END OF THE ROAD FOR MONDEO MAN
Ford’s first ‘global’ car is axed
AFTER nearly 30 years as king of the road, the Ford Mondeo is being consigned to the history books.
The car firm yesterday confirmed production would end in 12 months’ time due to changing buyer choices and the drive to making electric cars.
Launched in 1993, the Mondeo was the US company’s first “global” car.
Executive saloon and estate versions sold in huge numbers. Since its launch in Europe, around five million have been sold, including 1.2 million in the UK.
It even gave rise to the idea of “Mondeo Man”, popularised by Tony Blair at the Labour Party Conference in 1996.
It was a reference to the centrist, nononsense, hard- working voter the party was seen as needing to attract to win a General Election – which it did in 1997.
However, Mondeo sales have fallen rapidly in recent years as families switched to SUVs and crossover models.
Just 2,400 were sold in the UK last year. From 1993 to 2014, it was made in Genk, Belgium, then Valencia in Spain.
Jim Holder, of What Car?, said: “The rise of Mondeo Man in the 1990s put Ford’s flagship at the heart of British society and sales towered as a result. “But times and tastes change, and the rise of the SUV and the push to downsizing has eaten away at its popularity. “Buyers have voted with their wallets.” The Mondeo’s demise comes as the number of cars built in the UK fell for the 18th month in a row, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Production fell 14% in February compared to the same month in 2020, with 105,008 cars leaving factory gates. Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “These figures are yet more evidence of how badly coronavirus has hit UK car production. “The automotive sector can play a crucial role in getting the UK back on its feet, supporting jobs across the country.”
5m
Number of Mondeos sold since its launch in Europe in 1993