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.....1100 engine) was added. However, that wasn't including the special editions.
The first in the Fiesta SE line-up was the 75th anniversary of the Ford Motor Company model in 1978, followed by the Kingfisher the same year, then the Million (to celebrate the millionth Fiesta being produced) the Sandpiper and the Jubilee (the lowest volume Mkl special, with just 60 being produced) all in 1979. The start of the '80s saw the limited edition Fire Fly, until the Fiesta range again got another addition - and what a model it was too.
Up until then, with its family-friendly GLs and Ghias, the Ford had been a bit tame. Weighing just 700 kg and with decent handling the Fiesta had been screaming out for a performance model since its launch. The S had had a stab at it with stiffer suspension and a front stabiliser bar trying to make more of the front MacPherson struts and the rear's anti-dive system, but it wasn't really all that.
The Fiesta Supersport (launched in 1981 and known as the Super S outside of the UK) saw the Fiesta suddenly bare its teeth. Sticking with the 66 bhp, 1300 engine already available, the Supersport also came with a wider track, front and rear spoilers and four-spoke RS-style alloys, and Ford's SVE (special vehicle engineering) had a pop at the suspension. This was Ford's first hot hatch!
In addition to the Supersport, the Fiesta range was also bolstered in the same year with the addition of the Popular and Popular Plus (the difference being that the Plus came with the option of the bigger 1100 engine, cloth seats and carpet). The Sand Piper II came out as an SE in March of 1981, and the special edition Bravo and 1300L both hit the showrooms in the June, but it wasn't until 1982 that the pinnacle of the Mkl Fiesta models was unveiled.
The 'XR2' came with an all-new 1600 engine (new to the UK anyway, the motor was already sold in a US model albeit in emission-strangled form) giving 84 bhp and a maximum speed of 106 mph, making it the first Fiesta to hit 100 mph. Another SVE car, the XR2 had a different look from the rest of the Fiesta range thanks to round headlamps, pepperpot alloys and unique graphics.
Before the Mkll Fiesta took over in 1983, Ford still had time to squeeze out a few more Special Editions, including the Bravo II, Carnival, Quartz and Finesse. By the time the Mkl ended its production run in the UK a total of 307,000 cars had been produced.
International Bright Young Thing
Producing the Mkl Fiesta was a truly multi-national operation, with assembly and part production taking place right across Ford Europe's facilities.
PARTS
SPAIN, Valencia: Shells and engines
IRELAND, Belfast: Carburettors
ENGLAND, Dagenham plant: Radiators and engine blocks
FRANCE, Bordeaux, Transmission
ASSEMBLY
Spain:Valencia - Germany:Cologne - Belgium:Saarlouis - England:Dagenham
Top Five Fiestas In Classic Ford
RESTORED
Craig Schietaert's Supersport - CF April 2005. Restored for him by his mate Wayne Beaumont, Craig's SS is a stunner. Everything apart from the roof has been replaced or seriously worked on. We had Craig along to one of our group thrashes back at the beginning of last year and were just overwhelmed by how tidy the car was - absolutely bootiful!
MOTORSPORT
Nick Blight's hillclimber - CF June 2005. Nick's Mkl is a performer through and through. Not bothering with any of that road-legal crap (things like MoTs detract from the pursuit of performance and tax discs just add weight!), this machine is focused primarily on hillclimbing. Originally a left-hand-drive XR2, it's powered by a 1600 Crossflow sporting twin 45s, a lumpy cam and massive valves. Suspension is coil-overs all round and everything that doesn't need to be there isn't, making this a proper lightweight flyer.
REAR DRIVE
Craig Wilshaw's rear-drive rally car - CF June 2006. Zetec-engined, rear-drive and lightweight, Craig's Fiesta takes the fight to the Escorts on the rally stage. And we're not dealing with mincy power either with the 16-valver knocking out 170 bhp. The rear wheels spin up under that grunt after it's been channelled through a Quaife five-speed box and an English axle. With GRP4 Billies up front and GRP1 Billies at the back, this thing is brutal!
FAST ROAD
Richard Morton's Super-sport - CF February 2002. Bought for £100, this SS was transformed into a proper fast-road tarmac eater. The fully-restored shell's fitted with a 1700 Crossflow with the works - fully lightened and balanced, ported and polished BVH, twin 40s etc etc, and with the inclusion of a Mklll Escort five-speed gearbox it makes full use of the power. Plus, with a 40 mm slam, SS rims and that plain white finish, and not forgetting the dirty great front lamps, it looks the absolute nuts.
MENTAL ENGINEERING
Jason Pillar's Fiesta XR4i - CF December 2004. Yes, it's a Mkl Fiesta welded onto a Sierra XR4i floorpan. It might look a bit, er, well ugly really, but you've got to admire Jason for having the guts to create something different. As well as all the benefits a rear-drive Sierra's lower half can offer, it also means the Fiesta's engine bay hides a honking great Cologne V6. The suspension, gearbox, (shortened) propshaft and brakes are also XR4i.
Captions -
Top-Left - The millionth Fiesta rolled off the production line in 1979 - also a good year for porno moustaches!
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