Was the Ford Ka's WILD style a hit & how did it all go wrong?!?
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- Опубликовано: 10 фев 2022
- If you’re lucky enough to get the chance to name a car, you should pick a name that’s obvious to pronounce. Even though Ford picked a car name with just two letters (probably a record unless you count cars like the Ford Model T), people have found multiple ways of pronouncing the car that we’re talking about. Is it the Kah, the Kaa, or simply the K A? Even Ford didn’t seem to know, with their marketing department using all three ways to say it. It seems, to me, that the name was a clever play on the word “car”, and if Ford isn’t clear on how you pronounce it, that’s what I’m going to go with it in this video at least. In the 1990s Ford was known for predictable, dependable cars, but no one looked to Ford for funky innovative styling. So where did the wild looks of the Ka come from? Was it a hit, and how did Ford try to continue the Ka tradition?
Many thanks to Steve Saxty for many of the development photos in this video. Here's a link to his wonderful book "Secret Fords Volume Two": www.stevesaxty.com/
Ford Ka Optional Extra video: • Ford Ka - Optional Extra
Link to the Ford Ka cat decapitation video: • Ford Ka - Unused Adver...
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Sources:
Steve Saxty - Secret Fords Volume 2
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Fi...
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Beat
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autozam...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Mo...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Pu...)
pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Ka
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Pa...
classiccars.fandom.com/wiki/F...
www.snopes.com/fact-check/spo...
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The 2nd gen was such a missed styling opportunity considering how well the Fiat 500 has aged, and was definitely overshadowed by the Fiesta at the time.
Like a long awaited sequel
I agree - but would add the Mk2 got overshadowed by not just the Fiesta but practically everything else in its own class. The Fiesta had more style and even Kia and Hyundai had better looking options.
The mk2 looked like an orthopaedic shoe to my eyes!
@@simonhodgetts6530 😆 good call!
I wish we get that Ford Start concept as a new Ka
That TouringKa concept looked great! 😍 Shame that Ford never went with it.
Agreed. To me, it has hints of A4 and Peugeot station wagons. And one of those concept cabrios looked like a Veyron.
Yeah as a kid I hated the Ka but I really fell in love with the TroungKa concept pics in our car magazine in 1998. Too bad they didn't produce it, instead they made the horrible StreetKa :r
#SaveTheWagons
@@xxrs2009 Exactly the same for me. The original Ka looked like sh*t in my eyes.
But that Touring Ka looked fantastic.
Probably because the hight of the Ka lined up with the length of the TouringKa.
I think the Touring would had a big sale.
@@TheSingularNextuz Yeah I agree, it would be a timeless design imo.
I bought one when they first came out. Thanks to its avant garde looks I received more attention from the public than if I'd bought a Ferrari. It was a brilliant little car, probably the best small car I've ever owned and I wish I could buy another one today exactly the same. Particularly memorable was the brilliant handling. But it had one small problem; when I booked it in for its first service the following conversation ensured, "I'd to book my Ka in for its first service", "Yes sir, what sort of car is it?", "It's a Ka", "yes sir, but we need to know what model it is", "It's a Ka", "Yes sir, but we need to know what sort of car it is before we can book it in", "As I just said, it's a Ka". Seeing as Ford themselves were advertising it and pronouncing its name as "Car" it was all a little frustrating.
Frustrating when all you had to do was spell it for them?
It's pronounced caa
Who’s on first?
Well, I bought perhaps the first Ka in Greece as well (I saw the first ones coming out in the port of Patras and immediately I called a friend, Ford dealer to get me one).....once I was in Athens, a guy stopped beside me telling me what a strange car was this....he said it was looking like a....BIDET!!!! 🤣🤣🤣
This car was very robust and driving like a go-cart!!!
"A "Noddy" car, I wouldn't have one of those *given"* was the quote from my mother - she then had 3 in succession & she loved them (the 2nd one was a bit of a dog) nearly as much as her Hillman Imp 20 years before. She gave up driving aged 91 but kept the 56-plate Ka for 3 years beyond that (🤨). Finally sold to someone in the same town, I saw it regularly, only disappearing last year. It lives on, on Google maps when I search for my own postcode - she's turning the Ka in our street!
Ka+ was a big hit here on Brazil, as someone has said. Specially because our market values cars that can do it all: be a city car, a workhorse and also a travelling vessel. Something we can add, though: the major rework mentioned here is a second-generation Ka, since it uses a new platform, following on its roots and renewing on the back of the new Fiesta chassi that came in 2004 to Brazil but surely was around earlier in EU and US.
