You may have heard the Ford Fiesta is coming to the end of its long and successful life. Interest in the Fiesta is at an all-time high with internet searches for the model booming.
So to celebrate this great little car’s demise, we thought we’d do a special quiz all about it. See how much information about Britain’s favourite car you’ve picked up.
Results
Well done! All the commentary about the Fiesta has certainly sunk in. There were a couple of tricky questions in this but you certainly seem to have coped with them.
Bad luck! We hope you learnt something. And there’s bound to be plenty more talk about the Fiesta as it’s phased out over the coming year.
#1. How many generations of Ford Fiesta have there been?
This is a controversial one. The model often referred to as Mk5 is actually the facelifted Mk4 from 1999. The ‘New Edge’ design wasn’t particularly popular and the actual Mk5 was launched in 2002. When people say there have been eight different variations, they’re including the facelifted Mk4 as a model in its own right. We don’t, so the answer is seven generations.
#2. When was the first Fiesta launched?
The Fiesta, or Project Bobcat as it was known, started life in 1972. The finished car was launched in 1976, the same year that James Hunt won the F1 World Championship and Brotherhood of Man (Save all your kisses for me, if you’re interested) won the Eurovision Song Contest. It went on sale in the UK in 1977.
#3. How much did the cheapest Fiesta cost when it was launched?
The basic Fiesta, simply called Fiesta, cost £1,856 on its launch. The more upmarket L model was £2,079 and the top-of-the-range Ghia a heady £2,657.
#4. What does the word Fiesta mean in Spanish?
It means Party. The name was apparently chosen by big boss Henry Ford II. The marketing department wanted to call the car Bravo but Henry Ford chose Fiesta because it alliterated with Ford and chimed with the Fiesta’s fun image. The Fiesta was built in Spain which helped too.
#5. The Fiesta has won a single World Rally Championship manufacturers’ title. When?
It was 2017 when Sébastien Ogier won the drivers’ title in a Fiesta WRC. The Fiesta took the manufacturers’ title that year too. Ogier also won the drivers’ title in 2018 but the Fiesta could only come third in the manufacturers’ championship.
#6. When was the Fiesta last Britain’s best-selling car?
The Fiesta was Britain’s best-selling car from 2012 until 2020. It was overtaken by long-standing rival the Vauxhall Corsa in 2021 and even finished outside the top 10 of best-selling cars in the UK.
#7. How many Fiestas have been sold around the world?
It has sold more than 22 million models worldwide. As well as the UK, the Fiesta is also sold in Europe, the US, Canada, Mexico, Thailand and China.
#8. The Fiesta is the best-selling Ford in the UK. Which model did it overtake in 2014?
It overtook the Escort which sold 4.1m cars between 1968 and 1998. So far (in 2022) there have been 4.5 million Fiestas sold in the UK alone since 1977.
#9. Which of the following combinations of famous Fords have won the European Car of the Year award?
Astonishingly for all its sales success and critical acclaim, the Fiesta has never been European Car of the Year. All the other models mentioned have won ECOTY so the answer is 2.
#10. What does the Fiesta have in common with the Ferrari 365 California and DeTomaso Pantera?
They were all designed by the same man: American Tom Tjaarda. He worked for Italian design house Pininfarina.
#11. Fiesta is Ford’s first front-wheel drive car.
It’s true. Until the Fiesta was launched, every production Ford was rear-wheel drive.
#12. Which was the first Fiesta to be available in three and five-door versions?
The Fiesta was only available as a three door until the third generation came about in 1989, 13 years after its initial launch.