THE LAST OF US

Production of Ford's Fiesta ends forever this summer. We salute its departure with a drive of the model in its best incarnation: the Mk7 ST200

- RICHARD MEADEN

WHEN FORD GETS SOMETHING RIGHT the results can be dazzling. Proving mainstream needn't mean mundane has long been the company's mission. Witness the Mondeo, Focus and Ka all defining their respective sectors thanks to their class-leading dynamics.

As Ford's longest-serving nameplate, the Fiesta has had its ups and downs over the decades, but the Mk7 - built between 2008 and 2017 is another example of Ford at its best. A range of affordable cars that drove brilliantly, this was a Fiesta that felt like it had been shaped by engineers, not accountants.

Sportiest of the lot was the excellent ST, with the special-edition ST200 being the best of the bunch. Introduced in 2016 as the seventh-generation Fiesta was entering its twilight years, it was a fitting send-off to one of Ford's most successful performance models. Built in limited numbers and finished exclusively in Storm Grey, it featured carefully considered performance-enhancing tweaks, plus a generous level of standard equipment, including extremely comfortable Charcoal Grey half-leather Recaro seats.

Full disclosure: this is my ST200. First ordered by my father back in 2016, it remained in his possession until 2021, when he very kindly gave it to me to mark, ahem, a significant birthday. Being a total stickler, he'd kept it in mint condition. With it having covered barely 5000 miles I probably should have stuck it in a dehumidified vault, but that would have been a waste of a great car. Now showing 13,000 miles it's still showroom fresh and drives like it did when new. I love it to bits.