The first gen (classic Ka) had to compete with one of the biggest foes anyone can battle with in terms of entry-level cars: Fiat Uno, which could take 5 people in the back and had more space due to the flat roof and smaller console. Also, it had to face the titan in Brazil, the longest best-selling car of our market, the Volkswagen's successor to the Beetle, the Gol, which was the best-seller from 1987 to 2013.
Nowadays city car's started making a little bit more sense around here, but not enough for it to be a big entry-level market. So it was obvious that the Brazilian third-generation Ka would be eyeing a different thing: competing with small family cars, such as the Dacia Sandero (here sold as Renault Sandero and Renault Logan too).
The Brazillian Ka (or Ka+ in Europe) had, in that regard, a stiff suspension that could handle our harsh roads, a big internal space and an enormous trunk in the sedan version. Also, it did come with one of the best steering and clutch, making for a massively pleasant driving experience.
All while costing less than the Fiesta, which could barely accomodate any adults on the backseat and felt overall smaller on the inside.
Ford left Brazil recently, so I guess we probably won't see a Ka again. Their focus now is on bigger vehicles with bigger margins, and even familiy small cars with such a high sales volume don't make up for them in terms of production costs. City cars are even worse on that regard, even though electric ones could present them with the big margins they seek on SUVs and large trucks.
Very very nice video! A warm hug from a Brazillian car lover.
As a Brazilian, i can say that the 3rd gen Ka (or Ka+) was a H I T, (and still is on used market). Quick research show that Ka maintained inside the top 3 best selling hatches from 2016 - 2020. Ford bailed out of Brazil last year, so all Fords suffered a great hit on sales afterwards...
Ka+ on Brazil proved to be just what we wanted. Small and somewhat spacious, economic (brazil adopting the downsizing to the max using 3cil engines) and technological (given it had the Superior and beautiful Fiesta interior)
I'd say it's also one of the best looking Ka's.
It's called Figo on other countries
🇧🇷
Had the same, but with the Figo moniker. The TDCI model was a beast and used to surprise many big car owners.
OK, this means the things are going worse in Brazil.
The Brazilian Mk2 and Mk3 might have disappointed many but the Mk1 deserves some praise for its XR trim level. While Europe didn't get the 1.6L Duratec until the launch of the SportKa in 2002, this engine was made available in the Brazilian Mk1 a year or two earlier and you could actually get a very nicely equipped Ka back then!
well since the 1.6 implementation on the ka was actually a skunk works kind of project from brazil it was logical that it was the test market for the 1.6 ka not to mention the action was also avaliable if you didnt want the visual flair of the XR and could also opt for no power steering/ac if you just wanted something to race
I enjoyed driving an early Ka - I specifically requested one as a hire car, because I’d heard that they were fun to drive. And it was! The bigger surprise that it was also quite brisk, given its diminutive stature and engine. I nearly bought one, but ended up with a mk1 Punto 6 speed. I contemplated buying one again, many years later, when I was looking for a cheap runabout, but sadly by then, many had succumbed to tin worm.
Well, you're proving my point. By that time Fiat was delivering more for less, and even some women hated Ka for it's looks. The car as a statement looked basically like saying; 'I''m a secretary and my boss f... my big ass!'
Great video! There was a joke in Brazil that says that Ford didn't had the money/time to make a full car ('carro' in portuguese), so they made half of it (ka) hahaha. I'm brazilian and over here Ford struggled to mantain the car on production. Brazilians don't like 2-door cars since mid-90s, so Ka was a blind shot that Ford was oblied to mantain because it never sold very well over here. Although is still common to see on the roads, any gen. When Ka became big in 2009 and bigger in 2014 it was more successful at sales. It sold well and even killed the local production Fiesta.
In the U.K. the Ka was typically bought as a families second car and rarely had to carry more than two people. At about the time the MK1 was discontinued a Volvo driving colleague bought a brand new one to teach his son to drive in.
Hi Rainer would you have the specs of the Brazilian KA 2014 model? Perhaps it is available on the Ford Brazil website?
@@sagarjackie7366 there is no 2014 ka here, The New model came in 2015
@@Gabriel30071999 ok, thank you.
The 2 door vehicle decline in popularity: I think that was pretty much world wide. Actually the decline coincided with the decline of sport cars and convertibles as well.
I hated them. Then I drove one. Ended up having two of them. Great little cars. Shame about the rust.
