The Ford Fiesta: A Pint-Sized Hatchback with a Big Impact
As I sit here, you guys can always count on me to have a party in my pants, but that's not nearly as good as a fiesta en mis pantalones. Welcome back to the show, d-holes! This is everything you need to know to get up to speed on the Ford Fiesta.
As early as 1963, the Ford company was thinking about making a world car, but the time wasn't right until 1972 when the little Fiat 127 and Renault 5 hatchbacks became huge hits with buyers. And then the 1973 oil embargo happened. I know that some of you just groaned on the toilet, but what can I do? It happened, so gas got expensive, and the time was finally right to make an economy car.
Ford's popular Escort was rear wheel drive, and there were plans to make it bigger in the future. So there was room in the lineup for a smaller front wheel drive model. The deuce himself, Henry Ford II, gave the orders to put one into production. Hey, guys, remember that small car we were talking about? Uh-huh (sips drink). Yeah, the front wheel drive one (sips drink). Yeah, I think it's time to put it into production (sighs). Good work, deuce. Good work.
A massive new factory was constructed in Spain to build the new model with help from other plants in the UK and West Germany. The design was drawn up by Tom Jarduhand Carrozzeria Ghia. He'd worked on the DeTomaso Pantera a few years earlier, so he definitely knew how to draw cars pretty good (chuckles). What they came up with was a small, well-proportioned three-door hatchback with clean, simple lines, but however cool it looked, it still needed a name.
The Ford marketing department wanted to call it the Bravo, but the deuce personally shot that down. In a nod to the factory in Valencia, Spain, he wanted to call it something more fun, like the Spanish word for party. Fiesta, baby! Brand new Ford Fiesta, Supermini went on sale in Europe in the fall of 1976 and quickly became an essential part of Ford Europe's business.
The Ford Fiesta. It's a very advanced baby. But in the U.S., that class of cars was only just starting to take off in the late 70s. The Volkswagen Rabbit and Honda Civic were selling like hot cakes, and Ford had nothing in the states to compete. So they threw on a catalytic converter, put on some big bumpers, side markers, to get the Fiesta past U.S. safety and emissions standards and started shipping them over in 1978.
Europe's most successful new car in history comes to America. Introducing Fiesta. Now let's be honest. Fiestas were never fast. They had small four-cylinder Ford Kent engines making barely 50 horsepower. The average horsepower of a new car today is 230. The lowest trim could barely hit 80 miles per hour while the top of the line might go 90. But the American versions got slightly bigger engines because that's how we do it here (chuckles).
The Fiesta had better suspension than its competitors, and it was smaller and lighter than the Rabbit, weighing in only at 1,700 pounds. People who have marked one Fiestas will tell you they're more fun than Rabbits. Instrumental music plays as the narrator continues.
Mark one, mark two, mark three, mark four. The abbreviation for this is MK, but don't say MK1. Don't say MK2. Say mark one, mark two, mark three, and everyone at the cars and coffee will be like,
WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en(car engine revving)- From affordable transportation totossable tuners, this pint sized hatchbackis one of Ford's best selling carsof all time.Look, you guys, there's always a partyin my pants, but that's not nearlyas good as a fiesta en mis pantalones.Welcome back to the show, d-holes,this is everything you need to knowto get up to speed on theFord Fiesta (giggles).(fiesta music)As early at 1963, the Ford companywas thinking about making a world car,but the time wasn't right until 1972when the little Fiat 127 and Renault 5hatchbacks became huge hits with buyers.And then the 1973 oil embargo happened.I know that some of you just groanedon the toilet, but what can I do?It happened.So, yeah, gas got expensive, and the timewas finally right to make an economy car.Ford's popular Escortwas rear wheel drive,and there were plans to makeit bigger in the future.So there was room in the lineupfor a smaller front wheel drive model.The deuce himself, Henry Ford II,gave the orders to putone into production.Hey, guys, remember that smallcar we were talking about?Uh-huh (sips drink).Yeah, the front wheeldrive one (sips drink).Yeah, I think it's timeto put it into production.(sighs) Good work, deuce.Good work.A massive new factorywas constructed in Spainto build the new model with helpfrom other plants inthe UK and West Germany.The design was drawn up Tom Jar-duhand Carrozzeria Ghia.He'd worked on the DeTomasoPantera a few years earlier,so he definitely know to drawcars pretty good (chuckles).