Ford Fair 2021: Fun With Fiestas

Small but perfectly formed, small ones are more juicy naturally, the best things come in small packages. There’s seemingly a whole range of counterpoints to the idea that bigger is better and there’s a strong case that this applies to cars. Smaller cars weigh less, cost less, tend to handle better, are easier to manoeuvre and are more likely to fit through the increasingly narrow garage apertures beloved of modern house builders.

It’s a shame then that the smaller of Ford’s offerings has always felt a bit overlooked compared to its bigger brothers. From the diff-less and small turbo Fiesta RST to the lack of any RS model at all since the mid 90s, all the love is Focused on the larger models. This isn’t wholly a bad thing though as it leaves it to the imagination of modifiers to rectify any shortcomings in different ways, encouraging variety and innovation.

Plenty of amazing cars but two that really stood out (and could hardly be more different) were Max’s near concourse Mk3 Quartz and the white Zetec Turbo RWD XR2i. The latter having been built by the owner and incorporating such subtle features as slightly flared rear arches. The retention of the original gear knob and head unit were a great touch, along with OEM matching grey carpet for the tunnel and the split rear bench to clear it.