The last ever Ford Fiesta will be produced next week

The final Ford Fiesta will roll off the production line next week, marking the end of the UK’s best-selling car ever.

Ford announced in October last year that it would be stopping the Fiesta in 2023, with the firm now confirming that the final examples will be produced on July 7. A Ford spokesman told the PA news agency that it would coincide with the annual summer shutdown at the firm’s factory in Cologne, Germany.

Autocar reports that Ford will keep hold of the final two Fiesta models produced, with one destined for Ford’s German outfit, and the other for Ford’s UK heritage car collection.

The Ford Fiesta was introduced in 1976 at a time when there was a need for smaller, more efficient cars, and became an instant hit. It is the most popular car sold in the UK ever and was the best-selling vehicle for 12 consecutive years up until 2021. More than 22 million have been produced globally.

Despite Ford’s announcement last year, the Fiesta has continued to prove popular since. According to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the Fiesta is still the eighth most popular car overall in the UK in 2023.

The Cologne factory where the Fiesta is produced will be reworked to be able to start producing Ford’s new electric Explorer as the firm accelerates its EV efforts.

The Fiesta is the latest long-running nameplate to be discontinued by Ford. The firm axed the Mondeo in 2021, while earlier this year stopped producing its once-popular S-Max and Galaxy people carriers. The Focus will also end production in 2025.

Ford’s Puma crossover has taken over from the Fiesta, and is currently the UK’s most popular car so far in 2023. An electric version of the Puma is also set to be introduced in 2024.