What some today don't realize is that this car was totally futuristic in the 90s. Sitting here in America I would read the praises lavished on it by CAR magazine and I finally got to see one in person on a visit to Europe in 1996. It was beautiful. The fenders, especially the ones that were dark colored, were a gutsy design element. The entire car was a design masterpiece. It's a shame not a single one saw an American road.
It was about as futuristic as the Bond Bug. I get what you're saying, it's the exterior design aesthetics which work very well. But that's where it ends. Everything underneath was a rehash of old stuff. Very old stuff! But if it works why break it?
@@DarwinionI'm glad you get what I mean because I mentioned the design twice in my comment. Never once did I refer to the underpinnings. The masses that buy little economy cars usually purchase based on design. This and the Ford Puma's design were legions ahead of any Ford product being produced in the US at the time. The Focus had yet to be introduced. I believe it was called Ford's New Edge styling which was quite radical at the time. And often called futuristic by the motoring press.
It wasn’t a bad car. A friend was in a horrific accident with a drunk driver doing 40 through a 30mph village one night. His sternum was broken. His trainers were shredded from the pedals and they needed to cut off his jeans. The drunk driver in a mk3 black golf gti, no lights at about 1am, cut across my friend. He can remember the bang of the battery exploding, the CD flying out of the player over his left shoulder and also the cars spinning around, door to door. He wanted to get back in the seat and I test drove cars for him, one from a Citroen dealership in Newport (south wales). He couldn’t drive due to sternum. So we went out on the industrial estate, I did a three point term and we noticed we were right next to a breakers yard. Somehow that very KA was there, at a height you could see for yourself. She had sine wave ripples on the roof toward the rear of the car, and the Ford badge had dropped off. At the front, she appears to have performed well. The fire department remarked the car handles the impact from the bigger car well, partly as she was sat so well with a low centre of gravity that hugged the road. If he’d have been driving a mk 3 fiesta, I’m certain he would have been killed. So, I’m a Honda and Toyota man - but hats off to Ford, that’s one life you’ve saved to try and offset all those who were wiped out by Ford Pinto rear impacts!!!
From my German point of view I remember that differently... the Ford Ka was considered on of the ugliest cars around especially with the unpainted bumpers, which faded after the first year... it was a very popular car though and for some reason a lot of older people bought it.
Most cars are futuristic at release, digital dashboards, the cord, tucker, Chrysler airflow, dart, valiant, new yorker, tornado, taurus, tesla and many more
In Feb 2022 I bought a 2006 Ford Ka 1 owner with 6,000 miles on the clock hardly used. From about 2003 the Mk1 Ka used a better more modern engine called a duratec that is 8v chain drive SOHC which is more refined than the earlier models.
Ian, just want to say, I've really been struggling these last couple of weeks with anxiety and watching your videos has really been helping chill me out and escape from life a bit at night. Thanks to you and the family Hubnut, and keep up the great work.
Wow you managed to find a Ka that hasn’t rotted to oblivion. I’m impressed. Nice design as well. They seemed much less fusty than the Fiesta when they launched.
I had one about 10 years ago, 02 plate. Went for its first MOT and was advised to scrap it as the chassis was completely rotten and too far gone to save. Dreadful cars
@@davidw4639 one of the lads on the metro forum, his Mrs had one on a 04 plate, and he said its getting scrapped, due to how badly rotten it was. The car was not even 10 years old.
I’ve got a 1998 red and black Ka, done just 102,000km, I drive it everywhere, love it, apart from the turning circle which is ridiculously big for such a small car. No rust problems, runs great. But then I live in a better climate in the south of France.
I once drove a Ford Ka as a courtesy car (this was in the late 1990s) when one of our company vehicles was in for service or repair. I drove it from Bury to Preston and back (60 miles round trip). The car itself was OK to drive, but upon my return I ended up with a lot of back pain, as the seat was thin and offered little support. As a result, it was a car I'd never have considered buying.
After my mother's Fiat Seicento was rear ended and subsequently written off by a truck, she wanted to buy a blue Seicento, but Fiat didn't sell that colour anymore. She went to Ford and bought a new Ka exactly as in this video! Eventually the Ka was part exhanged for a Mk2 Ka which she is still driving to date. The Mk2 Ka is based on Fiat 500 mechanicals so in a way she's back driving a Fiat.
same here, I loved my Ka, my Dad currently drives it. It has a little bit of rust but we will fix it. If I had an option (and didn't need a larger car), I would definitely buy it again.
I bought my daughter's Ka when she got married and started planning a family, which led her to swap to a 5 door Astra. I loved it. Never failed to start, took me wherever I wanted to go and back again in comfort, and happily cruised on any road at any speed for however long I chose. Sadly the notorious tin worm devoured the chassis and it had to be taken to the great motorway in the sky.
My girlfriend briefly had one of these, a Collection no less! I loved driving it, had nice, planted 'on rails' handling and a lovely, slick gear change, and I was really impressed with how comfortable it was. Sadly she couldn't get on with it because it was a manual. They're cute little cars, it's a pity rust has probably claimed most by now. Very common to see them with the dreaded corrosion around the fuel filler area.
Ooh the nostalgia! I had one of these as my first car. I had a 2000 KA Collection. Had alloys, central locking, electric windows, body coloured bumpers and chrome tail pipe on the exhaust. Like a true old school Ford having noisy tappets. But it was fun to drive. Chuckable and handled like a go-kart.
When I made a list of what traits and characteristics I wanted my current car to have, 'fun like the Ka' was a very high priority. So I've got a Fiesta. Go figure. Ford makes fun cars
I had two Ka and still have one the endura engine is bulletproof their emissions are very low and very economical I fill the Ka every two months like 45 euro, super
This car was pretty popular here in Brazil aswell, it was manufactured for a long time with 2 different gens and many facelifts, my mother actually owned that same version in the video (wheel on the left side obviously) with a similar color aswell, and while some people may not like it very much here, my mother loved it. According to her it was sleek, compact, easy and comfortable to drive, and "cute looking".
Oh I had one from 2003 in that color. In German it was call „Atollgrün“. It was a Colourline edition with leather in the same light green and blue and swarowski stones inside and out at some places. Loved it! Fantastic to drive, quick and fun.
I inherited a 2007 Ka from the in-laws a few years ago. However, it's a left-hand drive one which resides in Spain. This means we dont get to drive it that much which in turn means that, although it is 15 years old, it's only done 30,000 Kilometres. The engine does not clatter in mine. And it's very nippy.
Some years ago I read that two key criteria for the Ka designers was that it should be cohesive that a facelift would not be possible and so distinctive that any body panel could be easily identified as being from a Ka and not confused with any other car. They certainly met the brief (which I hope is not an urban myth!). Great looking car and a balanced review, as ever, from HubNut.
