IRELAND - Ford of Ireland is hoping to uncover Ireland's oldest Fiesta, do you know where one is ?

First introduced in 1976, Ireland and Europe’s favourite small car, the Ford Fiesta is celebrating 40 years. As part of the car’s 40 year celebrations, Ford in Ireland is hoping to uncover Ireland’s oldest Fiesta.

Launched in the same year as Apple Computers and supersonic passenger flights on Concorde, few could have predicted the Fiesta’s phenomenal success story.

“The Fiesta has had such a unique and exceptional heritage in Ireland”, commented Ciarán McMahon, Chairman and Managing Director of Ford in Ireland. 

“It has been part of the family for countless households down through the years and is the car that most of us actually learned to drive in – experiences like that build a unique and strong affinity”.

The Ford Fiesta has sold more than 17 million units around the world since its launch in 1976. In Ireland, some 180,000 Fiestas have been sold giving it a rightful claim to the country’s longest-standing and favourite small car.

“Fiesta succeeded in staying popular by changing with the times and always staying right up to date. The latest version is a testament to that – stylish, great driving dynamics, excellent fuel economy but as technologically advanced as models selling for a multiple of the price of the Fiesta. That is why the latest version of Fiesta has been the top-selling small car in Europe for the last four years and I am sure the next 40 years will be just as successful for Fiesta”.

“When you consider how Fiesta has changed over the years, with each version getting better and better, it is the essence of our recently launched ‘Unlearn Ford’ campaign which invites motorists to forget what they think they know about Ford and look at the company differently. 

Anyone who only knew the earlier versions of Fiesta will be astounded to experience the latest version which is as stylish and technologically advanced as any car on the road today”, concluded McMahon.

Back in 1976, the Fiesta went on sale for the price of £2,365 and as a quick flavour of how times have changed: your 1976 Fiesta came with options including a screw-off aerial. Today’s Fiesta is geared towards the ‘connected’ generation, with excellent connectivity to your smartphone and apps and replete with the latest voice control technologies.

In its search for Ireland’s oldest Fiesta, Ford is hoping that owners of early Fiestas will come forward and contact their local Ford Dealer. 

The owner of Ireland’s oldest Fiesta and their car will be guests of honour at a special celebratory event for 40 years of Fiesta that will take place in late September.

For details of your nearest Ford Dealer go to ford.ie and also keep an eye on the Ford Ireland Facebook page for regular updates on Fiesta 40 activity.

The International Ford Show will celebrate 40 years of the iconic Fiesta, 50 of the Essex V6 & 20 for the ST Range.

• Special line-up to mark 40 years of the iconic Fiesta at The International Ford Show
• Event will also celebrate 50 years of the Essex V6 and the history of Ford’s ST range
• TV star Ant Anstead to be guest of honour
• The International Ford Show takes place April 30th - May 1st, 2016

After an incredible 40 years of being one of Britain’s most popular cars, the humble Ford Fiesta will be celebrated in a special birthday display at The International Ford Show, which takes place at Sandown Park, Surrey, on April 30-May 1.

Examples of all seven generations of Fiesta, from the earliest Popular and Popular Plus models through to the very latest ST, will form part of a standout display marking the model’s anniversary. All types of Fiesta will be included, from showroom condition standard variants to some of the more unusually modified examples, but all with a common theme.

Event Manager Katherine Chappell said: “Everyone has a Fiesta memory. First car, Mum or Dad’s car, a friend’s car, I don’t think there’s anyone who hasn’t had a Fiesta in their lives at some point or another, so it’s right that we should use this brand new show as the first opportunity to mark the model’s milestone anniversary.”

But it won’t only be the Fiesta that’s celebrated at the show. The show will also mark the golden anniversary of Ford’s Essex V6 engine, with a dedicated The Only Way is Essex display. Iconic cars that used the engine, from the very earliest V6-powered Mk4 Zephyr and Zodiac to the fearsome Capri RS3100 will make up the ranks.

The International Ford Show will also include a dedicated show area for Ford’s ST model ranges as the performance badge heads towards its 20^th anniversary.

The indoor event will have TV Star Ant Anstead from For the Love of Cars as its guest of honour. Ant will be present on Saturday April 30 to answer visitors’ questions and talk about the series’ Mk1 Escort restoration.

The show will also feature some of the finest Fords from the UK and beyond, be them standard, restored or modified, along with premium trade stands from a variety of Ford experts and specialists. There will be live demonstrations throughout the day, along with a significant presence from two of the Ford scene’s most respected magazines – Classic Ford and Fast Ford.

Advanced tickets for the show are available now, priced at just £10 per person for single day access, or £20 for the weekend (up to two children below the age of 14 go free with each paying adult). Those wishing to make even more of a weekend of it can also take advantage of on-site camping for an extra £10 per person, adding to the show’s festival feel. They can be bought from the show’s official website atwww.theinternationalfordshow.com

Full details of the show and cars can be found on the event website, or via the official Facebook page and twitter feeds.