{"id":46795,"date":"2016-11-30T12:05:56","date_gmt":"2016-11-30T12:05:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.influx.co.uk\/?p=46795"},"modified":"2022-06-22T16:57:50","modified_gmt":"2022-06-22T15:57:50","slug":"fantasy-fiesta","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adrianflux.co.uk\/influx\/cars\/fantasy-fiesta\/","title":{"rendered":"A feast of Fantasy Fiesta variants"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fast, fun, and funky. The Ford Fiesta has always been one of Britain\u2019s favourites, but some of the design concepts over its 40-year production have been downright bizarre\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"2018<\/a><\/figure>\n

As we celebrate the Ford Fiesta\u2019s 40th<\/sup> birthday and see the first images of the 2018 version coming from the launch in Germany, we’re reflecting on some of the fabulous models that have shaped the famous hatchback\u2019s four decades of production. Yes, of course the feisty XR2 was on that list, followed swiftly by the outrageous RS models of the 90s, through to the very latest ST-badged Fiestas of today. But what about a Fiesta off-roader? Maybe a Fiesta pick-up truck? Or a Fiesta saloon even?<\/p>\n

You may think Ford never actually made any of these, but just take a look at some of the weird, wonderful, and downright whacky designs that we\u2019ve unearthed from the archives.<\/p>\n

Would any of these have\u00a0been a success if they had made it into UK mainstream production? And would the Fiesta have enjoyed such a lengthy reign as king of the hot hatch if they did? Sadly, we\u2019ll never know. But, we can at least wonder as we take a look back at seven of the craziest Fiesta-based designs from the last 40 years\u2026<\/p>\n

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FIESCORT<\/p>\n

Is it a Fiesta? Is it an Escort? No, it\u2019s a Fiescort! As the name suggests, it was in fact part-Fiesta, part Escort! The idea was initially sparked in 1977 when Ford bosses decided they needed something to replace the Escort in rallying. After thoughts of \u2018homologation special\u2019 versions of the Mk2 Escort, in 1979 a top-secret build took place at Ford\u2019s Boreham facility. Here engineers grafted the entire front end of a Mk2 Escort, complete with competition-spec BDG engine, Hewland transaxle, and rear-wheel drive running gear, to the bodyshell of a Mk1 Fiesta!<\/p>\n

Sadly by the time a running prototype was built Ford bosses had changed their minds (and we ended up with Mk3 Escort-based RS1700T, which itself was little more than a concept that never really made it on the rally stages!) and the last anyone knew of the Fiescort was that it was stripped and sold for scrap value\u2026<\/p>\n\n\t\t