I had one and I loved it. Only one issue we had with it, the throttle tended to get stuck but that was easily solved by spraying a bit of chain oil once every two or three months. Main issue was that after only 4 or 5 years suddenly rust just exploded everywhere.
Loved these - the more basic spec the better - red paint, black bumpers - that’s a proper Ford Ka - this was a very brave move by Ford, along with the Focus and the Puma they seemed to find a new direction - now they’re back to being dull as ditch water
As an MOT tester I have condemned so many of these to the scrap heap. I was once told that these never received any wax corrosion injections to the body cavities. From my experience this was true....
I live in Brazil and have a Ka XR (The south american spec of the sportka) and i absolutely love it. Rust is not a problem for any car here, and i've driven the 1 liter versions as well, fantastic cars. As great as the Twingo
My ex girlfriend from the late noughties had one, it was low mileage and was starting to show rust even though it was only about 6 years old. Fun to drive though, I liked it. In other news, I saw a HubNut stickered MK1 silver Multipla on the M4 heading to Wales today.
My girlfriend, now wife had one. The very basic of base models. No PAS, tape deck, wind up windows, no a/c, none of those fancy nets on the back of the seats either.... It was a fantastic little run around, good on fuel, fun to drive, ok-ish on the motorway once you got over its jitteryness. Cheap to run. Things that went wrong..... Washer pump failed, new horn, copious welding of sills, driver's seat lumbar bar collapsed (it was held in with plastic clips 🤦. Got broken into a few times resulting in CD head units going missing. She loved it, I...... Quite liked it, felt like a go-cart and promised to go fast but rarely got there. For a small car it's large arse made it hard to reverse, having the wheels at each corner didn't help. At the time I had a MK1 focus which in her opinion was 'Masssive' and didn't like driving. My office moved and my commute then turned to the trains. I noticed the fuel in my car running out remarkably quickly seeing as I wasn't driving it. Turns out my wife had got used to the Focus in the winter months with it's quick clear windscreen, lack of draughts, decent heating and no condensation on the inside. So we sold it on. She now drives a Galaxy which she doesn't think is big enough. That rear wiper is as fast as it gets 👍
I've had a few Kas. A great review, you really captured what they are all about despite the miserable weather. I'd still run one now if it weren't for the rampant rot on most of them. They outdrive anything in their class.
I loved my wee Ka. It was a bit clapped out by the time I got it but it lasted another 4 years before dying on me. I had forgotten how much fun I had in it. I wish I'd known back then that that was what those rear seatbelt holes were, never occurred to me...
Wife, who is a designer, had two early ones. Happily drive at 90mph for hours on motorway, went on holiday for a weeks in France in one. Totally reliable, nippy, and easy to park. Just give it a bit of welly and use the gearbox to make progress and what more could anyone ask for? Cheap plastics worked brilliantly, no squeaks as they flexed nicely, easy to clean. Why do people want plush plastics on dashboard that they never touch? Great review of a tremendous car.
I had one of these of the exact age. Though mine had the CD player. Was a great little car. It was the original idea of Ford of producing cars for the masses. Very cheap to run and the body work made it very easy to keep clean. I traded it in for a mk1 Audi A3 in the end, but if it wasn't for the lack of boot space I need nowadays, I would have one again.
A Ford dealership friend of mine said that Ford H/O didn't want to paint the bumpers ,even though customers were asking for it,the dealer painted up an early model and got in trouble from Ford for doing so.revolving glove box was cool before it was dropped-Loved these.Pity they've mostly rotted away nowadays.
I recall that when these cars first came out, as a sales gimmick a Ford dealer in my area set up a Ka on display in our indoor shopping centre, the interior of which had been skillfully converted into an aquarium complete with fish happily swimming around in the cabin!
Worked at car importer in here Finland at ~2003. There was all kind of Ford and New Holland tractors. Have to say those Ka's turned quite quickly on snow with summer tires and help of handbrake (on closed area) 🤣 Not my choice for longer distances at winter, but excellent city car.
Lovely little motor I drove a few years ago. I have a KA+ 1200cc 79BHP. The best car I have owned. It does have a few quirks you can't see the light switch as it hides behind the steering wheel. The boot either opens with remote switch on key or button release next to light switch. But it has several airbags front & rear fogs & returns 46 mpg. Finally a Ford idea won't start unless clutch pedal is down. But I love it 5/12 years old & 42000 miles.
I like the Ka immensely - your description of the design details was very good. You can also see some design cues from the Anglia - notably the relationship between the front grille and the indicators. You can almost see it as a spiritual successor to the Anglia in some respects.
Cute little car! My partner had one, she loved it. One of the best handling cars that she’s owned. The only reason she got rid of it was a constant need of welding because of rust. Otherwise she would have kept it. We went up and down Scotland, in it no problem!
Loved this era of Ford, KA, Puma and Focus, they were pretty good fun to drive, had a few courtesy KAs when my focus was in for servicing, they are good fun to drive, the later engines were alot quieter.
The first KA's and Fiesta's manufactured in Brazil in the late 90's were powered by the Enduro 1.0 litre engine that was replaced by the Zetec 1.0 litre 8V engines, after year 2000. We also had a KA with a Zetec 1.6 8V engine. called KA XR; it was something close to a pocket rocket when driving in the city roads as it had lot of torque at low speeds and considering the KA as a low weight vehicle.
It sure has aged really amazingly well. When they were all around, I was only 10 years old. I was in high school. Indeed, as you say, it is important to see this design in perspective back then, and, when they came out, they were strange and bizarre looking things. When I look at them now, especially at the rear, it makes me think of the front of an Isetta. Nice to watch this review! Brings back good memories.
My mother, brother and sister all had one of these at the same time. Excellent little runners and so easy to maintain and park. All of them had a rust problem round the petrol cap. Mother had to refrain from driving hers at the age of 86 and my brother exchanged his for a Fiesta after years of enjoyable motoring. My sister still has hers and it’s going strong at 14 years old. Me, I have a beautiful Mondeo , mark 4 with a boot like a skip and a beast to park. Love it!
I had two of these back-to-back over fourteen years. Super-reliable, handled great, sipped petrol, cheap to insure/tax. I would still have one now if it wasn't for rust. They rust underneath like hell. I miss them.
I briefly had one of these as a courtesy car. Black bumper model. Very fun to drive. Not fast but fun. Would love to have been able to drive the Sport Ka to see how that was.
