MEET THE OWNER – DAVE SCHOFIELD AND HIS FORD FIESTA GHIA MK. 1

“I have always loved the Fiesta Mk. 1 - my first car was a 1.1 L, and I always wanted one again”. Dave’s wish came true, and when he took his Champagne Gold Fiesta Ghia to a meeting of the Locks Heath Classic Car Club near Southampton, it caused a minor sensation. It was not just the expected “my dad/mum/next door neighbour had one of those”; it was also an appreciation of how good a car the original Fiesta is.

Ford of Europe contemplated building a ‘supermini’ in 1969, and three years later, they invested £550 million in ‘Project Bobcat’. 48 potential rivals were evaluated, and various names were rejected - Dave could have been driving a Ford Bambi Ghia. Mercifully, Henry Ford II preferred Fiesta.

Production began in 1976, with Fiestas for the UK and Irish markets built in Dagenham. To the annoyance of many potential customers, they did not appear at that year’s London Motor Show. British sales would not commence until 1977, and it is difficult to explain the impact of the Fiesta Ghia in a Ford brochure on this writer, then aged seven.

For one, it was the first FWD Ford I had ever seen (the earlier German-built 1962-66 P4 Taunus was never a common sight in the UK), and the Tom Tjaard-styled bodywork was contemporary without being over the top. Then there was the flagship Ghia with its push-button radio, tinted glass and “Mahogany effect instrument binnacle” standard, all for a mere £2,756.

True, the entry-level Fiesta was so Spartan it even lacked fresh air vents, but the Ghia was genuinely well-finished. Ford GB began using the shield badge on its most expensive models in 1974 with the Capri II and Granada, followed by the Escort Mk. 2 in 1975, and the Fiesta looked set to follow in their tradition of affordable opulence.

And at that time, the ultimate Fiesta had no direct UK rivals. There was no Ghia equivalent of the (slightly larger and RWD) Vauxhall Chevette, and British Leyland would not build a similar car until the 1982 Austin Metro Vanden Plas. By the end of 1977 Ford offered the Ghia with a 1.3-litre, a move many customers welcomed.

Dave’s Ghia is one of the last Fiesta Mk. 1s before the Mk. 2 debuted in August 1983. He says: “All the panels are original. Some work has been done on the paint, and this year, I will be repairing some areas of rust. But – it is an old Ford, so you get used to that, and generally, she is still in good original condition”.

But Dave is being modest, as his Fiesta frequently causes double takes from passers-by. As he says: “I always get such positive comments about my car. I think, like myself, so many people have a connection with the Fiesta whether it was their first car or one owned by a family member”. With the Ghia almost every detail – the alloy wheels, the glass sunroof and the “Chatsworth” /”Crushed Velour” trim – are reminders of why it remains an object of desire.

As Car magazine put it in 1976, the Fiesta caused “Leyland, Renault, VW, Fiat and Peugeot no celebration at all” - it really was that good.

With Thanks To: Dave Schofield and https://www.facebook.com/groups/1397766167140877