1986 Ford Fiesta Ghia review from UK and Ireland

Gearbox driveshaft failure

Valve stem oil seals

Rear wheel bearings

Seized nearside front brake caliper

Leaking rear brake cylinders.

Fiesta ghias are a contradiction in terms. Ford's Ghia badging seems to be affixed to the plushest, poshest and smoothest cars they produce. However, pedro, who sticks on the ghia badges at the spanish plant got a bit trigger happy with the UK batch of festers after his sister got chatted up by some dodgy union jack clad geezers in the summer of 1984. and the fester ghia was born.

As a result, you think they're posh, but they're kind of naff. However, as with so many things which are slightly naff, they have a massive following and I can confess slight sadness at having sold mine 2 years ago.

The reason for this is that they are usually the first car on the shopping list when the sprog of the family waves his or her driving test pass certificate in front of mummy and daddy. And this is because they're cheap to run, insure, and most importantly - buy. And for all those budding boy-racers theres a model above the ghia - the XR2!!! Which means cheap bits in scrapyards to make your car look wicked/rinsin' and be totally down with those dudes who play their bassy stereos down by the river.

Also, and as a complete afterthought to the result of the "orrwite geezahs its gotta be cheap innit" brainstorming session at ford hq, it drives OK.

Its not that quick, but the steering is light and fairly fast and so can be semi-chuckable on snaky b-roads. But really the best that can be said of the engine/steering/suspension/ride/comfort/reliability is that its all OK. The only function notable by its absence in that list is the brakes which are not OK. In fact they're the most scary set of brakes I have ever encountered since the last time I drove a fiat uno. I was literally petrified on the first motorway drive I did in it and had to put the brakes on a junction before I actually wanted to leave the M1. However, I arrived in one piece and it only took me half a tank to drive 250 miles.

So that's about it. If you want a drivers car - buy a 205, if you want a quick one, buy a renault 5 GT Turbo, if you want a cult car buy a mini. But if you're skint buy a fester - they're OK.