Nice review Ian, I had a KA for 3 months whilst my Vauxhall Cavalier was being repaired. The engine wasn't noisy, there was plenty of room for the driver and passenger and very comfortable indeed. It was very sporty as the 1.3 engine had a very light car body to pull along. So acceleration was excellent and the handling was superb. A wheel at each corner made roadholding feel very secure. Regarding the boot - there is very little room but you can reach across the shelf and put shopping on the back seat. My drivers footwell filled up with water every time it rained so the inside always steamed up. One thing you could not review is the exceptional fuel economy of the KA. The shape no doubt helped as there is no wind resistance. It was amazingly frugal and by far the best miles per gallon I have ever had. I didn't want to like it but I did!! And the clock was lovely!
my mum had one at launch in 1996. it was a ka2 with metalic paint, she loved that car - as did my dad, he drove it more than his car . and then they sold it to my brother who drove it for years after. so many happy memories in that thing
I bought one of these brand new in 2004. It had an OHC Duratec engine though. I just needed a totally reliable car for work purposes. I thought this was the best bet for the least money brand new. My basic model in metallic blue cost me £4995. I serviced it myself from new. Absolutely minimal work. Oil and filters. Spark plugs. No timing belt, but a chain for the OHC. Tyres, front brakes along the way. I put 105,000 miles on it in five years. It never missed a beat. I often used to drive it as fast as it would go. About 105mph! Absolutely brilliant car. A joy!
My mother has the original in bright yellow with grey bumpers and adored it. I drove it a few times and it struck me as nippy, capable and fun. She sold it only because the locks kept breaking. 3 keys for the ka was at least 1 too many, if not 2.
Here for a good time, not a long time, these! We had so many over the years - from an early Ka 2 right the way to a fleet of the run-out models with the mini-lite style wheels. Thoroughly enjoyable cars to drive with a design that's really stood the test of time. Deserved to be made of better metal really.
Loved my Ford Ka, brilliant fun, it went everywhere from Inverness to the Isle of Wight, it had body coloured bumpers, never missed a beat. I wish I kept it, ifvany Ford car was Hubnut, it’s this
I drove my Sport KA to Scotland and back last week, did it no problem at all, Waxoyl everywhere is a good idea, bad for lower control arms top mounts, drop link bars same as any other front drive car, went from an Audi A3 to a KA as I was fed up pouring money into the Audi money pit clunker, bought the Sport KA with all the usual parts worn out for a song. Clutch, alternator, top mounts, bottom arms, tyres, full service, been driving it for three years with regular oil and filter changes, do mine every 5000 miles, did also put on a stainless cat back exhaust, goes great and fun to drive, waxoyl it every year in the summer, don’t care what I drive, fix it up job 3 years still going I’ll keep on driving it, quite happy
Had a base model (R35FBD) while at uni, managed to cram 5 students in to get between lectures. Black bumpers, keep fit windows, no power steering,3 preset radio/cassette, blanking pugs galore. I do remember almost being caught out by the lift-off oversteer. Turning into a side road at the last minute caused it to get a bit tail happy (whilst loaded with passengers), years of video-games saved my pride that day. Yes, the lid of the glove box is supposed to come off like that.
I loved this car soooo much. Actually I won beer bets managing to park it into the same space a Fiat 126 could barely squeeze (thanks to the oval shape of the Ka, which diagonal was probably shorter than its lenght ;). Had it for some 10 years (300000+ Km) and had it converted to CNG with a Tartarini sequential-phased kit, made easily 28 Km with one Kg of natural gas. Great great car.
When my sister passed her test she had three Ka 's and I can still remember the registration numbers of all of them. They were comfortable for town driving but not so much on long journeys. Went on holiday in them a few times and the design inside was futuristic but a tad cramped if you were sitting in the back with any luggage that couldn't fit in the boot.
Bloody hell I had never noticed the downward crease from the wing into the bonnet. Ian that's why I keep watching your stuff. That and your an all round top sort of person 😊
Was a toss up between the Sport Ka and a Citroen C2 VTS when I was looking for a sporty small car, went for the C2 as living near some very twisty roads, it just handled so much better as I found the oversteer issue a bit much on some of those bends when I road tested the Ka. Good review as always, and a bargain for someone :)
These have always been one of my favourite cars. I always thought it was a great handling car. And very futuristic when it came out in the mid 90s. I think it's aged well too, and still looks modern in 2022. We called it a Ford K.A here in NZ. Probably because we are used to calling the Aussie Falcons AU, EA, EF etc. A comparable characterful little car is the Honda Jazz/fit in my opinion. You should try get your hands on one of those Mr Hubnut!
Our Pastor got to go to Scotland a few years back, being of Scottish roots, I grilled him about every detail, they stayed with another Pastor and his wife, they owned a Ka, he said the Scottish Pastors name was Jackie Stewart, didn’t look like the legendary driver, but absolutely drove like him, he said Scotland had tiny roads with a lot of tiny cars that flew up and down the roads and the Scottish Pastor had like 250,000 miles on the lil Ka and it was immaculate. He also said Scott’s are hard to understand, their surprisingly warm and friendly and Scotland was absolutely gorgeous. I dream of going there one day😄
Always had a soft spot for these. My friends mum had one when I was little. Loved the pop out windows, was glad the Peugoet 206 she replaced it with had them too.
Didn't like the look of them when they came out, but time has changed my mind. Loved your well executed exiting the rear and entering the front. I give you a score of 9.5 😁
I had a bright yellow one. My favourite car to drive, it was sort of telepathic, look at a bend and it went around it seemingly of its own accord. Obviously returned to the earth from whence it came in a cloud of red dust.
True, not only we had a Ka with a 1.0 Endura-E engine.. but i actually used to own a fiesta (of this Ka of yours generation) with an 1.0 Endura-E engine and not the Zetec or 1.3 Endura-E. It was slow, but i loved that Fiesta handling, it also had a funky interior dash as this Ka does.
A very nice car, during my time as a mechanic I was able to drive it regularly. The tapping of the valves is easy to solve by properly adjusting the valve clearance. If the rear wiper and rear window defogger do not work, it is due to a bad ground through the tailgate hinges, an extra ground cable from the tailgate to the body solved that problem.
Wifes had two kas. First ever car was an x-reg and not a spot of rust. 2nd was a 2007 and like you say suffered from rot. Only real difference between the two was the newer one had a proper glovebox. Cracking little cars and never let her down
I had a Sports Ka and loved it except for one thing. It was great to drive (very much like my classic Mini which I had previously owned) but it had very weak alloy wheels which buckled if you went over a pothole or a kerb. Later on when I was short of cash I bought a standard Ka which unfortunately suffered from the dreaded rust.
Nice to see you doing car reviews again Mr S, especially one on a very likable old school Ford 'Ka'. I remember thinking at the time "Why would you buy a teeny tiny Ka when you can get a Fiesta for similar money?" but I can see the attraction these days. Narrow roads, small parking spaces, tight turning circle required? Ladies and gentlemen I give you the Ford Ka!
Ford Ka's have there own endurance racing series in the UK and it's actually fantastic to watch (sometimes shown on MSV UA-cam channel). Plus it is saving a lot of these cars from the crusher.
