The sleek and sporty Ford Fiesta turns 35 years old this year! Since it was first introduced to the market, Ford’s best-selling small car has taken the world by storm, with 15 million cars produced globally across 6 generations. This year also marks the all new Ford Fiesta’s first anniversary in the Philippines, where its stylish and compact appearance immediately won fans in the Filipino market. I got to test drive this compact and sporty. Ford Fiesta and was really impressed with its clean lines and a stance commonly described as “aggressive”.
A little bit of history here. The Ford Fiesta got its name from Valencia Spain, the place where the very first model was produced in 1976. I always thought the name was because of the fiestas that we, Pinoys are so fond off. Ford created the Fiesta as their practical and economical response to the global fuel crisis. Little did they realize that this compact car would become one of the company’s most successful models, with generations of drivers choosing this car for its efficiency, practicality, and performance. Soon after it was launched, the Fiesta started reaping in awards. In 1977, it was recognized as Spain’s Car of the Year and in 1979, the one millionth Fiesta was made. Just last July, the Fiesta reached their 15 millionth production mark, a figure that was boosted by the popularity of the All-New Ford Fiesta.
In the Philippines, the Fiesta is the best-selling Ford car, thanks to its sleek design, fuel efficiency, and smart technology. The car is equipped with exclusive features like a Connectivity package that uses Bluetooth Voice Command technology and the innovative PowerShift six-speed dual clutch automatic transmission.
Since it first debuted in the Philippines on October 2010, there have been 3,820 Fiesta units sold up to November 2011. The success of the Ford Fiesta was marked by a huge anniversary party exclusively for Fiesta owners, Ford Club Philippines, and friends from the media. During the party, guests were entertained by local bands and DJs, with live coverage from media partner 99.5RT. Fiesta owners also enjoyed various activities, such as the chance to showcase their accessorized cars, a rare opportunity to view the new TRS Ford Fiesta racing cars, and an opportunity to write birthday messages on the Doodle Fiesta wall.
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Historical Tour with Carlos Celdran
Ford Philippines allowed me to see a feature that I never got to test when I drove the Ford Fiesta. Through a historical tour with Carlos Celdran, I got to experience a tour through the bluetooth connection. Carlos would speak through a cellphone and I got to hear it in our Ford Fiesta and the rest of the cars in the convoy. Watch this video.
I attended previous Carlos Celdran tours but they were all walking tours. Riding inside the Ford Fiesta is a new way to tour Old Manila and hearing quips through the bluetooth communicator in the car.
Carlos brought us to Manila Cathedral, Fort Santiago, the new Bay Leaf hotel in Intramurous and Quiapo. His tours are really informative and fun. I discovered a place to chill and get a 360 view of Manila in Bay Leaf hotel.
The Heritage Manila Hotel was our last stop. The hotel has so much history and I can just imagine how the lobby was filled with very important people in history.
What a grand way for Ford Fiesta to celebrate its one year anniversary in the Philippines.