(car engine revving)What they came up with wasa small, well proportionedthree door hatchbackwith clean, simple lines,but however cool it looked,it still needed a name.The Ford marketing departmentwanted to call it the Bravo,but the deuce personally shot that down.In a nod to the factoryin Valencia, Spain,he wanted to call it something more funlike the Spanish word for party.Fiesta, baby.Brand new Ford FiestaSupermini went on salein Europe in the fall of1976 and quickly becamean essential part ofFord Europe's business.- The Ford Fiesta.It's a very advanced baby.- But in the U.S., that class of carswas only just starting totake off in the late 70s.The Volkswagen Rabbit and Honda Civicwere selling like hot cakes, and Fordhad nothing in the states to compete.So they threw on a catalytic converter,they put on some bigbumpers, side markers,to get the Fiesta past U.S.Safety and Emissions Standardsand started shipping them over in 1978.- Europe's most successfulnew car in history comes to America.Introducing Fiesta.- Now let's be honest.Fiestas were never fast.They had small four cylinder Ford Kentengines making barely 50 horsepower.The average horsepower ofa new car today is 230.The lowest trim couldbarely hit 80 miles per hourwhile the top of the line might go 90.But the American versionsgot slightly bigger enginesbecause that's how wedo it here (chuckles).The Fiesta had bettersuspension than its competitors,and it was smaller andlighter than the Rabbit,weighing in only at 1,700 pounds.People who have mark oneFiestas will tell youthey're more fun than Rabbits.(instrumental music)Mark one, mark two, mark three, mark four.The abbreviation for this is MK,but don't say MK1.Don't say MK2.Say mark one, mark two, mark three,and everyone at the cars and coffeewill be like, "Damn, thiskid knows his stuff."The car was a success, andFord sold a million Fiestasby 1980, but you'd neverknow it in the statesbecause it was gone fromhere by the end of that year.Americans just weren't that into them,and the bigger Escorttook its place in 1981.But also in 1980, Europe started gettingthe first of the hot Fiestas.Woo, it's getting hot in here.(car engine revving)Gary Kose, a local in theDetroit auto industry,presented Ford with asketch drawn by Harry Weeks.Harry Weeks.Girls, you know who I'm talking about.Sometimes you just have a hairy week.(Kristina laughs)The design was a green and gray hatchbackwith racy fenders and anintegrated front air dam.None of that stuff made it to production.But Ford didn't stop thinking about it,and eventually they asked father and son,Donald and Jeff Healey, if they wantedto (beep) with a Fiesta.And if the name Healey sounds familiar,it's because those guysinvented those shoeswith the wheels in the soles.Also, they were part of the Britishsports car company, Austin-Healey.So Donald and Jeff said,"Hell, yeah, mate,"and whipped a hot boyBritish racing green machineout of the U.S. spec 1977 Fiesta.They rung out 40% more horsepurrs out of the engine.Bigger wheels and stiffer suspension.Road and Track put it on theircover and said it was sick,but unfortunately, theHealeys didn't finish ituntil Ford was already pulling the Fiestaout of the U.S. market, and only oneHealey Fiesta was ever made.Lucky for Europe, though,the 1980 Fiesta Supersportwas testing the watersfor an even hotter one.In 1981, XR2 with a 1.6 literengine, sporty black trim,and round headlightsinstead of square ones.The XR2 was the first Fiestato reach 100 miles per hourand the first to officially become worthyof car enthusiasts' crushes.(car engine revving)With the Fiesta, i.e.party, officially deadin the states, other parts of the worldgot the second generation in 1983.The XR2 was also updatedfor mark two form,but Ford didn't make anyquicker version than that.They didn't want to cannibalize the salesof their performance Escort models.If you want to learn more about those,we already did an upto speed on the Escort.I'm gonna put a link inthe description below.Otherwise, not much changedin the Fiesta world.They made a diesel.(car engine revving)Without an OEM hot version,after market tuners filled the gap.Ford was actually okay with that.And customers who had modsinstalled at Ford approvedvendors got to keeptheir factory warranties.This is a thing that Ford hasalways been pretty cool with.The mark three Fiesta debuted in 1989and was the first small carto offer anti lock brakes.Great for driving in therain when you gotta stop.That's awesome.Boo, who wants to stop?Not me, baby (hums).Stop.Can't (hums).Can you at least just do it quiet please?Yes, I guess I can beconsiderate and do it quietly.Now you already know theFiesta is an economy car,but we're not gonna let this episodeturn into a siesta.So I'm only gonna cover the juicy,beefy models from here on out,so get your bibs ready, babies,because we're getting boostystarting with the 1990mark three RS Turbo.