For fans of vehicles from the 1980s and 1990s, MotorWeek‘s Retro Review series routinely provides us with nifty little throwbacks to those particular periods of time. There have been quite a few Blue Oval models featured in this series over the past couple of years as well, making the YouTube channel of the original TV automotive magazine well worth keeping an eye on. The latest of that bunch has arrived in the form of this very cool Retro Review of the 1987 Ford Festiva.
Though the new-at-the-time Ford Festiva was designed by the folks at the company’s then-partner Mazda, the thought was that combining Japanese quality with The Blue Oval’s expansive dealer network in an affordable package would be a hit, and the Festiva was precisely that. The Festiva sported a basic boxy look, albeit with some sporty lines thrown in for good measure, offered in L or LX trims with a 1.3L four-cylinder engine making a modest 58 horsepower and 73 pound-feet of torque mated to a five-speed manual transmission.
Performance was rather leisurely as a result, with 0-60 mph taking a full 12.5 seconds and the quarter-mile lumbering by in 18.9 seconds at 72 mph, but that was never the focus of the Ford Festiva – aside from the ultra-rare Shogun variant, at least. Rather, the lightweight 1,820-pound hatch was more about offering customers an affordable and efficient machine – and in this case, it even touted some nifty standard features. Fuel economy came in at 39 mpg in the city and 43 on the highway, with a starting price of just $5,760.
This nifty Ford Festiva Retro Review is just one of several from this particular era of Blue Oval that we’ve been treated to recently. That list also includes, most recently, a full rundown of the entire 1990 Ford new vehicle lineup, as well as a review of the 1991 Escort, too.
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