Ford celebrates 40th birthday of Fiesta with special convoy

It was 40 years ago since the Fiesta – one of Ford’s more notable vehicles – first rolled off the assembly line in Valencia, Spain. To commemorate this event, the American car brand gathered 40 cars from all generations of the well-loved hatchback and drove all the way from Dagenham City to Brighton Race Course in United Kingdom (UK).

The drive was open to all Ford vehicles which ranged from the Cortina sports sedan to the Ranger pickup. As a whole, around 200 Ford vehicles joined the convoy.    

The opportunity to have these wonderful heritage vehicles lined up next to our latest Fiestas, such as the ST200, is very rare and was fully appreciated by the Ford fans that made the 69-mile journey down to the festival,” said Ford of Britain chairman and managing director, Andy Barratt.

Before its production in 1976, Henry Ford II personally chose the name ‘Fiesta’ for its alliteration with Ford and in celebration of their new connection with Spain. Sales in UK and the Fiesta's exportation to the US market began in 1977. A couple of years later, the Fiesta sold 1-million units worldwide, cementing its place as one of Ford’s most popular nameplates. It was also named the best-selling car in its class in Britain and Germany for 6-years in a row from 1977 to 1982.

In 1989, the Ford Fiesta introduced ABS as standard - the 1st in the subcompact hatchback segment. A few years later, the American brand boosted its safety features with driver airbags.

Meanwhile, the predecessor of the rounded, aerodynamic shape and oval grille we see in the latest model made its debut with the Fiesta MkIV in 1996.

Today, the Fiesta is far from the boxy looks of the 1st gen model but it is still the compact and practical hatchback. It’s now being sold locally and is loaded with technology such as hill start assist, electronic power assist steering, push-start button, rain-sensing wipers, and its award-winning 125 hp 1.0 L EcoBoost engine. 

For more information about the Ford Fiesta, visit the AutoDeal Car Guide.