History of the Fiesta 1976 to 1983
The Original Fiesta
The original Fiesta (Mk1) was the result of a design project code-named "Bobcat", a project which cost Ford £550 million and was to be their first entry into the highly competitive mini/super-mini class. This was also the car that placed the company into the small, front wheel drive hatchback class.
Although production of the Fiesta began in July 1976 at the company's plant in Germany, it was not until February 1977 that the car was publicly launched in the UK. The car was immediately popular and in 1978 became the first complete car to be granted a coveted Design Council Award. By 1979 production of the Fiesta had quickly reached it's first million.
The range originally only featured the 950cc and 1100cc "East-West" versions of the old Kent engine but in September 1977 the 1300cc Kent engine was introduced in the Ghia and S models and then later used in the GL model. The Fiesta quickly rose through the UK sales charts to join the other Ford vehicles at the top. With the Cortina in first place and the Escort in second the Fiesta came in Third giving Ford the 3 most popular cars in the country at the time, an achievement that was much envied by the other UK motor companies.
1981 saw the introduction of the Popular using the 950cc engine and Popular Plus using the 950cc and 1100cc engines. August 1981 saw the end of production for the excellent Supersport model, but most importantly in December 1981 the first XR2 (see below) was introduced to the range.
1982 saw just minor changes for the Fiesta, the most important being the introduction of a new "economy" 1100cc engine. This was used in the Popular Plus, L and GL models and then in 1983 in the end-of-range special edition Fiesta Finesse. Other small changers were softer suspension, better exhaust systems, better interior trim. Ford also added a passenger side door mirror, locking fuel cap and new wheel trims.
The most surprising thing on the Mk1 range was that to have the car undersealed was an optional extra!!
Special Editions
In addition to the standard production models, many special editions were also released during the production of the Mk1 Fiesta. These were:
| Release Date | Name | No. Produced |
|---|---|---|
| August 1978 | Limited Edition | 2000 |
| December 1978 | Kingfisher | 2500 |
| March 1979 | Million | 3100 |
| December 1979 | Sandpiper | 2500 |
| January 1979 | Jubilee | 60 |
| July 1980 | Fire Fly | 2000 |
| March 1981 | Sandpiper II | 4000 |
| June 1981 | Bravo | 3000 |
| June 1981 | 1300L | 2000 |
| April 1982 | Bravo II | 4000 |
| December 1982 | Carnival | 3000 |
| January 1983 | Quartz | 7000 |
| April 1983 | Finesse | 12000 |
Production of the Mk1 Fiesta ceased in August 1983 to make way for the new "face-lift" Mk1 or Mk2 as it is more commonly known. By the time production of the Mk1 ceased, the Fiesta had dropped to 5th in the UK sales chart but was still boasting sales of over 100,000 per year.
