By: IOL Motoring Staff
Ford's European division got all nostalgic this week as it celebrated the 40th anniversary of its first Fiesta rolling off the assembly line although South Africans will not be entirely familiar with its heritage given that Ford's baby has only been a part of our motoring scene for the last 19 years.
By the time it hit our shores in 1997, the Fiesta was already in its fourth generation, with the first having gone into production in Valencia, Spain in 1976. The Fiesta name was personally chosen by Henry Ford II, not only as a tribute to the country building it or the fun spirit it was meant to convey but also because he liked the alliteration going on with the Ford brand name.
Conceived in the wake of the 1970s energy crisis to rival popular compacts like the Renault 5 and Fiat 127, the Fiesta paved the way for a new era as it was Ford's first successful front-wheel drive car, having sold a million units by the end of the '70s. In 1981 it got in on the hot hatch action with the XR2, powered by a 1.6-litre engine and featuring racier styling and firmer suspension.
The second-generation hit the scene in 1983, offering a similar formula in a more aerodynamic package and introducing diesel power for the first time. The third-generation of 1989 was all new from the ground up and, very sensibly, also brought a five-door option to the range for the first time.
South Africa finally gets the Fiesta
It was only in 1997 that South Africans got their first taste of the Fiesta, in the form of the fourth generation that had been launched in Europe a year earlier and at first the only engine option was a rather modest 1.3-litre Endura E unit, later replaced by Ford’s 1.4 PTE. It was a well-rounded car nonetheless and walked away with South Africa's Car of the Year trophy in 1998.
Ford facelifted the Fiesta in 2000, replacing its fishy face with a more vibrant design inspired by the then-new Focus and SA models were also spiced up on the performance front when the locally-built and exported 1.6-litre Rocam engine became available in certain models. A sedan variant called the Ikon also joined the range, while a locally-designed bakkie version became SA’s third-generation Bantam in 2002.
ST adds some spice to the mix
SA production of the Fiesta hatch ended the following year as the bigger, safer and more refined fifth-generation Fiesta hit local shores as a full import and fast Ford fans rejoiced in 2005 when the 110kW 2-litre ST flew in.
The Fiesta took another decisive step upmarket with the Mk6 in 2008, while also boasting a stylish new design inspired by the Verve concept of 2007. ST fans would have to wait until the 2013 facelift for their fix but Ford rewarded their patience with the first turbo-charged Fiesta ST, featuring a potent 134kW 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine.
Talking turbos, the 2013 update also brought an advanced new 1-litre three-cylinder EcoBoost, which is astoundingly powerful for its size with 92kW on tap.
The latest-shape Fiesta has also proven its mettle on the local rally circuits, with the S2000-spec Fiesta having won three national championships thus far.