Ford Fiesta Mk1 |
The Fiesta was originally developed under the project name Bobcat and was approved for development by Henry Ford II in September 1972. Development targets included a production cost US$100 less than the current Escort and the car was to have a wheelbase longer than that of the Fiat 127, but with an overall length shorter than that of the Escort. The final proposal was developed by Tom Tjaarda at Ghia. The project was approved for production in December 1973, with Ford's engineering centres in Cologne and Dunton (Essex) collaborating. The motoring press had begun speculating about the existence of the Bobcat project since 1973, but it was not until December 1975 that Ford officially announced it as the Fiesta. A Fiesta was on display at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June 1976, and a few rallies. The car was officially launched in the UK on February 2, 1977, where it was available from £1,856 for the basic 950 cc-engined model. The millionth Fiesta was produced in 1979. The car was initially available in Europe with the Valencia 957 cc and 1,117 cc engines and in Base, Popular, L, GL (1978 onward), Ghia and S trim, as well as a van. A sporting derivative (1.3 L Supersport) was offered in Europe for the 1980 model year, using the 1.3 L Kent Crossflow engine, effectively to test the market for the similar XR2 introduced a year later, which featured a 1.6 L version of the same engine. Black trim was added to the exterior and interior. The small square headlights were replaced with larger circular ones resulting in the front indicators being moved into the bumper to accommodate the change. With a quoted performance of 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) in 9.3 seconds and 105 mph (169 km/h) top speed, the XR2 hot hatch became a cult car beloved of boy racers throughout the 1980s. The MkII Fiesta replaced the Mk1 in 1983. |
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Last Edit: 12/06/2024 | Page Added 01/01/2023 |