Is Mondeo man about to have the last laugh?

Did a turn on BBC Breakfast about the demise of the Ford Mondeo and was amazed at the outpouring of national grief. I half expected clapping in doorways. Clearly there’s a lot of pent-up affection for this Nineties family Ford, which was a really sweet driving thing that handled better than a BMW 3 Series and had an interior easily as plush. But I think that sense of loss is probably all about the decades for which the Mondeo has become a metaphor for the Nineties and 2000s when we danced to Blur, Oasis, and the Spice Girls, witnessed the end of the Cold War and watched Friends, Cheers and NYPD Blue. Compared to 2020, those years were golden. We could do a lot worse than seeking out either exceptional low-mileage basic versions or mint ST220S, ST200S or ST24S.

Could the hot V6 Mondeo be the next important Fast Ford?

Pick A Car in Hull has a Magnetic Grey 2004 ST220 with red leather, 55,000 miles, two owners and 16 stamps for a hefty £9950, while KGF Cars has a ‘99 ST24 in silver with just 5138 miles from new for £9995. There’s also a seller in Hillingdon, London with another

’99 ST24 in silver, dry-stored from new with just 4604 warranted miles for £7480. If I were spending my own money I’d go for a ’97-on ST24 because it’s a sweeter, slicker and more disarming driver than the edgier ST200/220S; it’s also far rarer with only 718 registered with the DVLA compared with 3450 ST220S. And of those 718 the vast majority will be worn-smooth ruins, so minimal mile ST24S are rare indeed. Looks like the collectible Ford Mondeo has just arrived. Who knew?