The much-loved Ford Fiesta supermini – and its sporty ST spin-off – will bow out for good in the summer of 2023.
With the rush towards SUVs, crossovers, and electric cars having a major impact upon the modern car industry, Ford has chosen to cast aside a number of its established models. First to go was the Mondeo, then news broke that the Focus will also be shelved in 2025. Sadly, the cull hasn’t stopped there.
It’s been a great 47 years for the Ford Fiesta, but now the party is officially coming to an end, with the final examples set to roll off Cologne’s production line in 2023.
On top of that, the Galaxy and S-Max MPVs aren’t long for this world either, but you’ll forgive us for not focusing too much on them. Instead, the Fiesta – and more specifically, the Fiesta ST hot hatch – are likely to leave bigger holes in the hearts of car enthusiasts.
When you look at the current Fiesta’s sales figures though, the decision seems an inevitable one. Stellantis’ impressive reinterpretation of the Vauxhall Corsa has proved far more popular in the supermini segment recently, and even within Ford’s own walls, the Puma crossover has soaked up much of the Fiesta’s former customer base.
Still, this news was always bound to feel a little harsh given how important the car has been for Ford over the years.
The story started way back in 1976, and ever since, the little Ford has been a feature of every British street. A favourite first car amongst young drivers, I’m sure many of you reading this will have fond memories of the nameplate. Even for people with little interest in cars, the Fiesta is likely to have made its mark – after all, it’s estimated that around 20 million of them have been produced over those four decades!
It wasn’t just loved for its accessibility either. The Ford Fiesta was a genuinely good car, especially the later ones, with handling traits that elevated it above many of its rivals. And as for the ST models, well those truly were special. Of course, they don’t have the outright performance figures to match the more prestigious sports cars that the world has to offer, but as far as fun goes, the Fiesta ST was magic. Check out our review of the latest one here.
Fast Fiestas aren’t just a recent phenomenon though. Prior to the ST family tree, readers of a certain age will fondly remember the XR2s and RS Turbos that ran riot in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Whatever the year or spec, the Fiesta has long been a go-to project car for those of us on tighter budgets, so we’ve featured quite a number of them in our time! Anyway, thanks Fiesta, it was fun while it all lasted.
While we wait to see what Ford’s electric future looks like, we’ll leave you with this rather heartfelt farewell video. Whoever’s cutting onions in here really needs to stop…
