Ford Fiesta production ends today 07/072023

[FairmontGS]

Ford Fiesta production ends today

The final Ford Fiesta will roll off the production line today. It brings 47 years and eight generations of the Fiesta to an end.

The final two Fiestas will remain with Ford. One will join the firm’s international heritage fleet, based at the Cologne, Germany, plant where the model was produced, and the other is bound for the UK heritage fleet.

The Fiesta was axed because the brand “needed the space in the factory” to produce the upcoming Ford Explorer electric SUV, Martin Sander, general manager of Ford Model E Europe, told Automotive Daily Network partner Autocar in December 2022.

Ford Fiesta axed to make space for new electric cars in Cologne

https://www.autodaily.com.au/ford-fi...on-ends-today/

[kevino]

Ford got their money out of that platform
2008/2023

And I guess the platform lives on in current Puma

[Fordman1]

A Sad day for some around the world.

Fiesta 2023 Inc ST

Escort back in the day

Focus RS & ST

The Ford hot hatch is dead, and a Focus RS or an Escort BDA or RS1600 / RS1800 would be a treasure

[DJM83]

Dunno what you've got till its gone eh?
And more EV rubbish in their place.
Focus gone.
Fiesta gone.
Not a car in the line up id buy now, probably hasnt been for a while.
Wouldnt mind a MK2 Focus RS though ill admit.

[Syndrome]

For a brand which one held 30% of the Australian new car market.................

[hackney]

Real shame, great little cars! Puma is now the ‘new’ Fiesta!

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by DJM83

Dunno what you've got till its gone eh?
And more EV rubbish in their place.
Focus gone.
Fiesta gone.
Not a car in the line up id buy now, probably hasnt been for a while.
Wouldnt mind a MK2 Focus RS though ill admit.

Spot on - and the best hot (and regular) hatches in the game.

No one came close to making the cars that Ford Europe did,

Unfortunately it ends my association with the brand as well.

[FairmontGS]

My little rocket with improvements...

[Fordman1]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Spot on - and the best hot (and regular) hatches in the game.

No one came close to making the cars that Ford Europe did,

Unfortunately it ends my association with the brand as well.

I’m with you Franco

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by FairmontGS

My little rocket with improvements...

image

I think I win the record for most beaten on Focus on AFF:



In the line for the drag strip at AFF Heathcote

Its still alive, with 235,000km on the clock, its tired though.

Shame they discontinued their hatches, I've put mine through hell, the family has a WS Fiesta CL, WZ Fiesta ST and my LV Focus that were all bought new.

The WS CL was my first car, I started working at 15, saved up enough spondoolies to buy it new at 17 so it kind of sucks to see the car that got you into the brand family disappear, but I guess thats like the Falcon.

I feel like one of those Valiant enthusiasts who is adamant cars died in 1980 - they died in 2016 as far as I'm concerned and the end of the Focus (in Australia) and the Fiesta cements my thinking

[Fordman1]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

I think I win the record for most beaten on Focus on AFF:

image

In the line for the drag strip at AFF Heathcote

Its still alive, with 235,000km on the clock, its tired though.

Shame they discontinued their hatches, I've put mine through hell, the family has a WS Fiesta CL, WZ Fiesta ST and my LV Focus that were all bought new.

The WS CL was my first car, I started working at 15, saved up enough spondoolies to buy it new at 17 so it kind of sucks to see the car that got you into the brand family disappear, but I guess thats like the Falcon.

I feel like one of those Valiant enthusiasts who is adamant cars died in 1980 - they died in 2016 as far as I'm concerned and the end of the Focus (in Australia) and the Fiesta cements my thinking

I need to have a think about the demise of Ford Australia’s hot hatch / small car legacy, it makes me sad, very sad.

I’ll post against when I can put together what I think, right now it’s all depressing.

[Sprintey]

Read a Puma review today and it's got more poke and far better handling than the competition in it's segment, and it's competitively priced. Seems the Ford Europe DNA lives on.

Oh there was a time - that early Fiesta, the rounded Focus, the way the AU pointed, the bespoke Tickford suspension tuning, the Territory's ride/handling balance - Ford were all over drivers' cars. It was an exciting time.

Pretty soon we'll all be driving huge heavy slab battery skateboards with a movement space attached.

[hackney]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Spot on - and the best hot (and regular) hatches in the game.

No one came close to making the cars that Ford Europe did,

Unfortunately it ends my association with the brand as well.

Many,many moons ago I use to own a Ford Escort Lotus Twin cam, & also later a V6 Capri! Great years! Boy could that Twin cam Escort fly!!

[hackney]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

Read a Puma review today and it's got more poke and far better handling than the competition in it's segment, and it's competitively priced. Seems the Ford Europe DNA lives on.

Oh there was a time - that early Fiesta, the rounded Focus, the way the AU pointed, the bespoke Tickford suspension tuning, the Territory's ride/handling balance - Ford were all over drivers' cars. It was an exciting time.

Pretty soon we'll all be driving huge heavy slab battery skateboards with a movement space attached.

Ford have always been ‘masters’ at suspension tuning & great chassis.My little Fiesta ‘S’ Ecoboost is like a train on tracks.

[PepeLePew]

What a cracker the Mk8 Fez was too. Falcon used to be my default desire from my other default blue oval. Then Euro fun. Then life moved me to a XR5 which is still awesome piece of kit all these years later. What now. Nah. No idea. Thank you Henry for the affordable every day peoples (sorry right mid Henry's bio right now Watts version) car.

[asagaai]

When a Uni student in Melbourne my Dad said I could not buy a 6 or V8, had to be a 4 cylinder even though I worked for it and saved and bought it.

Anyway, I bought a Mk 11 1600 GT Cortina, which had a suspension built for rally car racing. The engine was only mildly worked though. Bought a rally shop built 1600 with double side draft webbers, big cam, ported head and bigger valves, swapped engines, fun times. That shut the old man up when I took him for a blast one morning.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, ever kept up with me on dirt roads. Anyway me looking at a pretty well endowed blonde bending over in the garden instead of the road ended up in that car being totalled.

Marriage meant driving fridges like Camrys, and then a Honda Euro, but nothing was like the visceral rawness of the Corty GT.

Then got the Falcon FGX and it had the visceral rawness, but still does not have the fun factor of the Corty GT.

When my Falcon was in for a service the dealer gave me a Ford Focus for the day, it was auto but it was a blast, and then I discovered it only have a 1.5 turbo- was amazed it produced such torque.

Anyway that got me thinking, and I realised I could get that 1.5 litre with higher spec tune and manual in smaller car- the Mk8 Fiesta ST. This car has the same fun puppy dog playfulness of the Corty GT, just a lot more comfortable and refined.

This morning was sitting having a coffee with my partner at the best coffee Cafe in Speers Point, and a red corvette C8 pulled up right outside. And I was amazed how big it is- its a really big car.

And -this may sound wacky, I had no feelings of envy, happy with my Fiesta ST, I like the small size, amazing handling, feeling inside you are driving a solid "bigger" car, and on the go torque pull-just a fun small go kart.

Yes- a big car with massive power has a place, but so does a small punchy go kart.

Sad day for me as a huge part of Ford to me means great small go karts with punch, handling and fun factor. NOTHING in the Ford stable interests me in the slightest now.

[naddis01]

Lanhams Motors in Griffith still have a new ST in green if anyone is interested.