I transitioned from a Supra MK4 to 'T973BRP' in the early 00's and I felt great driving the little belter about. I loved it so much I then had a Sport Ka for another 4 years after that! I miss those cars a lot as they were pure cheap fun. Your right, the interior looked great and the engine was lovely and 'peppy'. Nice trip down memory lane so thanks for that!! Oh yes I forgot to say that I took mine to London and got it 'Max Powered' loads of bolt on extra's. It made it a bit more of a riot to drive but not too much of one!
I bought a 2001 model 3 months ago. I have done nearly 5000km in it and it is still pleasant after all these years. Like this one you are driving, the Air Cond has gone out to lunch and the power steering leaks. But for AUD$800 with no rust which even in Australia is amazing for one of these. Willl keep it for now.
I had a 1999 model with the old 1.3 Kent rattle box. All the running gear was superb, the real problem was the bodywork which although very futuristic in appearance, its corrosion capabilities was still back in the 1970s , god it could rust , in fact, during the winter months you could see it deteriorating on a daily basis. This was at a time when most manufacturers were really getting their act together, and starting to produce corrosion free bodywork.
In Brazil, you could even get this tiny thing with the 1.6 8v Zetec RoCam (from roller finger camshaft). It made over 100ps when fueled with E100 (readily available in pumps there)
So much nicer dash design than modern Ford's. Did a considerable amount of miles as a passenger in one of these and found the ride smoother than recent Fiesta's.
Oh yes I remember seeing this for the first time in one of the magazines and fell in love cause I love small cars then to find out we didn't get it we had the Aspire..
Certainly lots of Fun to drive , I bought a 2012 model had it for 2 years , I did 28000 miles in it that time a great little car , but I needed a bigger car with tow bar on for towing a trailer for one of my sons motorbikes for track days , I got a Volvo estate, I've had for 7 years , but going back to a smaller car now don't need a big car now . Great video.
I had a 2006 Ka (first generation) for a few years. when upgraded to larger car, I gave it to my Dad. He loves his little "plastic car", some rust started to show but he is adamant about fixing it, as apart from rust, there is nothing wrong with the car. It's a simple construction, not many things can break down, has AC, power steering and electric windows and is so tiny to you can park it absolutely everywhere. What more do you need from a city car? oh, and the 1.3 engine with 70hp , combined with light weight, make the car super dynamic in the city.
Honestly, the ford KA is a cracking little motor, I owned one about 7 years ago now, and it saved my skin one evening when I got terrorised by some off roaders, who all thought they would block me into a secluded car park, skid past my car and aiming shotguns at me, I shit thee neigh! The baby KA really came into her own that night, I hoofed her into a field to get past the 4x4s who were blocking my exit, then hooned it down a bumpy little road, and going way too fast over a small humpback bridge. The car simply stuck to the road like superglue, I was amazed I did not crash that night, I may add that I was very scared and had no choice but to get away quickly, I mean, they had shotguns for crying out loud, what the hell? Top motor, won't hear. a bad word said about them, still pwiddy to look at too!
I genuinely disliked these before i bought one myself. I hated how it was just a bubbly fiesta with even more potential for rust but once i drove on (needed a cheap car), i absolutely loved it! It was panther black and the paint was in great condition. It had some rust repairs around the fuel filler cap but it was done quite badly. Full leather interior in beige, electric sunroof, electric windows and mirrors and a/c ofcourse. Absolutely loved it since it drove like a kart! Didn't fit to well inside of it and i could barely see any overhanging traffic lights but still, great little run about for the short time it was in my possession. Sold it to my sister's neighbor for a great profit and it's still going strong to this day!
I remember when the Ka was released: it was quite controversial- The rear was described as a baby's bottom with the bumper as a nappy that was falling off!
Was never keen on this 90s version but I now have the 2015 model 1.2zetec. Great economy as I can manage 2 weeks out of one full tank especially with current prices. Don't have much issue with oversteer so think they fixed it
Brilliant video Ian and Carly, my friend had one of these as a first car, basically he joined his company car scheme and got one of these a Collection model. His was a 2004 and think was a Duratec possibly or a endura engine, I liked it but if I mind right his had a rev counter. He just saw it as a means of transport.
My Dad bought one brand new in '97, in purple. He loved the it, though did regret not spending the extra on power steering. My son has a silver '99 Ka stored away. One owner from new, not a spot of rust. Then again, Irish roads are never salted in winter. Future classic? Judging by the mainly positive comments here, I'd say definitely.
Fully concur with your review. Had new one in 97 for 3 years, really fun to drive, felt a bit like a modern Mini IMHO. Handled much better than a Metro I had earlier. Somewhat cramped in the back of course, but you don't buy these things for family use. A few years later a body shop lent me one for a few days and I had great fun reminding myself how flingable the things are.
My auntie had one of these many years back!! It was bright red and had the old 1.3 endura e engine (very rattly) she had it till about 2005 when she wore the battery out playing music or leaving a light on😂😂 great little car it was tho😍😍
you are reviewing quite an early unit, units later in production were coming with a Duratec engine, a little re-designed dashboard, headrest for the back seat, electric mirrors. 2 biggest flaws are rust of course, plus the heating breaks down quite often (but it's an easy fix by replacing the valve). One time someone hit me on a parking lot, and the bumper became loose, all you have to do is buy a set of plastic pins for a few pounds and replace the broken ones.
What some today don't realize is that this car was totally futuristic in the 90s. Sitting here in America I would read the praises lavished on it by CAR magazine and I finally got to see one in person on a visit to Europe in 1996. It was beautiful. The fenders, especially the ones that were dark colored, were a gutsy design element. The entire car was a design masterpiece. It's a shame not a single one saw an American road.
It was about as futuristic as the Bond Bug. I get what you're saying, it's the exterior design aesthetics which work very well. But that's where it ends. Everything underneath was a rehash of old stuff. Very old stuff! But if it works why break it?
@@DarwinionI'm glad you get what I mean because I mentioned the design twice in my comment. Never once did I refer to the underpinnings. The masses that buy little economy cars usually purchase based on design. This and the Ford Puma's design were legions ahead of any Ford product being produced in the US at the time. The Focus had yet to be introduced. I believe it was called Ford's New Edge styling which was quite radical at the time. And often called futuristic by the motoring press.
It wasn’t a bad car. A friend was in a horrific accident with a drunk driver doing 40 through a 30mph village one night. His sternum was broken. His trainers were shredded from the pedals and they needed to cut off his jeans. The drunk driver in a mk3 black golf gti, no lights at about 1am, cut across my friend. He can remember the bang of the battery exploding, the CD flying out of the player over his left shoulder and also the cars spinning around, door to door.
He wanted to get back in the seat and I test drove cars for him, one from a Citroen dealership in Newport (south wales). He couldn’t drive due to sternum. So we went out on the industrial estate, I did a three point term and we noticed we were right next to a breakers yard. Somehow that very KA was there, at a height you could see for yourself. She had sine wave ripples on the roof toward the rear of the car, and the Ford badge had dropped off. At the front, she appears to have performed well. The fire department remarked the car handles the impact from the bigger car well, partly as she was sat so well with a low centre of gravity that hugged the road. If he’d have been driving a mk 3 fiesta, I’m certain he would have been killed.
