The Blue Oval thrived throughout the decade thanks to cars like the Mondeo, Ka and Focus
The 1990s was not a decade short of ground-shaking cultural reference points: the Britpop battle between Oasis and Blur, Tony Blair and his ‘New Labour’ government, Dolly the sheep…
The car industry saw seismic changes too: the old-school boxy designs that proved so popular in the 1980s were replaced by smooth-edged, aerodynamically honed creations that brought all kinds of new technology and innovation. With comparatively little regulation and thus the freedom to create cars that people loved, many brands thrived – and none more so than Ford.
Under the leadership of legendary engineer Richard Parry-Jones, the Blue Oval rolled out a raft of models that did more than just attract buyers because they made economic sense, as had long been the case. People started buying Fords because they were cars that people liked, and few models are more emblematic of this than the 1993 Mondeo.
Value for money was still high on the agenda: even in swish GLX guise (you could also have base, LX, Zetec, Verona, Si and Ghia) it got electric windows, a sunroof and power steering all for less than £15,000. But it was the Mondie’s class leading dynamics, safety features and packaging that helped it rise above the Vauxhall Vectra and Peugeot 405.
It handled better than any other front-wheel-drive saloon, had a well-cushioned ride and steered with accuracy. Factor in brilliant ergonomics and an extremely comfortable seating position and it’s small wonder that Ford shifted more than 130,000 Mondeos in its first year on sale. It was a masterstroke, proving even more popular than the Sierra, which by the early 1990s had started to show its age.
The estate was equally well received, and I have vague – but fond – memories of my parents’ 1994 Cayman Blue 1.8 LX, which dutifully served the family during my toddlerhood, having carried me home from the hospital in 1999.
Ford’s success continued through the decade with the arrival of the Mk4 Fiesta, Britain’s best-selling car between 1996 and 1998. The ever-so-cute Ka came next. It proved that even the smallest superminis could have a superb ride and design flair, which is why I loved ‘borrowing’ my sister’s Ka for the journey to school after I passed my driving test in it.
In 1997, it was the sweet-handling Puma that stole all the limelight, with its distinct design and impressive dynamics. But Ford’s defining moment of the 1990s came towards the end of the decade, when it launched a boldly styled, all-new family hatchback that would come to set the class standards in almost every respect: the game-changing Focus.
Here was a family car with genuine sporting agility in all its forms, combined with luxury-car levels of refinement and bulletproof mechanicals. It was fabulous to drive and faster than its rivals, and yet it was practical and ergonomically well-sorted.
The 1990s brought us plenty of fast Fords too (the Escort RS Cosworth being one), but what really made Ford shine pre-millennium was its ability to make cars for everyone without sacrificing the elements that mattered to enthusiasts. You could walk into a Ford dealer and leave with a car that was good to drive and refined – and kept the bean counters happy.
You can keep your E39 BMW M5s and your Lamborghini Diablos, because I’m taking a Ford. Now, does anyone know of a Mk1 Ka that hasn’t rotted into the ground?
Source: Autocar
