cabriolet! It sprouted a boot and a tent-like roof but it was fun to drive 'top-down'.
I drove it for 3 more years, when I traded it for a Fiat barchetta, which is to this day still my daily driver.
Excellent video Sir, my dad's first Ford was a mark 2 Fiesta back in 1987, then it was a period of escorts before coming back to the fiesta in 2004 with a succession of 3 fiestas till 2014. I do hope maybe they can revive the name in the future for a new electric model.
A maternal aunt of mine has a Fiesta Steel from the mid to late 2000’s with sunroof. Good car.
Having heard this news today, I must say it did something to me. Though I eventually never had one, like so many people I've seen quite a few drive by in my family and social circles and also got to experience quite a few of them. Being born 2 years after the first fiësta, it was also a car that was always around and I've seen pretty much any generation of it in big numbers on the road. That being said, I thought the last generation was a bit of a missed opportunity, as it didn't surprise me as much as its predecessors when new and its mid-cycle facelift last year was also a bit underwhelming at least. Then again, I still hear they're fun cars to drive in.
But yeah, end of an era and we likely will have that experience a few times in the coming years as I understood the electric Renault 5 will succeed the clio and the coming smaller VW will most likely also not be a polo anymore. That is, if they still bother with a B-segment-car, because after A-segment, the future of that category seems more and more doomed. Welcome, higher profit margins for European car makers, welcome Chinese and Korean cars for people with smaller budgets ... and bye bye, character and identity in attainable cars. It will make the changeover to cycling more appealing, that's for sure ...
It is genuinely very sad. I felt the same when the Mondeo got phased out a few years ago and The Grand Tour's funeral episode was genuinely quite moving.
I was born in 1987 into a world where everyone had Fiestas and Escorts, then into the 1990s when those cars had evolved and I noticed the sumptumous Scorpio and Granada. I remember seeing on TV Prince Philip and senior politicians using those cars and wanted one when I was older. That type of car was a huge part of peoples' lives back then, in an era where cars had soul and were genuinely exciting.
A family friend of ours had a 1989 Escort XR3i, a friend of mine had a 1995 Escort (N reg), another friend of mine had a 1999 W reg Fiesta his dad bought for him and his brothers to learn in. The fun me and my mates had with those cars once tests were passed cannot be beaten. At university a friend of mine knew someone in his hometown who had set up a camcorder in his Cossie Escort and absolutely tore it up on camera, the police wanted to trace him but failed. It's just not the same these days.
The Fiesta will no doubt be replaced with some boring, fully electric Kuga-cum-Puma-esque SUV crossover snoozefest. And you bet the Focus will be gone by the end of the decade.
Ford seem to be in this habit of just killing stuff off because of its age and the fact that the model has been around for a while. There's just no need - these cars were popular for a reason and people are genuinely very sad to see those go.
The third gen was my first car back in the 90s. A black 1.8l Diesel and it brought all over Europe with decent gas mileage and very good reliability. Good night Fiesta - you served me way more than well back then.
I had a 78 MK1 which was a wonderful vehicle. Not perfect but unique and did everything well. I absolutely loved it. Sold it and bought a fancy GLC wh8ch was never half the car the Fiesta was.
7:40 a story on hatchbacks turned vans I think will be interesting. I am intrigued to know if it's just a regular body panels without the hole for the window cut out. Why there wasn't 5 door hatchbacks turned vans is another question I have.
I would think the 3-door would make a better van solution as the front doors are wider, so more convenient. Thanks for the suggestion.
Most were for carrying small items like telephones, wires and tools. You could start way before hatchbacks with vans like the Morris Minor, Mini (which a college friend had) and Bedford HB (which they had a fleet of at work).
With a good story to tell this big car video seems to be the best video yet from this source with lots of brilliant clips throughout and with the narrator's polished relaxed informative style put to good use in what is an epic story. I have never owned a Ford or driven a Fiesta of any sort but such is the content of this video I am sure I have missed out. I no longer drive but back in the day, my choice for better or worse was the Renault 5 three times and Austin/ Rover Metro/100 4 times. But I wonder if Ford is making a strategic error in the killing off of such a popular and much-loved car? while it still sells?
Ford are killing off all their cars (apart from the Mustang). It seems that SUVs are more profitable!
My first new car (bought with my own money) was a '78 Fiesta S for $4748 USD. Owned 5 years, driven all over the western states. Bulletproof. With just me, would hit 100 mph. 35 mpg, never had to replace the clutch, ( but several front brake rotors for the 12" wheels). Fully reclining front seat backs (put to good use). The 1600cc English Dagenham mill was flawless. 2 bbl progressive carburetor. Assembled with German precision.
so glad you covered this Big Car.
well worth a watch.