Owning a Ford was an emotional experience for me. It was my first car and it brought pain and pleasure in equal measure.
The first pain was the price… equivalent to about four months of a cadet reporter’s salary (even if the loan came interest-free from the Bank of Mom and Dad).
The second was when a protruding piece of metal in the driver’s seat ripped my Levi’s as I got in. The third was when I discovered, thanks to a mechanically minded friend, Ian, that the top of the Weber carburettor had been tied on with wire… which, when removed, saw the side of the float chamber collapse.
The pleasures of a 1965 Cortina GT were many, though. There was a rasp from the slightly “hotted up” 1.5-litre pushrod motor; there were the racing dials (speedo and rev counter directly ahead and fuel, water temp, oil pressure and volts in small gauges in the centre of the dash); the stainless steel kickplates under the doors; the small, drilled steering wheel. And most of all, the shot of adrenalin when the wobbly speedo needle hit the ton (100mph or 160km/h).
Even though that was a worse lie than “I’ll call you in the morning”, it was satisfying.
The fourth and final pain of Cortina ownership for me was seeing it on its belly in a police yard, having been stolen and recovered three days previously. The wheels were gone.
I could deal with that – and the fact that they had nicked the steering wheel, ancilliary gauges and even the kickplates. I wasn’t even deterred by the missing starter motor, generator or newly replaced Weber and manifold when I lifted the bonnet. Wondering if they had left the spare wheel, I opened the boot to find… no fuel tank.
I sold it for peanuts to a friend who was racing it within two weeks. I still have a photo of it cocking a front inside wheel on a corner as he thrashed it around a circuit.
So the Ford Fiesta ST brought back a bit of the Ford nostalgia for me. Like the Cortina, it was cheap, it was fast and it was based on an “ordinary” model. But there the similarities ended.
This Fiesta is seriously quick: it will hit 100km/h in just under eight seconds in Gauteng and will sip less than 7 litres/100km if you drive it reasonably. It also has ABS brakes, aircon, a good sound system and racing seats (which don’t have protruding pieces of metal).
The Cortina would take the best part of 14 seconds to get to 60mph (96km/h) and, if you were gentle, on a good day, would give 30mpg (9 litres/100km).
In its day, the Cortina GT had no competition when it came to bang for buck. Mini Coopers were pricier and tiny; Alfas were horrendously expensive and needed to be wooed rather than driven.
SPOILED FOR CHOICE
Today, though, the Fiesta (134kW and R254 000) is in a competitive market: the B division hot hatch sector. That’s where you find the Peugeot 208 GTi (147kW and R262 000); VW Polo GTI (132kW and R290 000), Opel Corsa OPC (141kW and R288 000) and MINI Cooper S (135kW and R303 000).
For the money, the ST is great value. It goes like a scalded cat, although slightly beaten by the Peugeot, and its handling is track-sharp, although at the expense of a ride which is noticeably harder than in its lower-powered siblings.
In that category, though, I would take the Peugeot, which is a much more sophisticated, smoother ride without compromising the speed and fun factors. It is also better-equipped than the Ford. But the Fiesta ST is a good, no, a great, car.
And the great thing these days is that Ford’s keys and anti-theft systems make it less likely you’ll find it on its belly in a police yard. -Saturday Star
FACTS
Engine:1.6 four-cylinder, inline, turbocharged, 134kW.
Fuel requirement:95 octane unleaded petrol.
Fuel consumption: In the city, where it is tempting to use the power, you will get around 10 litres/100km, but stay at the national speed limit on the highway and you’ll get just under 7 litres/100km. Considering the power and fun available, that’s a good deal.
CO2:138g/km (official figure).