It is the end of the production line for the Ford Fiesta. On 07 July 2023, the last Ford Fiesta rolled off its production line at Ford’s factory in Cologne, Germany. The Ford Fiesta was until last week, one of the longest-running car models in history. Production first started way back in 1976, and 47 years later, 20 million units of the feisty little hatchback had been produced before production ended.
Ford Fiesta: History & Heritage
The Ford Fiesta story started way back in 1972 when Henry Ford II himself approved the development of the Fiesta. It was developed as a smaller alternative to the Ford Escort and was to take the fight to the likes of the Mini, Fiat 127, and Renault 5. Hence, it only made more sense for the Ford Fiesta supermini to be developed by Ford in Europe.
The name Fiesta was derived from the Spanish word for Party and it was a fitting name as this was a nice little fun-to-drive car. Seven generations of the Ford Fiesta were produced over the last 47 years and all generations of the Fiesta mainly focused on hatchback body styles. It was available in both three-door and five-door hatchback configurations. A few markets even received the Ford Fiesta sedan.
Motorsport Roots
When the words Fiesta & Motorsport are used in the same sentence, images of a World Rally Championship Ford Fiesta going flat out on tight 180-degree hairpin bends and flying over crests come to mind. It was way back in 1979 that the world of rallying first saw the Ford Fiesta.
Two Ford Fiesta hatchbacks entered the 1979 Monte Carlo Rally, driven by Ari Vatanen and Roger Clark. Vatanen took 9th place in the infamous rally and the Ford Fiesta’s successful rally career had just begun. Over the years, the Ford Fiesta took several victories across various rallying classes and championships.
End Of An Era: Why Did Ford End Production Of The Fiesta?
Over the decades, the Ford Fiesta firmly placed itself among the most iconic cars ever produced by the American car manufacturer. However, in an age of modern cars and electric vehicles, it saw a sharp decline in popularity. However, the biggest cause for the discontinuation of the Fiesta is the arrival of Ford’s electric vehicles.
Ford’s Cologne plant which manufactured the Fiesta until now is being converted into a haven for EV manufacturing. This is part of Ford’s gigantic plan of selling millions of electric vehicles over the coming years. The Fiesta will be the last internal combustion-powered car manufactured by Ford at the Cologne factory. Within the next six years, Ford wants to produce 1.2 million EVs at the very same factory.
The Ford Fiesta will be replaced by an all-electric version of the Ford Puma. Ford released a short video as a tribute to the Ford Fiesta and the same video also previews the upcoming Ford Puma EV.
The Ford Fiesta certainly isn’t very popular in the UAE. However, the high-performance Fiesta ST variant is much loved and appreciated for its quick acceleration and agile handling traits. Check out used Ford Fiesta cars for sale in the UAE.
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