The 10 millionth Fiesta has been driven off the production line in Cologne, setting a record for what Ford claims is the most successful European small car ever. The Fiesta now joins an exclusive club of cars with eight-digit production totals, including Ford’s own Escort and Model T and the original rear-engined Volkswagen Beetle, still made in Mexico.
The Fiesta was launched in 1976 and the compact hatchback (recently morphed into the Ikon saloon for developing markets such as India) has been among the top 10 best selling cars in Europe since the late 1970s.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
It led the small car segment in the UK for 24 years and has been a best-seller in each individual major European market since it was first launched.
Over its 25-year history, the Fiesta has been manufactured at plants in Cologne and Saarlouis, Germany, Dagenham, UK and Valencia, Spain and assembled from CKD kits in other locations.
First announced by Henry Ford II, the Fiesta established its first record even before it reached customers with the then highest product investment (around $US1bn) of any Ford in Europe.
The unique 1970s design combined minimal exterior measurements – the car was just 3.56m long – with generous space for passengers and luggage. Extremely low fuel consumption – in the era of repeated fuel crises – was a competitive advantage.
Some 500,000 Fiestas were built in the first 18 months of production alone.
However, the current model, despite a major facelift in 1995, is now a decade old. The long-awaited all-new replacement is due to debut at the Frankfurt motor show in September.
To view related research reports, please follow the links below:- The world’s car manufacturers: A financial and operating review |
