1989 Ford Fiesta Ghia 1.4 *Sold £3,500*

Description

• Lovely time warp example
• Warranted 49k Mileage
• Large, documented history
• Recent timing and water pump belts
• Brand new tyres
• Very early manual choke version
• Full MOT

The Fiesta Ghia

The third-generation Fiesta Mark III, codenamed BE-13, was unveiled at the end of 1988 and officially went on sale in February 1989. The car was based on a new platform, ditching the old car’s rear beam axle for a semi-independent torsion beam arrangement, it looked radically different from the second-generation, addressing the principal weakness of the previous generation – the lack of a five-door version, which was by then available in its major rivals.  The other main change was to the running gear – the improved high-compression swirl version of the Kent/Valencia powerplant. The CVH units from the second generation were carried over largely unmodified.

Our time warp 1.4 Ghia version here was previously with its first owner until 2014 at which time it passed hands a few times before our vendor managed to snap it up.  Being an avid car show attendee he wanted a great example to show and enjoy, this example fitted and fits that bracket perfectly.

Now only coming to market due to our vendors change of circumstances and lack of time to make the most out of this special example he has decided to let a new custodian take care of it.

Currently showing 49k mileage our vendor shared that he would be lucky to have put 300 miles on the odometer in the time that he has owned the Fiesta, another reason he feels he should find a new home for it, whether that be to a collector who will keep it in the same condition it is now or to someone who will use and enjoy it on the road.

Supplied with two keys, the original toolkit and all the original manuals which include a partially stamped service book, the marketing manuals, owner’s handbook and even the stereo instructions.  Added to that there are virtually all the Fiesta’s MOTs present and loads of invoices that include the most recent service parts including the timing belt etc. Finally, there are a handful of previous tax disks including the one that currently sits in pride of place in the front windscreen.

Exterior

As previously mentioned, this little Fiesta Ghia has spent its recent life being a show car. As such our vendor strived for perfection, and so made the very hard decision to keep it that way. He decided to freshen up the car rather than leave it original and run the risk of its wonderful presentation starting to deteriorate. We believe he made the right choice.

As can be seen from the images the Olympic Gold paintwork is in fantastic condition and presents wonderfully bar the odd stone chip at the front of the bonnet. The one or two chips being so small our vendor deemed that they were too minor to put right. What he has shared, is that it has received a little attention to the nearside arch due to some very minor bubbling. He also shared that the lower sections beneath the door trims and the front and rear valance have also been professionally refreshed in the original grey paint. Peruse the images and you’ll agree, it was a great choice. It truly is a wonderful looking car.

Walk around the Fiesta and you will find the lamps to all be in great condition with no cracks or fading. The textured bumpers present fantastically, as do the door protective trims. The glass all looks to be original and even has the obligatory AA Relay sticker still fitted, along with period original Ford Sticker.

The underneath is as you would expect of a car that presents this well: solid and tidy with no obvious rot set in. Our vendor saw fit to make sure it stays that way and has wax oiled the underneath, so it does just that, stays rot free!

Lastly our vendor has replaced all the tyres and even managed to source four, near perfect condition, original and correct wheel trims. Our vendor advised that he will also supply the original ones to the winning bidder

A very lovely example indeed.

Interior

On opening the driver’s door to this little five door Fiesta Ghia you will be mightily impressed at the condition of the interior. Slide into the sumptuous caramel velour front seats and wonder at how comfy the interior really is, Ford made sure that the owner of a “Ghia” knew they were in the flagship model.

The caramel dash is spotless with none of the usual cracks or colour fading present, the two spoke steering wheel is near perfect and all the switches and knobs are in lovely condition. Our vendor shared that everything in the car works as it should with the electric windows operating with no drag.

The manual sunroof is smooth on its runners and the clock and original Ford Stereo cassette work as they should. The door pads are in wonderful condition and the Ghia specific, extra thick, carpet is protected by period rubber mats.

The rear seat looks to have had little use, as do the front drivers and passenger seats with no unsightly burns or stains present.

Even the parcel shelf is fully intact with no unsightly holes cut out for extra speakers, why would you with a Ghia model, it was supplied with four speakers from factory, as evidenced with the little joystick that adjusts the balance and fade as needed.

Being a Ghia model, it has the luxury of being fitted with an electronic boot release button, as expected it still works. Press it and you will find that the boot area presents lovely with the original boot carpet in place, lift it and you will find that the boot floor is just as nice as everywhere else.

We couldn’t leave this section without mentioning that such was our vendors love for this era of Fords he even went to the trouble of sourcing a pair of period fluffy dice which hang proudly from the rear-view mirror. What a lovely touch!

Engine and Mechanicals

As the badge on the tailgate reads, this super little car was fitted with the 1.4 CVH engine that works a treat in this light and agile little car. Open the bonnet and you will find the suspension turrets to be extremely clean and tidy, in fact the engine looks as good as it runs.

Earlier this year our vendor saw fit to replace the head gasket, replace the timing and water belts and thoroughly service the car so not as to be surprised or worried when making his way to the handful of car shows he attended. That was less than 300 miles ago so expect this Fiesta to be as reliable as it was when it left the factory.

He also shared that the brakes have been checked and although the fronts were in perfect running order, he felt the need to service the rear as required. The suspension has been checked and is all in good working order, in fact he went as far as having all four wheels aligned before fitting the aforementioned new tyres.

What more could you ask for, a perfect running 1.4 engine that steers and stops like it did when it left the factory.

Our view

Where do we start with our summary with so much going for this lovely example?  Firstly, we could not fail to mention the impressive document pack that comes with the car, it really is one of the better packs we have come across recently, with every brochure and manual present that you would receive when driving out of the showroom, plus the sheer amount of invoices and MOTs, it really is impressive.

Add that to the condition of this time warp example and you will understand how well presented this Fiesta Ghia is. We can fully understand why this has been a “show car” for our current vendor and understand why he just cannot justify it being tucked away and not shared with everyone.

Make your choice and do what you will. Should you decide to bid for it, all we say is do it quicky as we really do not expect an example as good as this to hang around. Get bidding