Ford Fiesta, 45 years among us

The Ford Fiesta is a really important model for the Spanish car industry and above all, for many Valencian families. It has become a symbol in its own right and its name, in Spanish, says a lot about the car. The "Bobcat" project, from which the Fiesta derives, had the approval of Henry Ford II in 1972 and arises as a response to the different launches of the main rivals in the market. 

It was precisely in 1972 that the Renault 5, a car that needs no introduction and that invented, or almost, the utility segment as we know it. Until that moment, the utility vehicles were basically the Renault 4 or Citroën 2CV, cars that can be considered authentic “SUVs” if we base ourselves on the concept of car that the current “Sport Utility Vehicles” try to represent. In front of them, The Renault 5 and all the rivals that came later, such as the Ford Fiesta, were an adaptation of this type of vehicle to the big cities, civilize it some would say.  

At first, the idea was to create a car that would take on BMC's Mini, but curiously, the cost assessment dismissed the project and led it to what would eventually become the Ford Fiesta. A car that was much more than it seems, although it had one of the most important cars in history in front of it. The Ford Fiesta was a very risky bet by the American firm, because to begin with, it had no experience with cars of this type and it would also be responsible for opening the Almussafes factory in Valencia. The Ford Fiesta is the smallest car the Yankees had put up for sale up to that point, and it was also the brand's first mass-selling front-wheel drive.. 

It was called Fiesta influenced by the premiere of the Valencia factory

The design of the Ford Fiesta was carried out by Tom Tjaarda, who in those years worked for Ghia and it was a resounding success from the first moment. In less than three years of commercialization, one million units were manufactured, although not all of them left Valencia, as it was also assembled in Dagenham, United Kingdom and in Cologne, Germany. When the project was launched, it was intended to manufacture half a million units annually. We are talking about figures that are currently moving, with much greater production capacities and with a much larger market capable of absorbing that level of production.  

Notably units that were destined for the US market left the German plant in Cologne. It had different finishes called Base, Decor, Sport and Ghia, it only had one engine, a Kent Crossflow 1.6 with catalyst to pass the Californian emissions tests (always very demanding) and some changes to adapt it to Yankee tastes. Meanwhile, in Europe it was marketed with different engines: 957, 1.100 and 1.300 cubic centimeters. Highlight the 1.3 Super Sport and the XR-2, appeared in 1980 and 1981 respectively. 

One of the things that most attracts attention in the history of the Ford Fiesta was the number of denominations that were considered before its commercialization. Some of them could have been a bad idea in Spain, like Bebe, Bambi or Amigo. There were also things on the list like Bolero, Cherie, Chico, Forito (one of the several nicknames that he ended up having in Spain), Metro or even Pony. However, apparently the favorite was Bravo, but Henry Ford II said he wanted to call it Fiesta (obviously influenced by the opening of the plant in Valencia), but General Motors had the trademarked name for a trim level for oldsmobile models. However, he gave the name to Ford totally free, which is rare. 

More than 17 million units in 45 years of history

The production of the Ford Fiesta started in 1976, the same year that the Valencian plant in Almussafes was inaugurated, automatically becoming the national benchmark when it comes to vehicle manufacturing and one of the main production centers in Europe. It was a very strong commitment to Spain and Europe, since we were not only talking about the start-up of a new factory, an atypical car had to be developed in the catalog of the North American firm. 

However, Ford has been the American manufacturer that has best known how to adapt to the European market. In fact, it is fair to admit that it was the only one able to sell its cars with solvency in the Old Continent until the arrival of Jeep. Neither Chrysler, which tried several times, nor Dodge, although Barreiros manufactured and marketed models of the American firm, were able to achieve Ford acceptance. It is also true that the "FoMoCo" (Ford Motor Company) landed in Spain in the 20s with the Model T and its different variants. First in Cádiz, then in Barcelona (a plant that eventually became Nissan's). 

The “Bobcat” project, which turned out to be our beloved Ford Fiesta, began as a secret project and came to be supervised by Henry Ford II himself. In the end, the chosen concept and the name given to the car were a success. He has been with us no less than 45 years and it does not seem that it will disappear anytime soon. It has already undergone a minor transformation in its “Active” version, launched in 2018 and whose main argument is greater ground clearance and plastic protections to give it a more “country” look. Users demand this type of car and manufacturers, in the end, give it to them. 

So far, after 45 years of production, More than 17 million units have been put into circulation, five million of which came from Valencia. The Fiesta was manufactured in Valencia until 2012, when Ford chose the Spanish factory for the production of the first generation of the Kuga and the Transit Connect.