FIESTA LA VISTA
The ST200 was just one in a long line of feisty Fiestas. As we say goodbye to the breed, this is the legacy it leaves behind
WHEN FORD ANNOUNCED IT WOULD be ceasing production of the Fiesta it felled one of the oldest family trees in the company’s history. Announced in 1975, produced from 1976 and on sale in the UK from 1977, the Fiesta was Ford’s first truly small car.
Slotting in below the Escort, the all-new front-wheel-drive hatchback was seen as a risk for the profit-hungry US giant. Fortyseven years and 22 million cars later, it’s safe to say the Fiesta repaid that leap of faith by becoming one of the most successful models of all time.
It might have existed to provide Ford with an affordable, entry-level model, but no time was wasted in offering a sporting version, with the 1300 S arriving less than a year after the Fiesta was introduced. Boasting a rampant 66bhp and 68lb ft of torque from its 1298cc pushrod Kent engine, Motor magazine described its performance as ‘pleasantly brisk’ despite it falling a little short of Ford’s claimed top speed of 98mph and 0-60mph time of 10.7sec during a rigorous road test.
In a sign of things to come, Ford followed the S with the racy-looking Supersport, a limited run of 3000 cars built for the 1980 model year. Mechanically identical to the 1300 S, but bedecked in Series-x options, including wheelarch extensions, small spoilers, cool decals and 13-inch RS fourspoke alloy wheels, it whetted the market’s appetite for a hot series-production Fiesta.
That car – the now iconic XR2 – arrived in late 1981. Evolving the Supersport’s style and backing it up with a 1600cc crossflow engine good for 84bhp and 92lb ft of torque, it was an immediate hit. With a sub-10sec 0-60mph time and a claimed top speed of 105mph it was meaningfully quicker than the 1300 S, and while lacking the pizzazz of the rival Mk1 Golf GTI, Renault 5 Gordini or Alfasud Ti, its gloriously ’80s body graphics and fat pepperpot alloys secured its place (and that of the later, little-changed Mk2) as one of the most fondly remembered hot hatches of the era.
The late ’80s saw the arrival of the Mk3 Fiesta. With an onslaught of ever-better French hot hatches such as the 205 GTI, Renault 5 GT Turbo and all-new Clio 16V, Ford needed to up its game. Sadly, despite looking good in the metal and on paper, both the lantern-jawed 1989 XR2I (good for almost 120mph) and the torquesteer-tastic 1990 RS Turbo fell short.
Of the pair the RS Turbo was the more convincing effort, but upcoming changes to emission regs saw it discontinued after just two years. It was replaced by the RS1800, which used Ford’s new twin-cam 16-valve
Zeta (quickly renamed Zetec) engine. Less powerful than the RS Turbo it was a backward step in performance. Top speed dropped from 132 to 127mph and 0-60mph slid from 7.7sec to a less-than-impressive 8.1. At least its more linear power delivery tamed some of the RS Turbo’s wilder traits.
With the insurance industry effectively killing off the hot hatch market in the mid-’90s, the Mk4 Fiesta was the first generation not to feature a performance model. Even the Mk5 was lukewarm at best, with the mild-mannered Zetec S topping the range. Underpinned by the excellent Puma chassis it was a sweet-handling car, but with just 102bhp it offered the same straight-line performance as a Mk1 XR2.
Come the turn of the new millennium salvation was at hand in the chunky shape of the Mk6 Fiesta. 2004 saw the introduction of the new ST nameplate, the potent ST150 powered by a 2-litre, 150bhp Duratec engine for much-improved performance. Factoryapproved tuner Mountune further enhanced it with the ST185. A real rarity, its feisty motor – featuring a high-lift cam and stronger valve springs, bigger inlet manifold, sports exhaust
Top row: Mk1 1300 S of 1977 hinted at the Fiesta’s potential; XR2 (pictured in Mk2 form) realised it; Mk3 RS1800 replaced the short-lived RS Turbo in ’92. Bottom row: Mountune ST185 an overlooked gem; Mk7 an evo favourite too; Mk8 Performance Edition sees the Fiesta bow out on a high
and ECU remap – was matched by sharper handling courtesy of KW V1 suspension. It all made for a memorable hot hatch that deserves greater recognition.
With the Fiesta now established as a genuine hot hatch contender, the Mk7 introduced the next-gen ST. Powered by a punchy turbocharged 1.6-litre Ecoboost engine coupled to a sweetshifting six-speed gearbox, the ST struck a brilliant balance of performance, handling and affordability. Available in three different trim levels, it was a huge success.
For those who craved more performance, Ford built the special-edition ST200, as featured on the preceding pages, with its upped power and torque figures, revised gearing and sharper handling. Meanwhile, Mountune’s factory-approved £599 engine remap that slightly eclipsed the ST200 was a no-brainer for many owners of regular Mk7 STS.
The Mk8 ST saw the Fiesta grow in maturity and efficiency, gain in ability and yield little or nothing in terms of entertainment. The quest for reduced emissions saw the 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo swapped for a 1.5-litre turbocharged triple, but with 197bhp, 214lb ft of torque and a pleasingly gruff 911-esque soundtrack, its performance and personality were far from downsized.
Switchable Normal, Sport and Track dynamic modes were a first for fast Fiestas and added some welcome breadth to the ST’S capabilities and sense of sophistication. For the keenest drivers Ford produced a Performance Pack option, which included a Quaife limitedslip differential and Michelin Pilot Sport tyres. A limited-run Performance Edition added multi-adjustable coilover suspension, which elevated the ST to a new level of attacking dynamics. It’s an absolute cracker.
But that’s where story ends. When the Fiesta in all its guises finally ceases production later this year it closes one of the longest chapters in the Blue Oval’s history. In so doing it also marks the demise of the affordable fast Ford. Sad day indeed.