Original publication date: March 2006

The 1973 energy crisis gave birth to one of Britain’s best loved cars. NIGEL BURTON looks back on 30 years of the Ford Fiesta…

POWER cuts, speed limits, petrol rationing and the three day week. Anyone who lived through the 1973 energy crisis is unlikely to forget it.

In the UK OPEC’s decision not to ship oil to Western Europe led to rampant inflation that sent to economy into a tailspin that lasted for a decade.

It also fuelled demand for small, fuel efficient cars and led to an unprecedented rush of superminis.

Ford had already spotted the emerging trend. Work was well underway on a competitor for the Renault 5 and the Fiat 127.

Originally code-named Bobcat, when the wraps came off the company’s billion pound new baby in late 1975 it was branded Fiesta. When it went on sale in 1976 the smart new hatch was an immediate success.

The Fiesta was a new departure for Ford. It was the company’s first truly successful front wheel drive model and first stab at a global car (there was an American version that led, indirectly, to US involvement in the Mark III Escort program).

The £1,856 entry-level model featured then state-of-the-art extras such as a folding rear seat, rubber floor mats and two-speed windscreen wipers. Wealthier drivers opted for the Ghia version, which boasted unheard-of luxuries like headrests, woodgrain trim and luxurious velour upholstery.

Fiesta broke new ground in other ways. The engineers paid special attention to crash behaviour. Their efforts won them a special award from the UK Design Council.

The millionth Fiesta hit the road in January 1979 - just 32 months after launch, shattering previous production records.

Ford's plants in Dagenham, England, Valencia, Spain and Cologne, Germany were used to manufacture Fiestas.

Since then A staggering 8.5 million Fiestas have so far been built (3.2m finding owners in the UK), with each new model offering motoring firsts. In 1984 it became the first small car with a diesel engine, in 1989 it was the first to come complete with ABS and in 1994 it was the first to offer a standard driver airbag.

But even that car was a world away from the 2006 model, which offers motorists high-tech technology like voice recognition, satellite navigation and MP3 capability.

With its redesigned exterior, full complement of engines and "big car" features the 2006 Fiesta is a worthy successor to the spirit of innovation that gave birth to the Mark One three decades earlier.

Retrospection: The sixth version of the Fiesta was the best yet.

Ford took the driving DNA that made the Focus so special and distilled it into a smaller, cheaper to run, package.

Crucially, the Fiesta's Achilles' heel - the ancient selection of engines - was also addressed at the same time.

The result was a little car brimming with enthusiasm and begging to be driven hard.

Time has shown the Fiesta to be hard wearing and fun-to-own.

Now a new model has replaced it, used examples can be had for very little money making this version the best bet for young drivers, motorists looking for a second car and the terminally hard-up.

Sporty versions are likely to acquire collectable status in the next few years, so buy carefully and you might even make your money back when you come to sell.