Fetch the tissues: today is the final day of Ford Fiesta production

This really is it: production of the Ford Fiesta will cease forever later today when the final car rolls off the production line in Cologne. End. Of. An. Era.

And what an era. Production of the Fiesta began in 1976 and has spanned seven generations since, with the supermini peppering the top-10 UK best-sellers list throughout that time, including 12 consecutive years in top spot between 2009 and 2020.

Even now, the Fiesta occupies ninth place having logged 15,395 registrations on these shores in the first six months of the year. But sadly Ford can’t turn a profit on it and the company needs to free up some factory space to make EVs.

“At Ford in Europe, we are rapidly transitioning to an electric future,” said the firm in a statement. “As part of this transition, production of the Fiesta in Cologne, Germany will be discontinued on 7 July 2023, and a new era at the Cologne Electric Vehicle Center will begin.

“Although Fiesta production will end in July, it will continue to be available for sale as a rally car via our partners at M-Sport where Fiesta will be a core part of the rally world for some time to come.”

Some good news there at least. And Ford has confirmed to TG that it’s keeping the last two Fiestas that it will ever build, with the pair shipped off to Ford’s heritage fleets in Germany and the UK.

Happy retirement, Fiesta, and thanks for the memories.