Car spotlight- Ford Festiva (1988-1993)

The Festiva was so basic, that having a passenger-side mirror
was considered an option...

The car I'm talking about today should not be confused with the 1978-1980 and 2011-present Ford Fiesta.  No, this is the Ford Festiva (fes-teev-ah), a completely different small car.  Imagine the word "festive" and replace the "e" with an "a" (just like when Oldsmobile replaced the  last "e" in Achieve with an "a" to get this depressing car).

In the mid 80s, Ford was on top of the world.  Their Escort "world car" was selling plentifully around the world, the game-changing Taurus mid-sized sedan was turning heads everywhere, and Ford was well into development of another vehicle that will turn the car industry upside down (the Explorer)  Yes, it was a great time to be a Ford dealer.  Around this time, the was a dramatic increase in college graduates looking to buy their first car or their first "new" car.  Looking to capitalize on this new demographic, Ford went ahead and offered a simple and affordable car called the Festiva.

Because Ford was pretty exhausted with developing the Escort and Taurus, as well as having their hands full with the Explorer, Ford pulled a GM move by dumping the responsibility of developing and assembling this new car to their Japanese partners, Mazda and Kia.

Gotta love that optional air conditioner!
And Get a load of that automatic seat
belt!
(photo credit-moibibiki.com)

The origins of the Festiva itself is actually quite confusing.  The car was originally developed by Mazda as the 121 sub-compact and was marketed mainly toward those who lived in city settings (specifically Tokyo) where cars are taxed based on size and dimensions.  Mazda would then enter a contract with Kia Motors of South Korea to assemble the 121 and sell it as the Kia Pride.  When Ford came along and asked to sell the car in the United States, it would be the Korean derivative that would wear the Ford emblem.  So whenever someone in America pops open the hood or look closely at the V.I.N plate, it will say "Manufactured in South Korea by Kia Motors."

The Festiva went on sale in the U.S in 1988 and sold fairly well.  Like Ford had hoped, the Festiva sold well among college graduates and new drivers.  The Festiva was also quite popular with individuals who had long commutes, as the car got very good gas mileage (35 city/42 highway).  The only drawbacks to the cars were it's laughably small wheels that wore out frequently and it's very poor crash test ratings (but don't worry, Ford put motorized seat-belts in the Festiva so that nobody forgot to buckle up!)

The Festiva sold well enough for Ford to keep the Festiva through the 1993 model year.  At this point, the vehicle underwent a major re-design.  Because the new Festiva looked completely different from it's predecessor, Ford decided at the last second to change the name to "Aspire."  To sum up that car as briefly as I can, many people agree that it was probably the worst possible name to give that particular car...

Even after it was re-designed, several markets continued to sell the original version of the Festiva, specifically in emerging markets.  Kia sold the Pride virtually unchanged until 2000.  China sold their own version of the Festiva as the "Donfeng Yueda" in the 1990s and early 2000s.  Iranian car-maker S.A.I.P.A STILL assembles and sells several different variants of the Festiva to this day, including a 5-door hatchback, 4-door sedan, station wagon, and even a pickup (why anyone would buy a Festiva to haul things is beyond me.  I bet the towing capacity of one is pretty laughable).

An Iran-built SAIPA pickup truck at the Factory. Even the people
that built it looks as if they don't understand the point of making
a pickup truck based off a Festiva...
(photo credit-Technically Jurisprudence.blogspot.com)

And if you thought a pick-up Festiva rose eyebrows, there was an unofficial "Festiva SHO" or "SHOgun."  California-based Special Editions Inc, a coach builder took seven Festivas and mounted the 3.0L DOHC V6 typically found in the Ford Taurus SHO in the Festiva.  Along with the engine swap, Special Editions also widened the wheel displacement (to prevent rollovers) and added a unique body kit to differentiate the SHOgun from regular Festivas.  Jay Leno owns SHOgun #3 and you can see a video about that one here.  I read an article on Leno's official website (for which I couldn't get the link on here for some reason) that this was the car he drove to his first day of hosting the Tonight Show back in 1992.    

Jay Leno with his 1990 Festiva "SHOgun." He even went
ahead and added NOS to the engine...well then!
(photo credit-flatout.com.br)