Ford Fiesta Coming Back to U.S. in 2010

The Ford Fiesta has a long — if not exactly storied — history in the U.S. Its small, boxy shape was a hallmark of disastrous 1970’s-era car design, and its long-standing execution problems mean it’s not a car many consumers feel nostalgic about. In a century of car manufacturing, it wasn’t one of Ford’s high points.

That hasn’t stopped the company from busting out the old Fiesta name and slapping it on its Verve concept, which debuted at the Frankfurt auto show last fall. The Fiesta is officially Ford’s long-rumored small car, set to hit U.S. shores in 2010. We were amped about the Verve — so much so that we called its looks “stunning” — and we still are, but we can’t help but think it’s a mistake for Ford to brand the production model “Fiesta.” Without context, Verve is just a better name for a car. With context, Fiesta reminds us of the clunky ‘70s go-carts, a piece of Ford’s long history the company might do well to ignore.

U.S. will get little Ford Fiesta in 2010 (Detroit News)

Comments

...better than calling it the Festiva.

I'm pretty sure the core demographic for this car will not have a memory, or even prior knowledge that the old fiesta ever existed.

Broq

...better than calling it the Aspire.

Maybe this is some poorly thought out/slightly insulting attempt to appeal to Latinos.

What's next for Ford? The Pinto?

I'm told that the name Fiesta is still popular in other countries. Apparently this car is a direct replacement for the Fiesta in those countries.

But if it's only a name I don't know why they couldn't have saved themselves the headache and late night jokes and just called it the Verve in the US.

I've already heard the "what about the name Pinto" joke a dozen times today.

Better names for Ford to bring back:

Mavrick
Ranchero
Futura
Falcon

I owned a 1978 Fiesta and loved it. It did handle like a go-cart, was incredibly easy to park, roomy inside, a kick to drive, and got 35mpg* on the highway. I wouldn't have wanted to get in an accident in it however. I only sold it after every repair cost more than the car was worth.

*35mpg doesn't sound that great now but that was with a 1600cc, pushrod, carbureted engine. In 1978 that mileage was amazing.

Don't knock the old Fiesta. I too ran a 79 Fiesta for 130K mi. sold it and saw it run another 80K mi. Fun to drive, Expensive to buy ($5000) but cheap to own (35-40 mpg).

The US engine, the 1.6l Kent was legendary and bulletproof. The 4-speed stick caused the car to be a bit whiney and the clutch was very light.

Most people that didn't like the Fiesta just didn't appreciate little cars (remember the term "econobox").

And Fiestas have been in production in Europe for almost 30 years just like Golfs/Rabbits.

Ford of Europe has turned out some great stuff that never made it to our shores. About time things changed.

Don't knock the old Fiesta. I too ran a 79 Fiesta for 130K mi. sold it and saw it run another 80K mi. Fun to drive, Expensive to buy ($5000) but cheap to own (35-40 mpg).

The US engine, the 1.6l Kent was legendary and bulletproof. The 4-speed stick caused the car to be a bit whiney and the clutch was very light.

Most people that didn't like the Fiesta just didn't appreciate little cars (remember the term "econobox").

And Fiestas have been in production in Europe for almost 30 years just like Golfs/Rabbits.

Ford of Europe has turned out some great stuff that never made it to our shores. About time things changed.

My first new car was a'79 Fiesta S. This one cost $5,500. The S gave you largr wheels (13"?), stripes and a few other things. I got it because of energy crisis 2 and needed to drive 400 miles/week to my new job. With gas lines, it was hard to get enough gas for my '66 Bonneveille! Civics and Rabbits were hard to find and more expensive. I always got over 40 mpg at 55-60, mostly highway.

I think all of them were 4 speeds. It revved pretty high (2000@40mph) but only had like 75 HP so a 5 speed might not hav worked well. It was very light and fun to drive as others noted. Some guys at work used to pick it up and move it around on me (1700 lbs) as a joke.

It was a very basic transportation/commuter car. I'm sure it would seem crude if I drove one today. It got better mileage than my current Focus ZX3 5 speed but this car is so much better in every way, given 30 years of advancements. All cars have gained much weight and this offsets some of the efficiency gains of electronic engine management, fuel injection, etc.

Whatever they call it, I would be interested in the upcoming Fiesta, especially if it is a hatchback.

This must have been written by someone who has never owned the original Fiesta. First of all it's one of Ford's best selling cars globally. Secondly, you criticize the 70's styling. I think they actually nailed a very classic design back in 78. Doesn't it share very similar lines and angles (90º) as a lot of the cars today? Boxy. My last Fiesta had over 200,000 miles on it and so did several of my friends'. I did need to replace the trans on it at one point. It was a one person job. I did it myself and I'm not an auto mechanic by trade. Just a college kid on a budget at the time. It was a fun little ride! I have nothing but nostalgia for this car! The horn was operated by pushing down on the turn signal lever. The windshield washer fluid was discharged by a manual rubber bladder foot pump! You could stomp it and hit the car behind you. :D For the last 16 years I've considered getting back in to one. As I see it, the 2011 Ford Fiesta has some mighty big shoes to fill.

Wow, an American car I would actually consider buying.