So, I’m a Honda and Toyota man - but hats off to Ford, that’s one life you’ve saved to try and offset all those who were wiped out by Ford Pinto rear impacts!!!
From my German point of view I remember that differently... the Ford Ka was considered on of the ugliest cars around especially with the unpainted bumpers, which faded after the first year... it was a very popular car though and for some reason a lot of older people bought it.
Most cars are futuristic at release, digital dashboards, the cord, tucker, Chrysler airflow, dart, valiant, new yorker, tornado, taurus, tesla and many more
In Feb 2022 I bought a 2006 Ford Ka 1 owner with 6,000 miles on the clock hardly used. From about 2003 the Mk1 Ka used a better more modern engine called a duratec that is 8v chain drive SOHC which is more refined than the earlier models.
Ian, just want to say, I've really been struggling these last couple of weeks with anxiety and watching your videos has really been helping chill me out and escape from life a bit at night. Thanks to you and the family Hubnut, and keep up the great work.
Take care fella. May of us know what you are going through. So go steady.
hope youre doing ok bud
Take it easy mate, I know how you feel, I've been there many times just recently.
How you doing buddy?
Wow you managed to find a Ka that hasn’t rotted to oblivion. I’m impressed. Nice design as well. They seemed much less fusty than the Fiesta when they launched.
Exactly what I thought: The rear wing hasn't rusted through around the tank cover, can't be a real Ka... 😄
Was once washing a Ka down and blew a tonne of filler out from around the fuel cap absolute rot boxes
I had one about 10 years ago, 02 plate. Went for its first MOT and was advised to scrap it as the chassis was completely rotten and too far gone to save. Dreadful cars
I really don’t know why, but my ka is from 1997 e still rocks. Not much rust, just tiny little spots but nothing rotten.
@@davidw4639 one of the lads on the metro forum, his Mrs had one on a 04 plate, and he said its getting scrapped, due to how badly rotten it was. The car was not even 10 years old.
I’ve got a 1998 red and black Ka, done just 102,000km, I drive it everywhere, love it, apart from the turning circle which is ridiculously big for such a small car. No rust problems, runs great. But then I live in a better climate in the south of France.
About time! I loved my KA. It was one of those cars that would always leave me with a smile everytime I stepped out of it.
I had a basic 1997 Ka. No aircon, colour coded bumpers, central locking or suchlike. It was a delight to drive and very reliable.
I once drove a Ford Ka as a courtesy car (this was in the late 1990s) when one of our company vehicles was in for service or repair. I drove it from Bury to Preston and back (60 miles round trip). The car itself was OK to drive, but upon my return I ended up with a lot of back pain, as the seat was thin and offered little support. As a result, it was a car I'd never have considered buying.
After my mother's Fiat Seicento was rear ended and subsequently written off by a truck, she wanted to buy a blue Seicento, but Fiat didn't sell that colour anymore. She went to Ford and bought a new Ka exactly as in this video! Eventually the Ka was part exhanged for a Mk2 Ka which she is still driving to date. The Mk2 Ka is based on Fiat 500 mechanicals so in a way she's back driving a Fiat.
I bloody loved my Ka, I had a much later Duratec engine, it’s one of the few cars I owned that I would own again. An absolute joy to drive!
same here, I loved my Ka, my Dad currently drives it. It has a little bit of rust but we will fix it. If I had an option (and didn't need a larger car), I would definitely buy it again.
I bought my daughter's Ka when she got married and started planning a family, which led her to swap to a 5 door Astra. I loved it. Never failed to start, took me wherever I wanted to go and back again in comfort, and happily cruised on any road at any speed for however long I chose. Sadly the notorious tin worm devoured the chassis and it had to be taken to the great motorway in the sky.
My girlfriend briefly had one of these, a Collection no less! I loved driving it, had nice, planted 'on rails' handling and a lovely, slick gear change, and I was really impressed with how comfortable it was. Sadly she couldn't get on with it because it was a manual. They're cute little cars, it's a pity rust has probably claimed most by now. Very common to see them with the dreaded corrosion around the fuel filler area.
Ooh the nostalgia! I had one of these as my first car. I had a 2000 KA Collection. Had alloys, central locking, electric windows, body coloured bumpers and chrome tail pipe on the exhaust. Like a true old school Ford having noisy tappets. But it was fun to drive. Chuckable and handled like a go-kart.
When I made a list of what traits and characteristics I wanted my current car to have, 'fun like the Ka' was a very high priority. So I've got a Fiesta. Go figure. Ford makes fun cars
I had two Ka and still have one the endura engine is bulletproof their emissions are very low and very economical I fill the Ka every two months like 45 euro, super
This car was pretty popular here in Brazil aswell, it was manufactured for a long time with 2 different gens and many facelifts, my mother actually owned that same version in the video (wheel on the left side obviously) with a similar color aswell, and while some people may not like it very much here, my mother loved it. According to her it was sleek, compact, easy and comfortable to drive, and "cute looking".
At least the weather there protects them from the rot they are famous for.
Oh I had one from 2003 in that color. In German it was call „Atollgrün“. It was a Colourline edition with leather in the same light green and blue and swarowski stones inside and out at some places. Loved it! Fantastic to drive, quick and fun.
My wife has two of these Mk1’s, A prefacelift 98 and a facelift 2007. Both fun to drive and very cheap to run. Easy to work on as well!
I inherited a 2007 Ka from the in-laws a few years ago. However, it's a left-hand drive one which resides in Spain. This means we dont get to drive it that much which in turn means that, although it is 15 years old, it's only done 30,000 Kilometres. The engine does not clatter in mine. And it's very nippy.
Some years ago I read that two key criteria for the Ka designers was that it should be cohesive that a facelift would not be possible and so distinctive that any body panel could be easily identified as being from a Ka and not confused with any other car. They certainly met the brief (which I hope is not an urban myth!). Great looking car and a balanced review, as ever, from HubNut.
I had one and I loved it. Only one issue we had with it, the throttle tended to get stuck but that was easily solved by spraying a bit of chain oil once every two or three months. Main issue was that after only 4 or 5 years suddenly rust just exploded everywhere.
Yes the rust got mine too, and it was around the 4-5 year mark too. But we loved it anyhow
Loved these - the more basic spec the better - red paint, black bumpers - that’s a proper Ford Ka - this was a very brave move by Ford, along with the Focus and the Puma they seemed to find a new direction - now they’re back to being dull as ditch water
As an MOT tester I have condemned so many of these to the scrap heap. I was once told that these never received any wax corrosion injections to the body cavities. From my experience this was true....
