The last Ford Fiestas rolled off their assembly lines on Friday, marking the end of production of the small car in the city of Cologne, Germany, after 47 years.
Since 1976, some 20 million Fiestas have been produced worldwide – half of them in Germany. After initially being manufactured in Saarlouis, they have now for several decades been produced in Cologne.
"This is a decisive step for Ford," noted industry expert Ferdinand Dudenhöffer. "The old Ford is leaving Europe and the new electric Ford is coming."
The carmaker is in the process of a nearly $2 billion (€1.8 billion) transformation of its Cologne site so that it can start producing the new electric models. The first of these should occupy the assembly lines from the end of 2023.
"With the Fiesta, Ford has taken mass motorisation a step further by reaching young people and families on a modest budget," adds Dudenhöffer.
The Fiesta was particularly popular in southern Europe, such as Greece and Italy. Sales of the model peaked in the early 1990s.
