Why the Ford Fiesta has been discontinued

One suspects that this decision has been a late, unplanned one for Ford, as recently as 2017 it introduced the latest seventh-generation Fiesta model, giving the car a facelift just last autumn, with the familiar blue Ford oval badge now set proudly in the centre of the latest Fiesta’s grille; a model that could become a rare sight on our roads.

Ford stopped production of all three-door versions of the Fiesta earlier in 2022, and with crumbling sales, the five-door bodyshell will also be sacrificed at the final Fiesta manufacturing plant, Ford’s historic German facility in Cologne (where the company has been based since 1932). This will enable complete focus on the production of a compact electric vehicle, developed on the shared Volkswagen MEB platform, as used on the VW ID.3 and ID.4. Ford has also publicly announced that all production of its acclaimed S-Max and Galaxy people carriers will also draw to a halt in 2023. By 2030 all of Ford’s passenger vehicles in Europe will be fully electric and all its vehicles (vans included) will be EV only by 2035.

Initially the Fiesta was planned as a true pan-European model, with the car made in Cologne, and well as Ford’s Dagenham, Essex, ex-manufacturing plant, plus an all-new purpose-built factory in Valencia in the popular wine-growing region of Spain. After much hype and anticipation of Ford entering the youthful supermini European market sector in the late 1970s, Ford presented a number of intriguing Fiesta-based special ‘show’ models, using its new car’s front-drive base and transverse 950cc and 1.1-litre engines (a first for Ford of Europe). These included the funky, off-road Tuareg prototype at the 1976 Turin motor show, plus the racy Ghia Corrida small gullwing coupe and the Prima; a versatile multi-body configuration pick-up-cum-coupe hatch. Donald Healey’s last car creation was also based on the first Fiesta with a special tuned one-off model in 1978.

Launched initially in Britain with just those two engines (essentially Ford UK’s old cross-flow Kent motors, dating back to the 1959 Ford Anglia and mounted sideways), plus a wide choice of trim levels (including the sporty S and luxury range-topping Ghia), the Fiesta quickly became Europe’s fastest-selling new car. In late 1977 a Kent 1,297cc engine was added to the Fiesta range, this motor proving the basis for the first 100mph Fiesta, the popular XR2 ‘hot hatch’ of 1981. It had just four-speeds and a meagre 83PS (61kW) on tap, plus those essential cosmetic boy racer add-ons, such as pepper pot alloy wheels, side stripes, wheel arch extensions, a rear hatch spoiler and front fog lamps.