Ford Fiesta Mk1

The story

Ford spent a fortune on its answer to the Renault 5 and Volkswagen Polo, building a new factory in Spain for it. Neat, light and cheap to run, the Fiesta arrived just after the oil crisis and was an instant hit.

Inside

Simple and bright, with a big glass area and a rear seat that folds for loads.

In period colours

Tap a colour to respray the drawing.

Meanwhile, in 1977

The Queen's Silver Jubilee brought street parties, and Star Wars arrived in cinemas.

Best-selling single of 1977: Mull of Kintyre by Wings

Before you buy a 1970s car

• Rust is common in sills, wheel arches, front panels and the bottom of the doors.
• Check the wiring and electrics carefully, as they age badly.
• Many volume-selling cars still have good parts support, but badge-engineered and low-volume models can be harder to source.

General notes, not specific to this model. Check the model's own history before buying.

Rivals of its day

Picked automatically: cars on sale at the same time with similar size, speed and price.

See the real thing

These open in a new tab: the car on Wikimedia Commons, the interior and the badge as Google image searches.