Ford Fiesta Mk1 driven 600 miles to Geneva

It's easy, has ideas. Bringing them out is more challenging. This is the direction of my thinking at 6:00 on a Sunday morning in March, when I pitched at a London address Mr Stan Papior, master photographer, to drive with him to Geneva for the annual auto show, one of the better date in the automotive ,

we transport? A 1976 Ford Fiesta.

That's not the novelty of the journey that creates concerns me that morning. We are both driven route many times - I especially last year in the 1912 Ford Model T. On that occasion, we took a leisurely three days to cover the 600 miles to the capital of Switzerland - and enjoyed it so much that we are approaching goal, we slowed down so it does not end it.

No, my concern is the tight schedule this time we were on the ability Fiesta Mk1. We need to complete the trip in one long day of driving and this little car has just 45bhp from 957cc four-pot engine under its hood. Its four-speed gearbox has an ultra-short top gear, which means even when doing 65-70mph it had to sing for his supper. This rolling 13in steel wheels and 145-section tires weak. top speed is quoted at more than 80 mph and a 0-60mph time is in 17.8sec - but both are optimistic by receiving leaders' claim 'producer' back in the day.

In any case, the car has to overcome the weight of non-standard two guys (one regular, one large) plus a little luggage and camera gear. There is no getting around it: it is slow.

However it is fondly remembered trip Model T that has helped inspire this project. Journey that has to mark the anniversary of Ford minor. This year there is a much greater.

While cogitating over Christmas, I would realize that it will soon be 40 years since the Fiesta launched. More than a mere anniversary, this will be an important moment for the entire European motor industry. Within a few years before 1976, the automaker has been busy finding them affordable, capable, simple yet sophisticated, front-wheel-drive, hatchback equipped cars will soon become known as Superminis.

Fiat has beginning with 127, and Renault R5, but when the mighty Ford Fiesta asserts the importance of the trend with a beautiful but simple, it means that every serious car maker would need a model like this. Currently, one out of every three cars sold globally is a supermini.

What makes the new Fiesta's even better is that it was born at the design house Ghia in Italy. A designer American-Dutch productive called Tom Tjaarda, which is usually used his talent creates a larger-record car like De Tomaso Pantera, has built a concept that is influential in Italy in 1972, the production engineers Ford has been faithful turn it into a hatchback baby people able to have without damaging the purity or modesty.

All who ate the question that has been burning in my consciousness since Christmas: why we do not beg or borrow a first-gen Fiesta - 957cc entry-level version - and drive to Geneva to get a taste of life at the time? Maybe we could go back the other way in the modern Fiesta Ecoboost 1.0-liter three. Suddenly seemed strange that in Geneva we will meet people who later this year will bring the Fiesta to the seventh generation of the world but have not been able to say a word about it.

Anyway, it was still early morning in London, and cold, but suddenly the prospect of driving in France in a small car that important seem interesting again.

We were very lucky with the car we borrowed. Ford has the original edition in 1976 with only 40,000 miles on the clock. It has been maintained in the Ford Heritage Collection, which lived in a large garage in Dagenham not far from where peers created in the tens of thousands. It was marked, and the sort of conventional colored beige bronzey period, but the dominating feature is in: a set of chairs in orange tartan. We loaded the goods Stan, start the engine, clutch appeared and drove away.

Thinking back, I have made this sound too simple. I clean forgot nonsense of cranking the engine is cold, then realize you need to choke it, then pulled way knob out, and then after that fire untidily on a mixture of desperate rich, took ages to run evenly, let alone correct, while the vortex burning gasoline hang air and your nostrils. If you want a snapshot of how electronics have changed the car, driving a classic 1970 today.

Through London, we made a series of exciting discoveries. First, small cars and very light (750 kg claimed), about the size of a Ford Ka was first launched 20 years later. It comes nowhere and turn on the 20-pence piece. Secondly, riding well, smaller wheels and all. Third, unassisted steering is accurate and lightweight (if a little wood) and low road noise, mostly.

We get out of London and the M20 towards the Channel Tunnel is not much more time than you expect, which is often the way with old cars. In modern fast, it's surprising how rarely you can deploy your advantage. modern automotive often about effortlessness of time traveling fast. Mind you, Google Maps has been predicted for this trip 596 miles and 10 hours - and I am pretty sure we will be a couple behind that even if the car keeps running right.

However, we were soon in the terminal tunnel, then through it, then rolled at 69mph magnificent sat-nav (72-73mph shown) along the sunny plains of the A26, which has always represented freedom to me, for one reason because the surface is smooth and light traffic but also - if it does not sound too sentimental - because this is where our great-grandparents died for freedom. Stretching the past Bethune on one side and Arras on the other hand is very painful.

You do a lot of driving is well established in France, so choose your cruising speed in the car like this is important. I expect the overall gearing up around 16.5mph per 1000rpm - ridiculously short in this day and age, but really if you only have a 50lb ft at 3700rpm to spread. four-cylinder engine, especially of this era, has a clear vibration period - less than approximately 2500rpm and one more obvious at 4000rpm. Given that the maximum power is made at 5750rpm, 4500rpm I decided enough for day-long car 40 years, so we accelerated only slightly beyond the second vibration period and kept there. So 69mph is the answer.

We are continuing all morning and in the afternoon, chatting, watching the world and their cars and learn to trust the reliability of the little car. Seems to run better by a mile, as the old car would normally be. We ended with the juice of about 230 miles and then in 450, returning only 40mpg, you will get - and more - of the weight, fleeter Fiesta Ecoboost 1.0 today.

Right rear tire blew out without warning near Chalon-sur-Saône, about 50 miles short of the turn east in Macon, where the A40 begin to lead you towards the Alps and Geneva. It was bang right, not just a quick deflation, but there is no sidewall cracks or holes in the tread, bead just completely broken. And it was not hot. A mystery. the car stops straight and we turn out to be a backup in minutes, proceed with caution for the time being. But that was the only problem. cars do not even use oil or water.

In the flat before you go up and then down to Geneva, we did the obligatory top running speed. You should, right, especially when the test says it is only 79mph (as opposed to 'claim' 83mph). In still conditions, the best estimate of a flat surface, it is ... 79mph. Congrats to road testers earlier.

We drove to Geneva, to the Hotel President Wilson in the side of the lake, after 12.2 hours - the average speed, including stops (multiple and fast), from 48.8mph. To be honest, it was easy. All you need is a good friend, a reliable car It will cruise at nearly 70mph and an open road. Comfort? We were a bit stiff but nothing catastrophic.

The next day we met with the head of the European Ford, Jim Farley, who entered into the spirit of things with our words and posed for photographs in the 1970s amazing bottle-green suit. Then it was showtime: blizzard releases and news announcements that come with the Geneva event.

The next day we drove back to the UK in the new Fiesta 1.0. Sure, it's easier, plus more capable and luxurious, but it still took 11 hours. This is a fine car, the new Fiesta, but there is no way to do it relatively ancient shame. In fact, every time I drive the latest model in the future, I would think how good the original ancestor perform their duties.

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