Small Ford EV: Project Bobcat reborn
In the early 1970s, Ford faced a crisis in Europe. While the American-owned carmaker virtually defined the mainstream, mid-sized market with its Cortina and Escort models, there was a big hole at the bottom of its range. It lacked a small, hatchback supermini to compete with the likes of the Fiat 127 and Renault 5, which had arrived in the first two years of the decade.
When the oil crisis sent fuel prices skyrocketing in 1973, the need for a small, economical car became even more pressing.
Ford’s ‘Project Bobcat’ had begun in September 1972, with the aim of creating a class-leading, front-wheel drive hatchback. It became an ambitious, international effort.
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| Styling was tackled by Italian coachbuilder Ghia, bought by Ford in 1970 |
Engineering was tackled at Dunton, in the UK, and Cologne in Germany, while styling work was led by Tom Tjaarda at Carrozzeria Ghia, the Italian coachbuilder Ford had acquired in 1970.
The resulting car, the first Ford Fiesta, launched in 1976 and rapidly became one of the company’s most popular vehicles – combining reliability and style at an affordable price.
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| Tjaarda's masterpiece - original Fiesta is well proportioned and neatly detailed |
A low entry level cost was assured by stripped-down base models, though plush Ghia branded versions were also made available with mock-wood trim, alloy wheels and velour seats. The variety helped Ford clock up a million sales in less than three years.
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| Variety helped ensure the first Fiesta's success |
The car received a mid-life refresh in 1981, with new painted-steel and plastic bumpers the most obvious alteration. More noticeable was the arrival of the sporty Fiesta XR2 in the line-up, featuring round headlights, 'pepper pot' alloy wheels, and a larger 1.6-litre engine.
The Fiesta evolved through eight subsequent generations, with 22 million sold worldwide, about 4.8 million in the UK alone, before production of the model finally halted in 2023.
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| 22 million Fiestas were sold across eight generations |
The story isn’t over, however.
In December 2025, Ford and Renault signed a deal that will see Ford use the electric-car platform already used by the Renault 5, Renault 4 and Nissan Micra. A new Fiesta EV is expected to launch within the next couple of years. Ford has said the new car will be given its own new bodywork and personality.
We’ve imagined what that new car might look like if it went back to the Fiesta’s roots, and used the original Ford ‘Bobcat’ as its inspiration, spliced with modern Ford styling cues from the current Ford Explorer, and the recently revived Ford Capri.
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| The return of an icon? |
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| Like the first Fiesta, the Bobcat EV should offer a basic entry-level car |
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| We'd love to see Ford resurrect Ghia branding for the most upmarket trim level |
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| Interiors change but houndstooth cloth never goes out of fashion |
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| We've had a Puma and a Kuga, time for a Bobcat? |
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| Fiesta ST branding took over in recent years, but a sporty Bobcat ought to be an XR2 |
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| The Bobcat would fit below Explorer and Capri EVs |
