13 July 2001: The Ford Fiesta became the most successful European small car ever this week, when the 10 millionth unit drove off the production line. The Fiesta, also Ireland’s best-ever selling car, joins an exclusive club of cars with eight-digit production totals, which includes the Ford Escort and the Model T.

The Fiesta has been a best-seller in each individual major European market since it was first launched, and in Ireland in 1996 it became the first car in Ireland to sell over 100,000 units since introduction. To date almost 140,000 have been sold in this country.

“Fiesta is a genuine classic brand on the Irish marketplace,” says Eddie Murphy, Chairman and Managing Director, Henry Ford & Son Limited. “It answered the need for a car that was at once economical, contemporary, fun, easy to drive and dependable. These core values are as evident in the current series Fiesta as they were in the original model.”

First announced by Henry Ford II, the Fiesta established its first record even before it reached the customers, with the then highest product investment (around $1bn) of any Ford in Europe. It has been among the top 10 best selling cars in Europe since the late 1970s.

Some 500,000 Fiestas were built in the first 18 months of production alone, breaking all Ford's previous records, setting the stage for numerous records and awards over the years to follow.

The current Fiesta range is available from £10,463. FC