End of the Ford Fiesta: Company 'set to axe' Britain's most popular car after 46 years

25 October 2022, 08:28 | Updated: 25 October 2022, 09:39

Ford is set to axe production of the Fiesta after 46 years.

The car, which a survey by CarInsurance.ae found to be Britain's most popular car in 2022, has been around since 1976 and has sold 4.8 million vehicles.

But now the company is set to stop production of the car within a year, The Sun reports.

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An insider said it was a "strategic decision to make way for a 'new' Ford", with the paper adding costs and falling sales due to a rise in the popularity of smaller SUVs were also contributing.

The Sun added there are no plans to replace the car with an electric model.

A Ford spokesperson said: "We are accelerating our efforts to go all-in on electrification and therefore review our vehicle portfolio in line with our business strategy.

"We do not comment on speculation and will share more information in the coming months."

The first Ford Fiesta was made in Dagenham, Essex, in 1976.

At the time they sold for £1,856.

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The more modern ones are made in Cologne, Germany.

There are eight models to choose from, ranging in price from £18,655 to more than £26,000 if bought new.

Government data of registered vehicles analysed by CarInsurance.ae found the Fiesta was the most popular car in the UK, with 1,521,680 vehicles registered.

The Ford Fiesta Zetec was the most popular specification.

The Fiesta was followed closely by the Ford Focus, which had 1,179,024 models registered.

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A spokesperson for CarInsurance.ae said the data "shows that the Ford Fiesta is the most popular car in the UK".

"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," they said.