I live in Brazil and have a Ka XR (The south american spec of the sportka) and i absolutely love it. Rust is not a problem for any car here, and i've driven the 1 liter versions as well, fantastic cars. As great as the Twingo
I had one as a courtesy car for a few days many years ago. It was like driving an empty tin can and I decided never again.
My ex girlfriend from the late noughties had one, it was low mileage and was starting to show rust even though it was only about 6 years old. Fun to drive though, I liked it.
In other news, I saw a HubNut stickered MK1 silver Multipla on the M4 heading to Wales today.
My girlfriend, now wife had one. The very basic of base models. No PAS, tape deck, wind up windows, no a/c, none of those fancy nets on the back of the seats either....
It was a fantastic little run around, good on fuel, fun to drive, ok-ish on the motorway once you got over its jitteryness. Cheap to run. Things that went wrong..... Washer pump failed, new horn, copious welding of sills, driver's seat lumbar bar collapsed (it was held in with plastic clips 🤦. Got broken into a few times resulting in CD head units going missing. She loved it, I...... Quite liked it, felt like a go-cart and promised to go fast but rarely got there. For a small car it's large arse made it hard to reverse, having the wheels at each corner didn't help. At the time I had a MK1 focus which in her opinion was 'Masssive' and didn't like driving. My office moved and my commute then turned to the trains. I noticed the fuel in my car running out remarkably quickly seeing as I wasn't driving it. Turns out my wife had got used to the Focus in the winter months with it's quick clear windscreen, lack of draughts, decent heating and no condensation on the inside. So we sold it on. She now drives a Galaxy which she doesn't think is big enough.
That rear wiper is as fast as it gets 👍
I've had a few Kas. A great review, you really captured what they are all about despite the miserable weather. I'd still run one now if it weren't for the rampant rot on most of them. They outdrive anything in their class.
I loved my wee Ka. It was a bit clapped out by the time I got it but it lasted another 4 years before dying on me. I had forgotten how much fun I had in it.
I wish I'd known back then that that was what those rear seatbelt holes were, never occurred to me...
Wife, who is a designer, had two early ones. Happily drive at 90mph for hours on motorway, went on holiday for a weeks in France in one. Totally reliable, nippy, and easy to park. Just give it a bit of welly and use the gearbox to make progress and what more could anyone ask for? Cheap plastics worked brilliantly, no squeaks as they flexed nicely, easy to clean. Why do people want plush plastics on dashboard that they never touch? Great review of a tremendous car.
I had one of these of the exact age. Though mine had the CD player. Was a great little car. It was the original idea of Ford of producing cars for the masses. Very cheap to run and the body work made it very easy to keep clean. I traded it in for a mk1 Audi A3 in the end, but if it wasn't for the lack of boot space I need nowadays, I would have one again.
A Ford dealership friend of mine said that Ford H/O didn't want to paint the bumpers ,even though customers were asking for it,the dealer painted up an early model and got in trouble from Ford for doing so.revolving glove box was cool before it was dropped-Loved these.Pity they've mostly rotted away nowadays.
I recall that when these cars first came out, as a sales gimmick a Ford dealer in my area set up a Ka on display in our indoor shopping centre, the interior of which had been skillfully converted into an aquarium complete with fish happily swimming around in the cabin!
Worked at car importer in here Finland at ~2003.
There was all kind of Ford and New Holland tractors.
Have to say those Ka's turned quite quickly on snow with summer tires and help of handbrake (on closed area) 🤣
Not my choice for longer distances at winter, but excellent city car.
Lovely little motor I drove a few years ago. I have a KA+ 1200cc
79BHP. The best car I have owned. It does have a few quirks you can't see the light switch as it hides behind the steering wheel.
The boot either opens with remote switch on key or button release next to light switch. But it has several airbags front & rear fogs & returns 46 mpg. Finally a Ford idea won't start unless clutch pedal is down. But I love it 5/12 years old & 42000 miles.
I like the Ka immensely - your description of the design details was very good. You can also see some design cues from the Anglia - notably the relationship between the front grille and the indicators. You can almost see it as a spiritual successor to the Anglia in some respects.
Cute little car! My partner had one, she loved it. One of the best handling cars that she’s owned. The only reason she got rid of it was a constant need of welding because of rust. Otherwise she would have kept it. We went up and down Scotland, in it no problem!
Loved this era of Ford, KA, Puma and Focus, they were pretty good fun to drive, had a few courtesy KAs when my focus was in for servicing, they are good fun to drive, the later engines were alot quieter.
The first KA's and Fiesta's manufactured in Brazil in the late 90's were powered by the Enduro 1.0 litre engine that was replaced by the Zetec 1.0 litre 8V engines, after year 2000. We also had a KA with a Zetec 1.6 8V engine. called KA XR; it was something close to a pocket rocket when driving in the city roads as it had lot of torque at low speeds and considering the KA as a low weight vehicle.
It sure has aged really amazingly well.
When they were all around, I was only 10 years old. I was in high school. Indeed, as you say, it is important to see this design in perspective back then, and, when they came out, they were strange and bizarre looking things. When I look at them now, especially at the rear, it makes me think of the front of an Isetta.
Nice to watch this review! Brings back good memories.
My Daughter in law had a KA and my son who creates custom cars. Did a beautiful looking job on making it a one off she loved it
My mother, brother and sister all had one of these at the same time. Excellent little runners and so easy to maintain and park. All of them had a rust problem round the petrol cap. Mother had to refrain from driving hers at the age of 86 and my brother exchanged his for a Fiesta after years of enjoyable motoring. My sister still has hers and it’s going strong at 14 years old. Me, I have a beautiful Mondeo , mark 4 with a boot like a skip and a beast to park. Love it!
I had two of these back-to-back over fourteen years. Super-reliable, handled great, sipped petrol, cheap to insure/tax.
I would still have one now if it wasn't for rust. They rust underneath like hell. I miss them.
I briefly had one of these as a courtesy car. Black bumper model. Very fun to drive. Not fast but fun. Would love to have been able to drive the Sport Ka to see how that was.
Nice review Ian, I had a KA for 3 months whilst my Vauxhall Cavalier was being repaired. The engine wasn't noisy, there was plenty of room for the driver and passenger and very comfortable indeed. It was very sporty as the 1.3 engine had a very light car body to pull along. So acceleration was excellent and the handling was superb. A wheel at each corner made roadholding feel very secure. Regarding the boot - there is very little room but you can reach across the shelf and put shopping on the back seat.
My drivers footwell filled up with water every time it rained so the inside always steamed up. One thing you could not review is the exceptional fuel economy of the KA. The shape no doubt helped as there is no wind resistance. It was amazingly frugal and by far the best miles per gallon I have ever had.
