Ford Fiesta Mk1

Ford's popular supermini first hit the roads in September 1976, and around 16 million models have been sold to date, worldwide. It remains a very popular car, and the latest generation looks pretty sleek and sporty.

However, it hasn't always been that way, and there have been some pretty ugly designs over the years. The Mk1 remains a personal favourite, and has a retro charm that later models were lacking, with the exception of the XR2, of course.

The video above features a tour of a 1981 Fiesta Mk1 1.3 Supersport, which is in exceptional condition and has gorgeous tartan seats! Of course, there is no power steering and it has manual window winders, a choke, an analogue clock and an ashtray - you won't find those beauties in your modern cars!

Rear view of a Mk1 Fiesta S. Go faster stripes were very cool back in the day.

By Jonathan (Ford Fiesta) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

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Initially, the Fiesta was made available in France and Germany, with the UK having to wait until January 1977 for its right-hand drive version - this must have been very frustrating for British Ford dealerships.

In the UK, there were seven trim levels and a van, and these were the Valencia, Base, Popular, L, GL (from 1978), Ghia and S. There were two engine sizes (both four cylinders), a 957cc and 1,117cc. The U.S. version featured a more powerful 1,596cc engine across all models which were Base, Decor, Sport and Ghia. However, the Fiesta was pretty short-lived here, and was replaced by the Escort during 1981.

Of course, we didn't have the luxury of power assisted steering back in the 1970s and 80s, although the Fiesta drove pretty well without it (for a small 80s car) and was quite a delicate drive. However, small cars back then were never really designed for high speed motorway driving, and at 70mph they were pretty noisy, although there are many retro car fanatics who enjoy hearing the engine's raw power. It would take at least 15 seconds to go from 0 to 60mph in your basic models!

One of its strong points was the suspension. There were coil springs all round, which was pretty advanced and unique for a small car. The bodywork was also stylish. This was a practical and affordable little car, and it's not hard to see why the Fiesta became so popular.

The Mk1 was replaced by a second generation model in August 1983. I much prefer the Mk1 which looked sportier with its front grille, and it remains one of my favourite Fiesta models. The 3rd, 4th and 5th generation models were, quite frankly, downright ugly, but you may beg to differ.

By Thomas's Pics (Ford Healey Fiesta) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

This is the one and only racing green prototype created by Healey Automobile Consultants in the UK. This is an american spec 1978 Fiesta with body modifications and a greatly enhanced 1.6 litre engine. It has no rear seats, Wolfrace front seats and a roll cage.