Ford Fiesta set to be axed after 46 years

Goodbye to a classic

Britain's most popular car is coming to an end because Ford has planned to stop manufacturing the Ford Fiesta. The car  has been around since 1976 and has sold 4.8 million vehicles - and it shows, because who hasn't seen a Fiesta before?

An insider told The Sun that it was a "strategic decision to make way for a 'new' Ford", with the paper adding costs and falling sales due to a rise in the popularity of smaller SUVs were also contributing.

[caption id="attachment_364743" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Auto workers examine a new Ford Fiesta in 2009 (Picture: Getty Images)[/caption]

The publication added there are no plans to replace the car with an electric model.

A Ford spokesperson said: "We are accelerating our efforts to go all-in on electrification and therefore review our vehicle portfolio in line with our business strategy.

"We do not comment on speculation and will share more information in the coming months."

The first Ford Fiesta was made in Dagenham, Essex, in 1976.

At the time they sold for £1,856.

[caption id="attachment_364744" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Mature couple standing beside Ford Fiesta in 1980 (Picture: Getty Images)[/caption]

The more modern ones are made in Cologne, Germany.

There are eight models to choose from, ranging in price from £18,655 to more than £26,000 if bought new.

Government data of registered vehicles analysed by CarInsurance.ae found the Fiesta was the most popular car in the UK, with 1,521,680 vehicles registered.

The Ford Fiesta Zetec was the most popular specification.

The Fiesta was followed closely by the Ford Focus, which had 1,179,024 models registered.

[caption id="attachment_364746" align="alignnone" width="2048"] 1999 Ford Fiesta Zetec diving along, 2000. (Picture: National Motor Museum/Heritage Images/Getty Images)[/caption]

A spokesperson for CarInsurance.ae said the data "shows that the Ford Fiesta is the most popular car in the UK".

"In fact, the Ford Fiesta is so popular that there are more Fiestas on the road in the UK than there are every type of Peugeot," they said.

Previously speaking to Auto Express on the subject of an Ford's future plans for electrification, Ford's Chief Transformation and Quality Officer Stuart Rowley said: “This will not be the end of the journey. "We’ll only sell electric passenger cars by 2030. We look forward to developing future plans.” Ford’s switch to electric mobility will see its Cologne plant turned into an EV manufacturing hub that will produce Ford-badged models based on the Volkswagen Group MEB platform for electric cars following a tie-up between the two companies. The first Ford model using this tech is set to go into production next year. Related links

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