I didn't want to like it but I did!! And the clock was lovely!
my mum had one at launch in 1996. it was a ka2 with metalic paint, she loved that car - as did my dad, he drove it more than his car . and then they sold it to my brother who drove it for years after. so many happy memories in that thing
I loved mine, it was so much fun and so reliable. Totally agree about how the engine felt, it really went! Loved it. Great video
I bought one of these brand new in 2004. It had an OHC Duratec engine though. I just needed a totally reliable car for work purposes. I thought this was the best bet for the least money brand new. My basic model in metallic blue cost me £4995. I serviced it myself from new. Absolutely minimal work. Oil and filters. Spark plugs. No timing belt, but a chain for the OHC. Tyres, front brakes along the way. I put 105,000 miles on it in five years. It never missed a beat. I often used to drive it as fast as it would go. About 105mph! Absolutely brilliant car. A joy!
My mother has the original in bright yellow with grey bumpers and adored it. I drove it a few times and it struck me as nippy, capable and fun. She sold it only because the locks kept breaking. 3 keys for the ka was at least 1 too many, if not 2.
Here for a good time, not a long time, these!
We had so many over the years - from an early Ka 2 right the way to a fleet of the run-out models with the mini-lite style wheels.
Thoroughly enjoyable cars to drive with a design that's really stood the test of time. Deserved to be made of better metal really.
Loved my Ford Ka, brilliant fun, it went everywhere from Inverness to the Isle of Wight, it had body coloured bumpers, never missed a beat. I wish I kept it, ifvany Ford car was Hubnut, it’s this
I drove my Sport KA to Scotland and back last week, did it no problem at all, Waxoyl everywhere is a good idea, bad for lower control arms top mounts, drop link bars same as any other front drive car, went from an Audi A3 to a KA as I was fed up pouring money into the Audi money pit clunker, bought the Sport KA with all the usual parts worn out for a song. Clutch, alternator, top mounts, bottom arms, tyres, full service, been driving it for three years with regular oil and filter changes, do mine every 5000 miles, did also put on a stainless cat back exhaust, goes great and fun to drive, waxoyl it every year in the summer, don’t care what I drive, fix it up job 3 years still going I’ll keep on driving it, quite happy
My wife had a streetka it was one of the most fun cars we ever owned I used to borrow it all the time because I loved it so much 😊
Had a base model (R35FBD) while at uni, managed to cram 5 students in to get between lectures.
Black bumpers, keep fit windows, no power steering,3 preset radio/cassette, blanking pugs galore.
I do remember almost being caught out by the lift-off oversteer. Turning into a side road at the last minute caused it to get a bit tail happy (whilst loaded with passengers), years of video-games saved my pride that day.
Yes, the lid of the glove box is supposed to come off like that.
I'm happy you liked this as myself and my family have owned a fair few of these so they're something of a family favourite for us.
I loved this car soooo much. Actually I won beer bets managing to park it into the same space a Fiat 126 could barely squeeze (thanks to the oval shape of the Ka, which diagonal was probably shorter than its lenght ;). Had it for some 10 years (300000+ Km) and had it converted to CNG with a Tartarini sequential-phased kit, made easily 28 Km with one Kg of natural gas. Great great car.
When my sister passed her test she had three Ka 's and I can still remember the registration numbers of all of them. They were comfortable for town driving but not so much on long journeys. Went on holiday in them a few times and the design inside was futuristic but a tad cramped if you were sitting in the back with any luggage that couldn't fit in the boot.
Bloody hell I had never noticed the downward crease from the wing into the bonnet. Ian that's why I keep watching your stuff. That and your an all round top sort of person 😊
Hearing a Kent engine always brightens my day. First car memories, an OHV Fiesta without bonnet insulation. Tratratratratrat.
Was a toss up between the Sport Ka and a Citroen C2 VTS when I was looking for a sporty small car, went for the C2 as living near some very twisty roads, it just handled so much better as I found the oversteer issue a bit much on some of those bends when I road tested the Ka. Good review as always, and a bargain for someone :)
You chose wisely, Citroen managed to make the C2 survive a humid day without converting itself into a small pile of brown dust.
These have always been one of my favourite cars. I always thought it was a great handling car. And very futuristic when it came out in the mid 90s. I think it's aged well too, and still looks modern in 2022.
We called it a Ford K.A here in NZ. Probably because we are used to calling the Aussie Falcons AU, EA, EF etc.
A comparable characterful little car is the Honda Jazz/fit in my opinion. You should try get your hands on one of those Mr Hubnut!
The Honda Jazz is far too modern and efficient and mainstream for Mr HubNut! Great car, though!
Our Pastor got to go to Scotland a few years back, being of Scottish roots, I grilled him about every detail, they stayed with another Pastor and his wife, they owned a Ka, he said the Scottish Pastors name was Jackie Stewart, didn’t look like the legendary driver, but absolutely drove like him, he said Scotland had tiny roads with a lot of tiny cars that flew up and down the roads and the Scottish Pastor had like 250,000 miles on the lil Ka and it was immaculate. He also said Scott’s are hard to understand, their surprisingly warm and friendly and Scotland was absolutely gorgeous. I dream of going there one day😄
Absolutely love the Ka. My first car was a ka3 then my second car was another ka3 then my 3rd car was a 1.6 SportKa. It was brilliant. I miss it now!
Always had a soft spot for these. My friends mum had one when I was little. Loved the pop out windows, was glad the Peugoet 206 she replaced it with had them too.
Didn't like the look of them when they came out, but time has changed my mind. Loved your well executed exiting the rear and entering the front. I give you a score of 9.5 😁
I felt the same when I first saw one, time hasn't changed my mind.
It and the early to mid 2000’s Renault Megane the fat arsed of the car world.
I had a bright yellow one. My favourite car to drive, it was sort of telepathic, look at a bend and it went around it seemingly of its own accord. Obviously returned to the earth from whence it came in a cloud of red dust.
True, not only we had a Ka with a 1.0 Endura-E engine.. but i actually used to own a fiesta (of this Ka of yours generation) with an 1.0 Endura-E engine and not the Zetec or 1.3 Endura-E.
It was slow, but i loved that Fiesta handling, it also had a funky interior dash as this Ka does.
A very nice car, during my time as a mechanic I was able to drive it regularly.
The tapping of the valves is easy to solve by properly adjusting the valve clearance.
If the rear wiper and rear window defogger do not work, it is due to a bad ground through the tailgate hinges, an extra ground cable from the tailgate to the body solved that problem.
Wifes had two kas. First ever car was an x-reg and not a spot of rust.
2nd was a 2007 and like you say suffered from rot. Only real difference between the two was the newer one had a proper glovebox. Cracking little cars and never let her down
I had a Sports Ka and loved it except for one thing. It was great to drive (very much like my classic Mini which I had previously owned) but it had very weak alloy wheels which buckled if you went over a pothole or a kerb. Later on when I was short of cash I bought a standard Ka which unfortunately suffered from the dreaded rust.
I had a 55 plate for almost a year. As per most Ford manual gearboxes, the gear change was effortless and precise.
