Redesigned on many occasions, the Ford Fiesta -which will cease to be manufactured in 2023- has marked an era, with more than 22 million units produced and sold worldwideThe German company’s plant in Almussafes began working on the production of this Leading sales model in Spain in 1975, a year before its commercializationFord Almussafes will stop manufacturing S-Max and Galaxy cars and will announce other electric onesUnder the code name of Bobcat Project, a new compact car began to be devised in 1972, the Ford Fiesta, which was conceived as a personal endeavor by the then president of the company, Henry Ford II. Four years later, in 1976, the first mass-produced Fiesta rolled off the assembly line in Saarlouis, Germany. Since then, more than 22 million units of this iconic model have been produced, the entire series production of which has largely been carried out at the Ford manufacturing complex located in Valencia. This October, the car firm that bears the name of its founder announced that the month of June 2023 will end the manufacture of its famous compact car. A small car, designed for the people, that has earned it enormous success and global influence over five decades. His name was personally chosen by Henry Ford II for its alliteration with Ford, his spirit, and its celebration of Ford’s new connection to Spain. A competition carAwarded numerous accolades since its inception, a version of the Group 5 Fiesta was prepared for rally competition. The special sports version participated in the Monte Carlo Rally, which would become the inspiration for the Fiesta XR2. Ford RallyeConcept (2002)niusdiario.esThe same year, in 1979, former F1 champion Jackie Stewart announced the Faberge Fiesta Ladies Challenge race series in London, which would start a year later in order to establish a sporting connection for the Fiesta. Model Inspiration In addition, the Ford Fiesta has inspired a wide variety of extravagant concept vehicles during its five decades of production. From two-seater vans and convertibles to coupes and rally machines. Concept cars have demonstrated the Fiesta’s versatility and broad appeal. Fiesta BeBop (1990)niusdiario.esA car with a Valencian stampThe president of Ford, Henry Ford II, and King Juan Carlos I inaugurated the new Ford assembly plant in Almussafes (Valencia) on October 18, 1976, starting production in Fiesta series in Spain. It was in the Valencian complex where in 1975, a year before it began to be marketed, the production of Fiesta engines began. Five years later, the one millionth Fiesta in Spain was manufactured in this same plant, and after a decade, the number two million. Key dates that show the positioning of the multinational plant in Almussafes as one of the most important in Europe, and all thanks to this mythical model that has been redesigned countless times. In fact, one of the first Fiesta vehicles to come off the production line is still displayed as a symbol at the Valencian plant, colored in a particular brown colour. Now, as Ford prepares to inspire with a new generation of electric cars, the firm has decided to pause to celebrate ten generations of this utility car, which has managed to become one of the most successful passenger vehicles in Europe. The legend begins.