Ford has announced production of its iconic Fiesta model, found to be the most popular car in the UK, will be stopped after more than four decades.
The car company confirmed reports on Wednesday that the Fiesta is being axed next year as the brand “accelerates” plans to become fully electric.
Since its first production in 1976, nearly five million Fiestas have been sold and it was ranked as the best seller on UK roads for 12 years in a row, between 2009 and 2020.
A survey this year by CarInsurance.ae also found the model to be Britain’s most popular car in 2022.
A spokesman added: “In fact, the Ford Fiesta is so popular that there are more Fiestas on the road in the UK than there are every type of Peugeot.”
Government data of registered vehicles found 1,521,680 Fiestas in the UK, with the Fiesta Zetec the most popular specification.
The Mk3 Ford Fiesta during the early 1990s (Supplied / Auto Trader)
The Fiesta was followed closely by its compatriot Ford Focus, with 1,179,024 models registered.
Despite its popularity, Ford confirmed that its production will finish at the brand’s factory in Cologne, Germany, “by the end of June 2023”. Ford will also be stopping its S-Max and Galaxy people carriers in April 2023.
In a statement, Ford said: “At Ford in Europe, we are accelerating our efforts to go all-in on electrification with our passenger vehicles being fully electric by 2030 – and all vehicles across our Ford portfolio by 2035.
“As we get ready to transition to an electric future, we will discontinue production of S-Max and Galaxy in Valencia, Spain in April 2023 and discontinue Fiesta production in Cologne, Germany by end of June 2023.”
Ford currently only sells two electric vehicles in Europe – the Mustang Mach-E SUV and E-Transit van – but is set to introduce three new passenger vehicles and four commercial vehicles in Europe by 2024. The firm says it plans to sell more than 600,000 electric vehicles in Europe by 2026.
The discontinuation of the Fiesta follows similar news about long-running Ford models. Production of the Mondeo came to an end earlier in 2022.
The first Ford Fiesta was produced in Dagenham, Essex, in 1976 and at the time they sold for £1,856.
In 2022 the Ford Fiesta has been the most advertised car on the Auto Trader marketplace, with around 108,000 separate listings.
Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto Trader said: “After 46 years and 4.8 million sales, it’s a shame to see that the end is in sight for the iconic Ford Fiesta.
“Our data shows that the Fiesta was the most advertised car on our marketplace this year with over 100,000 listings. In fact, since 2019 we’ve seen over half a million Fiestas advertised on our platform, which really does highlight just how beloved it is.”
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Keyword: Ford Fiesta: Britain’s most popular car to be axed after four decades