A staple of the budget rental fleet. We had one for a few weeks in Dorset. Three people and gear was tight but it still felt sprightly.
Nice to see you doing car reviews again Mr S, especially one on a very likable old school Ford 'Ka'. I remember thinking at the time "Why would you buy a teeny tiny Ka when you can get a Fiesta for similar money?" but I can see the attraction these days. Narrow roads, small parking spaces, tight turning circle required? Ladies and gentlemen I give you the Ford Ka!
My mate had one and I was really impressed with how it drove.
Ford Ka's have there own endurance racing series in the UK and it's actually fantastic to watch (sometimes shown on MSV UA-cam channel). Plus it is saving a lot of these cars from the crusher.
I had 2 Ka's both were fantastic little motors! Thanks for another great video! 👍🏻
My good lady had a S plate one, sadly it was a total rot box after about 5 years old, still it was fun to drive.
Great little cars, I had mine from new back in 1999. Black with colour coded bumpers... excellent to whiz around London.
I transitioned from a Supra MK4 to 'T973BRP' in the early 00's and I felt great driving the little belter about. I loved it so much I then had a Sport Ka for another 4 years after that! I miss those cars a lot as they were pure cheap fun. Your right, the interior looked great and the engine was lovely and 'peppy'. Nice trip down memory lane so thanks for that!!
Oh yes I forgot to say that I took mine to London and got it 'Max Powered' loads of bolt on extra's. It made it a bit more of a riot to drive but not too much of one!
I bought a 2001 model 3 months ago. I have done nearly 5000km in it and it is still pleasant after all these years. Like this one you are driving, the Air Cond has gone out to lunch and the power steering leaks. But for AUD$800 with no rust which even in Australia is amazing for one of these. Willl keep it for now.
This brings so much nostalgia for a better times.
I had a 1999 model with the old 1.3 Kent rattle box. All the running gear was superb, the real problem was the bodywork which although very futuristic in appearance, its corrosion capabilities was still back in the 1970s , god it could rust , in fact, during the winter months you could see it deteriorating on a daily basis.
This was at a time when most manufacturers were really getting their act together, and starting to produce corrosion free bodywork.
Cross flow, or Kent engine (whichever you prefer). Was always tapety! Adjusting the valve clearances will quieten them a bit!
In Brazil, you could even get this tiny thing with the 1.6 8v Zetec RoCam (from roller finger camshaft). It made over 100ps when fueled with E100 (readily available in pumps there)
So much nicer dash design than modern Ford's. Did a considerable amount of miles as a passenger in one of these and found the ride smoother than recent Fiesta's.
Oh yes I remember seeing this for the first time in one of the magazines and fell in love cause I love small cars then to find out we didn't get it we had the Aspire..
Certainly lots of Fun to drive , I bought a 2012 model had it for 2 years , I did 28000 miles in it that time a great little car , but I needed a bigger car with tow bar on for towing a trailer for one of my sons motorbikes for track days , I got a Volvo estate, I've had for 7 years , but going back to a smaller car now don't need a big car now . Great video.
Brilliant car, one of Ford's best. This and the Renault Twingo, probably the two best small cars of the 90's.
I had a 2006 Ka (first generation) for a few years. when upgraded to larger car, I gave it to my Dad. He loves his little "plastic car", some rust started to show but he is adamant about fixing it, as apart from rust, there is nothing wrong with the car. It's a simple construction, not many things can break down, has AC, power steering and electric windows and is so tiny to you can park it absolutely everywhere. What more do you need from a city car? oh, and the 1.3 engine with 70hp , combined with light weight, make the car super dynamic in the city.
Honestly, the ford KA is a cracking little motor, I owned one about 7 years ago now, and it saved my skin one evening when I got terrorised by some off roaders, who all thought they would block me into a secluded car park, skid past my car and aiming shotguns at me, I shit thee neigh! The baby KA really came into her own that night, I hoofed her into a field to get past the 4x4s who were blocking my exit, then hooned it down a bumpy little road, and going way too fast over a small humpback bridge. The car simply stuck to the road like superglue, I was amazed I did not crash that night, I may add that I was very scared and had no choice but to get away quickly, I mean, they had shotguns for crying out loud, what the hell? Top motor, won't hear. a bad word said about them, still pwiddy to look at too!
I genuinely disliked these before i bought one myself. I hated how it was just a bubbly fiesta with even more potential for rust but once i drove on (needed a cheap car), i absolutely loved it! It was panther black and the paint was in great condition. It had some rust repairs around the fuel filler cap but it was done quite badly. Full leather interior in beige, electric sunroof, electric windows and mirrors and a/c ofcourse. Absolutely loved it since it drove like a kart! Didn't fit to well inside of it and i could barely see any overhanging traffic lights but still, great little run about for the short time it was in my possession. Sold it to my sister's neighbor for a great profit and it's still going strong to this day!
Had one in 2003,absolutely loved it
I remember when the Ka was released: it was quite controversial- The rear was described as a baby's bottom with the bumper as a nappy that was falling off!
Hah...my neighbour said the exact same thing.
Was never keen on this 90s version but I now have the 2015 model 1.2zetec. Great economy as I can manage 2 weeks out of one full tank especially with current prices. Don't have much issue with oversteer so think they fixed it
Brilliant video Ian and Carly, my friend had one of these as a first car, basically he joined his company car scheme and got one of these a Collection model. His was a 2004 and think was a Duratec possibly or a endura engine, I liked it but if I mind right his had a rev counter. He just saw it as a means of transport.
My Dad bought one brand new in '97, in purple. He loved the it, though did regret not spending the extra on power steering. My son has a silver '99 Ka stored away. One owner from new, not a spot of rust. Then again, Irish roads are never salted in winter. Future classic? Judging by the mainly positive comments here, I'd say definitely.
Fully concur with your review. Had new one in 97 for 3 years, really fun to drive, felt a bit like a modern Mini IMHO. Handled much better than a Metro I had earlier. Somewhat cramped in the back of course, but you don't buy these things for family use. A few years later a body shop lent me one for a few days and I had great fun reminding myself how flingable the things are.
I adored the styling of the Ka. And they are fun to drive and very reliable. My only gripp was the nasty one piece floor carpet
My auntie had one of these many years back!! It was bright red and had the old 1.3 endura e engine (very rattly) she had it till about 2005 when she wore the battery out playing music or leaving a light on😂😂 great little car it was tho😍😍
I have her and i absolute LOVE HER!! GREAT CAR!
you are reviewing quite an early unit, units later in production were coming with a Duratec engine, a little re-designed dashboard, headrest for the back seat, electric mirrors. 2 biggest flaws are rust of course, plus the heating breaks down quite often (but it's an easy fix by replacing the valve). One time someone hit me on a parking lot, and the bumper became loose, all you have to do is buy a set of plastic pins for a few pounds and replace the broken ones.