Ford bosses have confirmed that the Ford Fiesta will be discontinued from June next year.

The top rated and highly popular training vehicle, one of the most popular cars for sale in the UK has reached the end of the road.

Executives have been holding talks with dealers, suppliers and staff ahead of the announcement.

Last orders

Ford has sold 4.8million Fiestas in 46 years. For 12 consecutive years, from 2009 to 2020, it was the biggest seller in the country.

Recent figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed it was the sixth bestselling car in September. Much this shift has been the move to electric vehicles.

A spokesman for Ford said that it was “accelerating our efforts to go all in on electrification”. They aim to have and all electric passenger vehicles portfolio by 2030. All their vehicles will be electric by 2035.

Fuelling change

“As we get ready to transition to an electric future, we will discontinue production of S-MAX and Galaxy in Valencia, Spain in April 2023,” he adds. “Discontinue Fiesta production in Cologne, Germany by end of June 2023.

“We will introduce three new exciting electric passenger vehicles and four new electric commercial vehicles in Europe by 2024.

Ford plan to sell “more than 600,000 electric vehicles in the region by 2026”. They further aim to “reach 1.2 million vehicles over a six-year timeframe”.

A British first

Ford’s Fiesta is currently produced in Germany. However, the first model rolled off the production line in Dagenham, Essex, in 1977.

The car was at the forefront of the US carmaker’s efforts to corner the British car market because of its more affordable price point.

It was created originally as a more fuel-efficient, small car in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis.

It boasted many exciting design features and styling on its launch, transforming customer expectations and the small family car market.

James Fairclough, CEO of AA Cars, descrtibes the  end of its production as “a watershed moment in car manufacturing”.

“The Fiesta has been one of the UK’s favourite vehicles since its introduction in 1977, and has consistently been among the most popular and searched-for cars on the AA Cars site.

While many British drivers, particularly ADIs, learners and new drivers will be disappointed by the news, the Fiesta is bound to be a common sight on our roads for many years to come.

“Thankfully for Fiesta devotees, the car will have a strong presence on the secondhand market for many years to come. And when the very last Fiestas roll off the production line they are likely to be much sought-after.”