(car engine revving)The Fiesta RS Turbo got the same engineas the Escort RS Turbo.Engineers tightened upthe suspension quite a bitbecause the torque steer was a handful.The interior was fitted with recaro seats,and you could tell youwere about to get smokedby a Fiesta by thegreen exterior striping.The Fiesta RS 1800 thatfollowed a couple years laterhad pretty much the same powerbut with smoother deliverybecause it ditched the turbo for a largernationally aspirated motor.It was originally called the Zeta engine,which you might now knowas the Zetec engine.Ford had to change the name because Lanciathrew an Italian hissyfit about someone elsewanting to use the Greek alphabet.It's like (chuckles) everheard of fraternities, Lancia?(car engine revving)The mark four Fiestalaunched in the mid 90s,and in some places, it overlappedwith the last few years of the mark three.It was also sold as the Mazda121, and even though the Mazdawas exactly the samecar, the 121 got betterJ.D. Power reliabilityratings than the Fiesta.The German built Ford Pumaused the Fiesta's chassisand had a bigger engine, so that becamean easy engine swap forjust a little bit ofmore power baby.Please, will you call a doctor?I can't stop, won't stop.Yeah, man, as I finish this episode,I promise we will tryand call you a doctor.(car engine revving)Tuners jumped all over this swapalong with the face lifted Zetec S Model.The face lift was so significantthat people in the UKconsider it the mark five.Now it seems like the sales of mark foursand fives might have also overlapped,and with Fiestas beingsold all over the world,it can make properlyID-ing all of the restof the generations a little bit confusing.So I'm gonna probablystop labeling them nowso you guys don't yell at me.Also, please be forgivingwith our editors.They do their best.At the turn of the millennium,Fiestas were as fun todrive as they'd ever been,and Ford had huge salesnumbers to top it off.There were some sick conceptsthat didn't go anywherelike the Fiesta Rally conceptand the Fiesta RS concept.But even the standard carshad handling and steering feelway above average foran economical run about.You ever heard of lift off oversteer?(car squealing)It's a gas.And at long last in 2004, car enthusiastswere hashtag blessed with thebest performance version yet.The Fiesta ST.(car engine revving)The ST's got two liter Duratec enginesmaking 150 horse purrs alongwith 17 inch alloy wheelsand a bunch of otherstandard sporty stuff.A few years later, Ford offeredmountune performance upgrades developedby Roush technologies to UK customersthat added as many as 35 extra ponies.(car engine revving)A much sleeker, more modernlooking Fiesta generationarrived by the end of the aughts,and it was truly a global car.It was built everywherefrom Venezuela to Russia,from Mexico to Thailand,and for the first timein 30 years in 2010, theFiesta returned to the states.Now our economy had just tanked,and people wanted small cars again.And it was super easy for Ford to startslanging Fiestas back intheir home country again.But better yet,we also got the new ST.(car engine revving)With a eco boost 1.6 liter turbo enginedoling out 197 horse purrs, baby.And when there's already boostrunning through a car'sveins from the factory,it's so much easier to makemore power baby.Help me.Hold tight, buddy, we're almost done.I gotta talk about Ken Block.Ken Block drove them in acouple of Gymkhana videos.One of my best friends, Tanner Foust,won global Rallycrosschampionships in them.Also the Fiesta S2000 and R5 rally carsbuilt by M-Sport have done really wellin WRC and European rally championships.(car engine revving)And if you wanna drive one in the dirt,Team O'Neil Rally Schoolhas a fleet of them,and they'll let you behind the wheeland show you how to drive them.There's been a whole road racing seriesjust for Fiestas in the UK.But Americans keep proving that we lovetrucks and SUVs more than cars,and the ultimate party car has once againbeen pulled from the states as of 2020.At least my Aussie boys prove thatthey like to front wheel drive enoughto get Ford to keep sending them the ST,but that's the only model that they get.But honestly, if I could choose one,that's the one I'd choose.Thank you guys so muchfor watching this videoand everything else thatwe put out on Donut.Hit that subscribe button.Hit the bell so you get an emailevery time we do something cool and new.Go to donutmedia.comif you want some merch.There's also a link there if you wantto be part of our team.That's the best way to do it.I love you guys.Thanks again.That was a good episode.Can we please call a doctor now?
