An employee fits a headlight unit to a Ford Fiesta on the assembly line at the Ford Motor factory in Cologne, Germany, which shut down for the final time on Friday. Photograph: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesProduction of one of Europe’s best-selling car ends on Friday. Ford will produce the final Fiesta at its factory in Cologne, Germany, before the site is modified to make more room for more electric vehicles.
The Fiesta was an instant hit when it was introduced in 1976 as it met the demand for smaller, more efficient cars. Ford said more than 22 million have been produced globally. It has been reported that the final two Fiestas which roll off the assembly line on Friday will be kept by Ford. One will be retained in Germany, while the other will go to its UK heritage collection.
Ford said in a statement: “At Ford in Europe, we are rapidly transitioning to an electric future. As part of this transition, production of the Fiesta in Cologne, Germany, will be discontinued on July 7th, and a new era at the Cologne Electric Vehicle Centre will begin.”The end of production – announced in October last year – comes after Ford axed the Mondeo in 2021, while earlier this year it stopped making the S-Maxx and Galaxy people carriers.
“That’s because there isn’t much margin in small cheap cars any more. Right now, Fiesta isn’t viable, and the same will be true for other brands. That said, it does mark the end of a truly iconic car.” - PA