Ford Ka reclame spot
Datum van opname: 1997
Bron: vhs

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Ford Ka

The Ford Ka is a small car manufactured by the American manufacturer, Ford Motor Company from 1996 to 2016, as a city car, and from 2014 onwards as a subcompact car. It entered its second generation in 2008, being produced by Fiat in Tychy, Poland. A third generation was introduced in 2014.

The first two generations have a three-door hatchback body style, with the first generation also having a two-door convertible version that was marketed as the StreetKA, alongside a sporty hatch version, known as the SportKA. There is also the Ford Ka NOW. The third generation is produced as a five-door hatchback and as a four-door sedan. It was initially only available in Brazil, later being introduced in India, Mexico, South Africa (where it is marketed as the Ford Figo), Argentina and Europe.

First generation (1996–2008)

he car was introduced on 11 September 1996 as a small and low-cost addition to the Ford range. It was based on the Mark IV Ford Fiesta platform, but with a completely different exterior design. The design borrowed a lot from Ghia's "Saetta" show car, a roadster designed by Filippo Sapino. The Ka evolved from concept vehicles to production with minor changes. The large, one piece, moulded bumpers and wheel arches made the vehicle more durable and easier to repair. The vehicle was manufactured on the existing Fiesta production line in Almussafes, Valencia, minimising new model investment costs. The Chief Program Engineer was Kevin O’Neill. The designer of the car was Chris Svensson of Sunderland, who had designed a similar-shaped car when at the Royal College of Art in 1992.

When the Ka was first introduced to the public it provoked mixed reactions, due to its original and striking New Edge design, overseen by Jack Telnack and executed by Claude Lobo.

Besides the styling, the Ka, like its sister cars Fiesta and Puma; was lauded in the motoring press for its handling. Under Richard Parry-Jones' supervision, the suspension and steering settings allowed for hard cornering and high levels of grip, providing strong handling characteristics.

At launch, the Ka was produced as a single model, with a number of production options including: air conditioning, power steering, height-adjustable driver’s seat, adjustable position rear seat with head restraints, passenger airbag, central locking and power windows. An anti-lock braking system option was added in January 1997.

Aside from corrosion, the main drawback was the 1,300 cc OHV four-cylinder Endura-E engine, a design dating to the 1950s Kent engine used in the Ford Anglia. Although not very modern, it provided enough torque to allow relaxed if not spirited driving. In 2002, the Endura-E was replaced by the overhead cam Duratec engine, with claims of improved fuel efficiency and increased refinement, mostly caused by taller gearing on the non-air conditioned models.

For the first three years of production, all models had black plastic bumpers to minimise parking damage to paintwork in city environments. These bumpers contained a stabiliser to prevent UV degradation which made them unsuitable for painting because the paint would not adhere properly. However, it became clear that many owners wanted body-coloured bumpers, so they were introduced in 1999 using different bumper mouldings (without the stabiliser).

The Ka has proved highly profitable for Ford despite its low selling price, largely due to low development costs. In 2006, Ford sold 17,000 examples of the Ka model per year in the United Kingdom. As with other Ford models, insufficient anti-corrosion treatment during manufacture and the use of non-galvanised steel results in premature surface and structural corrosion becoming established on cars used in more northern, damp climates.

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