|
|
|
|
Official Press Release Information Below
Ford Fiesta Popular
Ford has introduced two additions to the Fiesta range. The Fiesta Popular, illustrated here, is powered by the 957cc engine in either high or low compression form and is distinguished by a distinctive tail-gate badge, black door locks and handles and black wheelnut caps.
Inside the car, floor carpets are replaced by functional rubber mats and the sun-visor is discontinued on the passenger side. Interior trim is in vinyl, as on the previous base model.
News Release - Ford Announces the Fiesta Popular, New Front Runner in Low-Priced Car Market
Ford today introduces a new inflation-beating version of the Fiesta which establishes a clear price advantage over all of its main competitors. The new model, called the Fiesta Popular, goes on sale at £2849-more than £300 below the previously cheapest base model Fiesta, which is now discontinued.
Announcing the car, Chairman and Managing Director, Mr Sam Toy, said: "As market leaders we believe the motoring public wants genuine value for money rather than special offers.
"We've now experienced a year of disorderly marketing which has had the effect of confusing the public, reducing trade-in values and inflicting burdens on the trade which cannot be carried indefinitely.
"The new Fiesta Popular is tangible evidence of our determination to provide real savings and further improve the value for money in our products."
Lower Cost of Ownership - The Fiesta Popular is powered by the 957 cc engine in either low or high compression form and is identified by a distinctive tailgate decal.
A second version of the car - the Fiesta Popular Plus - offers the additional choice of the 1117 cc engine and a higher level of trim and equipment.
The specification of both models includes all the features which have already won a Design Council Award for Fiesta for its low cost o£ ownership - an advantage which is now reinforced by the lower initial cost.
From its introduction the Fiesta has been top seller in its class in two of Europe's largest markets - Great Britain and Western Germany - and has consistently occupied second place in its class across the whole of Europe. Since production began in 1976 nearly two million have been built.
Throughout its life the Fiesta has enjoyed an enviable reputation for simple but efficient design, high standards of quality and reliability and low cost of ownership. The Fiesta Popular retains all these features, including self-adjusting brakes and clutch, adjustment-free wheel-bearings, see-through containers for all reservoirs likely to need topping-up, lamp housings which allow all bulbs to be changed without tools, low insurance classifications and a schedule of repair times which has set new standards for small cars.
Economy without Austerity - Mechanically the Fiesta Popular has an identical specification to that of the previous base model, retaining the choice between the 40 b.h.p. low-compression engine and the 45 b.h.p. high-compression unit.
Apart from a distinctive tailgate badge its main outward differences are the fitting of black door locks and handles (instead of bright metal), black wheel-nut caps and a side tape stripe.
Inside the car floor carpets are replaced by functional rubber mats and the sun visor is discontinued on the passenger side. Interior trim is in vinyl as on the previous base model and the only other interior items deleted are the bright instrument surround, the handbrake grip, rear wheelarch covers and the courtesy operation of the interior light. No sacrifice has been made in the performance of the car or the comfort of its occupants.
The Fiesta Popular's top speed with the high-compression engine is around 85 m.p.h. and is only slightly lower when the low-compression engine is fitted. The latter makes an additional contribution to low operating costs by running satisfactorily on two-star petrol.
A heated rear window and a rear wash-wipe are available as options at extra cost.
Fiesta Popular Plus - Launched alongside the Popular is the Fiesta Popular Plus which offers a wider range of engines and a substantially higher specification than the base model which it replaces.
The price of the 957cc version is £3160.07, while the 1117cc model is £3339.92 - in each case matching the corresponding base Fiesta price. However, the Fiesta Popular Plus includes as standard equipment such major features as tailgate wash-wipe, centre console and clock, cloth trim and a rear package tray - items which previously would have cost an additional £180 as optional equipment. Carpets, courtesy light, passenger sun visor, bright instrument surround and rear wheelarch covers are also included as standard.
The 1117cc engine develops 53 bhp giving a top speed of around 90 mph and acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in less than 14 seconds.
A comprehensive list of optional extras is available, including tilting sun roof, head restraints, halogen headlamps, heated rear window, metallic paint finish, passenger door mirror, servo-assisted brakes and a choice of radios/cassette players.
ISSUED BY THE PRESS OFFICE - FORD MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED
– ENDS –
News Release - Return of a Famous Name
The first Ford to bear the name"Popular was announced in 1934, when the price of the 8 h.p. Model "Y" was reduced to £115. The original Model "Y" had been launched two years earlier, but it was in October, 1935 that the name really took its place in motoring history when it was introduced as the first fully-equipped saloon car to sell at the lowest-ever price of £100.
In those days the Ford Popular had a separate chassis, transverse leaf spring suspension and mechanically-operated drum brakes. The engine, a 933 cc side-valve unit, produced just 22 b.h.p., and was mated to a three-speed gearbox with synchromesh on second and top gears only. Over 150,000 "Y" model Populars were produced.
The second Popular was announced at the 1953 Motor Show when the name was given to an austerity version of the 'sit-up-and-beg' Anglia which had just been replaced by the 100E model. It had an 1172 cc engine, still with side-valve configuration and followed the same mechanical layout as the Model "Y". A total of more than 155,000 were built.
Popular number three came in 1959 when a similar switch produced a derivative of the outgoing 100E Anglia. It had the advantages of the more modern three-box body shape, independent front suspension and hydraulic brakes, but retained the side-valve engine and three-speed gearbox. When production ended in 1962, 140,000 had been built.
Not until July 1975 did a Popular feature again in the Ford model range. The car announced then was a special version of the contemporary Ford Escort, with distinctive black exterior trim, moulded rubber floor mats, drum brakes and an economy-tune version of the 1100 cc Kent engine offering substantial savings in fuel consumption. This was a relatively advanced car, but even so its specification is put in the shade by the car announced today.
Improved Value down the Years - When the Popular was announced in 1935, its purchase price represented 26 weeks' average earnings. Despite a much larger tax element the £2849 purchase price of the new Fiesta Popular takes just under 23 weeks to buy at the Department of Employment's current average earnings figure of £124.30 per week. The comparison is all the more interesting when the respective levels of standard equipment in the two cars are taken into account.
|
|
Model Y 1935
|
Fiesta Popular 1980
|
|
Price
|
£100
|
£2849
|
|
Weeks to buy
|
26
|
22.9
|
|
Petrol consumption (m.p.g.)
|
30 - 35
|
47.9 at 56 m.p.h.*
|
|
Maximum speed (m.p.h.)
|
57.6
|
85*
|
|
Heating
|
Nil
|
Standard
|
|
Ventilation
|
Opening windscreen and side windows
|
Air blending heater and face level vent
|
|
Aerodynamic aids
|
Nil
|
Integral front air dam and drag reducing louvred front grille
|
|
Gearbox
|
3-speed
|
4-speed
|
|
Brakes
|
Mechanical drum
|
Hydraulic, dual circuit, front discs
|
|
Suspension
|
Transverse leaf
|
Independent front; 5-point link rear
|
|
Engine Capacity
|
933 cc
|
957 cc
|
|
Valves
|
Side
|
Overhead
|
|
Service Intervals (miles)
|
1000
|
12000(interim 6,000)
|
|
Grease points
|
28
|
Nil
|
|
|
* Figures for high-compression 957 cc model
Fuel consumption figures are government-approved
|
ISSUED BY THE PRESS OFFICE - FORD MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED
– ENDS –
|
|
|
