It's officially the "end of an era" as the last ever Ford Fiesta has been built after years as Britain's favourite car.
Named the best-selling car in Britain for 12 years in a row from 2009 to 2020, The Ford Fiesta model had around 1.5 million registered keepers on record in 2022. On Friday, July 7, Ford manufactured the last ever model, marking an end to its 47-year production run.
One of the reasons why Ford is scrapping the model, which has amassed 4.8million sales in the UK and around 20 million sales globally, is due to its "accelerated" efforts to go electric, The Mirror reports. It comes ahead of a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in 2030 and the soaring costs of car parts and a surge in the popularity for SUVs are also thought to be contributing factors behind the decision.
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The Mirror reported how the final units would to emerge from the brand's Cologne factory in Germany. According to reports by This is Money, the company plan to keep the last two Fiestas coming off the line. One is also to remain in Germany as part of its international fleet while the final right-hand-drive model will be kept by Ford UK as part of its heritage collection.
ECHO readers have since shared their reaction to the news and fond memories of their Ford Fiestas through the years. To many, it was their first ever car.
On our Liverpool ECHO Facebook page, Tom Reddy said: "My first car, 1977 fiesta. Great little runner." John Pryde-Jarman wrote: "I've had three over the years brilliant cars, easy to drive and hold the road very well and had a good mpg and I had four kids which was great for when they were young."
Claire Fearns posted: "Loved my Fiesta one of the best cars I've had." Joanne Barker posted: "So sad, best cars ever made, all of mine lasted years and always passed their MOTs. Such a reliable car. Hope the one I’ve got now has many years in it if it’s going to be difficult to get another."
Does this awaken any memories for you? Let us know in the comments section below.
Emma Dean commented: "My first car was a ford fiesta D reg xxx." Simon Bennett commented: "My first car." Netty N Mick Wood commented: "One of my first cars." Thomas Landström said: "I miss my Fiesta." Michelle Oldroyd said: "Popular car, always had fiestas. Why end it !!." Lorraine Worrall said: "Oh no. End of an era."
Carol Gillham wrote: "What a shame I loved my little Esther the fiesta, hardly anything ever went wrong with it best car ever!." Paul Robinson posted: "Yes, worked on Fiesta in Dagenham in 1997, best seller. 88 cars an hour off production line, white very popular. Had a few myself, very reliable, never let me down."
Sue Hollingsworth commented: "My son has just got the last automatic Fiesta ever to be built." And Barbara Hewis wrote: "Mine has just died."
The news was confirmed by the company's general manager of Ford Model e Europe Martin Sander in a tweet last year. He said: "As one era ends next summer, another is just starting.
"#FarewellFiesta, it’s time to say goodbye to the little car that has touched us all – thanks for all the memories. But honestly, I can’t wait to show you what we’ve got coming. #EVs #ElectricVehicles Stay tuned!"
It's not just the Ford Fiesta which has seen the axe, in April the manufacturer also discontinued production of the S-MAX and Galaxy in Valencia, Spain. It has also already axed its Mondeo and the Ford Focus will no longer be manufactured from 2025.
The Ford Fiesta was initially developed in response to the 1973 oil crisis, which saw the price of fuel rocket and motorists needing a more economically efficient car. The Fiesta was later produced in Germany, although the first model was manufactured in the summer of 1976 in the UK in Dagenham, Essex.
The car quickly won the hearts of Brits and continued to over the following decades. The model was named the best-selling car in Britain for 12 years in a row, from 2009 to 2020 and with over 1.5m registered keepers on record in 2022 according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) it is the most common car on UK roads even today.
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Ford plan to only produce electric cars by 2030 and all the vehicles it makes are to be electric by 2035. In a statement, Ford previously said: "We will introduce three new exciting electric passenger vehicles and four new electric commercial vehicles in Europe by 2024."
“We plan to sell more than 600,000 electric vehicles in the region by 2026, and the electric passenger vehicle production at the Cologne Electrification Centre will reach 1.2 million vehicles over a six-year timeframe.”
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