‘End of an era’: Ford Fiesta begins endless siesta
The last ever Ford Fiesta will be made today, marking the end of the line for Britain’s best selling car brand.
Over four million of the popular cars were sold in total, according to industry estimates, with it remaining the UK’s most popular make in the first quarter of 2023.
Ford’s £1.6bn Cologne factory is being modified to become a fully battery-electric plant, effectively ending production of the Fiesta, as the US-based automaker seeks to rev up its electric vehicle (EV) drive.
Ford announced the decision to axe the model late last year, bringing 47 years of production to an end.
It came as the automaker began a major push to boost EV sales, with it currently aiming to transition to an all-electric fleet by 2035.
In March, it announced it would cut 1,300 jobs in the UK – a fifth of its workforce – as it began restructuring the business to meet targets.
The company said today there would be no job losses as a result of the Fiesta ceasing production, with those involved transferring to work on its new EV makes, such as the recently announced electric explorer – the fourth EV it has brought to market.
A spokesperson for Ford said: “We are rapidly transitioning to an electric future. As part of this transition, production of the Fiesta in Cologne, Germany will be discontinued on 7 July 2023, and a new era at the Cologne Electric Vehicle Center will begin. “
“Although Fiesta production will end in July, it will continue to be available for sale as a rally car via our partners at M-Sport where Fiesta will be a core part of the rally world for some time to come.”
James Hind, Chief Executive of the online car marketplace carwow, said: “It really is the end of an era today as we mark the production of the Ford Fiesta coming to a close.”
“Since it launched in 1976, it’s been one of the most popular and best-selling cars we’ve ever seen. While the Fiesta model sells well, it has low profit margins.”
Carwow’s data – which tracks views of each model sold on its platform – shows that four million people viewed the Fiesta on its platform this year. The most recent quarter saw an 11 per cent increase in searches on last year.
Hind added: “Given the fact people are still searching for it on our platform – and with no signs of demand from consumers slowing down – it’ll remain popular in the used car market for some time to come.”