Ford Focus turns 21
Ford’s replacement for the longrunning Escort was launched 21 years ago this month.
What a vast difference the Focus was over the outgoing (although still being sold to 2001) Escort. The Focus styling, handling and general screwed togetherness was praise at the time. It was a game-changer in terms of steering and suspension performance for a cheap, medium-sized car.
For many, the first-generation cars were the best. Back in 1999, we had a fleet of Focuses on loan from Ford for a week at a time. We’d dashed around in the 1.4-, 1.6- and 1.8-litre versions, before the 2.0-litre arrived in saloon form. We never did get to drive the diesel version of the MKI.
Twenty-one years on, there are still plenty of Focus Mki’s for sale in the classifieds, many of them with one caring owner from new. All of the engines can rack up 100,000 miles without even breaking sweat.
About six months ago, I started looking for a sweet-looking S-plate Focus at the auctions, to go with this write-up. Alas, I could only find one on this registration – it was a bit rough – although plenty of T-plate cars went through the hall during this period. I guess you have to remember that, at the time of the Mkis launch, it was the changeover of registrations to a twice-yearly swap. This meant that, from March 1, 1999, the registration changed to T-reg in England, Scotland and Wales. As a result, S-plate Focuses were only available from October 1998 to the end of February 1999.
Ford shifted shedloads of Focus Mkis (1998-2004) around the world. Do any CM readers still run one today? Let us know what it’s like and the mileage it has covered.