Yeah they are weird as they look awful on the outside but drive great , and yep rust killed mine too , literally you could get a pen and start poking holes in the wheel arches lol
I thought only Brazilian Ka's rusted, but i was wrong 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Me too! Wouldn't have been seen dead in one until I drove one.
The mock up of a touring estate Ka actually looked pretty cool.
My thoughts, exactly.
Before I even watch this video, I KNOW it will be well researched, presented and edited
I just know to expect this from this channel and I am grateful for its existence
Thank you for your hard work Andy 🙂
Glad your enjoying them Edward.
I wanted to check the word RUST appeared, and it did. Almost certainly the rustiest car in modern times.
Like every other video on here. What pointless comment
@@pyeltd.5457 What pointless reply, if I want to compliment the person behind this channel for their work I will do and I have done
You meanwhile want to troll and leave a reply like this, what a sad, pathetic existence you must have
@@pyeltd.5457 Ehh?
I remember when my nan got a brand new Ka in red to replace her old Mk4 Fiesta when I was a kid back in 2007. I even remember being dropped off at school in it on a couple of occasions.
I almost bought a MK1 KA as a cheap runabout circa 2016. The test drive was cut short when, whilst climbing behind the wheel, my foot went through the floor, which had rusted away and been packed with *cardboard!* Fine cars in their day, but by that point their day was clearly over. Another great video. Thanks.
Rust also seemed to prematurely show around the fuel filler on most Ka's.
Did you not take it out "flintstones" style?
The Ka was my first car and I absolutely loved it. With some proper suspension and tyres it was an absolute riot to drive. You could lift the handbrake at any speed and it was just so stable. The feminine styling turned a lot off but in my opinion it was like a modern mini.
When I was 4 or 5 years old my mother brought me to a toy store, somewhere around '99 or 2000, and there must have been at least hundred different cars displayed on the wall. And the car that I've picked was Ford Ka, soo there must have been something interesting in the design that took my attention.
I wouldn't have pick it today.
It's a shame that children don't get a say in which car is bought. My father would otherwise have had to buy an Aston Martin.
@@martinmuller2809 when i was 6 i've talked my grandfather into buying Megane 1 rather than Astra F. Not that megane stood the time well but that astra was shit
Quite fitting because it looks like it was designed by a small child.
@@martinmuller2809 Probably becuse young children don't know shit about money and cars. Most good looking cars are either expensive, unreliable or both.
I wanted my mother to buy a Porsche convertible when I was a kid, we had a rusty old Daihatsu...
Erratum: I imply the Mazda 121 was a kei-car. It wasn't of course.
My own submission for "most pointless model name" - the "Fiat 500 Hey Google": www.fiat.co.uk/fiat-500/500-hey-google
The 121 looked pretty quirky 😁
My neighbour once repainted his with a paint roller
The 2 generation Mazda 121 In Austria/Germany the car is nicknamed Mazda Baby
Won’t blame you. Those Kei cars are mostly sold in Japan domestic market and for Gaijins it is hard to research on.
16:59 Those KA wheels are super rare!
Next Ford video has to be the Focus!
@@polarlicht4758 Next one should be about the R.S. cars.
I learned to drive in a SportKa because it was my instructors car. I won't lie that I look back on them fondly because of that! It wasn't fast but it was fun and grippy, and I appreciated it
Your instructor gave you lessons in a SportKa?? Kinda envious, I'll be honest...
@@fl570 Honestly I was spoilt by that car! It was a pleasure to drive, and the gearbox feel was amazing for an econo hatchback :)
@@joannaatkins822 I can imagine!
I had most of my lessons in a '22 Ibiza with a turbocharged 1.0-litre engine (93 hp; not bad, but quite bland as should be expected), then a few lessons in an unremarkable Peugeot and, finally, a single lesson in a '22 (I think) Micra "N-Sport" prior to my test - this one was, yet again, a 1.0-litre and turbocharged, though admittedly it was more fun than the Ibiza given that it had good torque and overall felt pretty zippy, liking to rev even in the low gears (it even kinda looked the part, with a more sporty-looking body and alloys) - gear change felt really bad, though.
That was probably the closest thing I managed to get to to a SportKa during my driving lessons (though at an overly-unnecessary 1041 kg compared to the 934 kg of the SportKa, I bet it was no match in terms of feeling).
Missed on a really good era for cars, I'm afraid! At least I can still enjoy seeing the few survivors left on the road, though.
Ahh, “New Edge”. The mandatory design theme that nearly killed the Falcon with the AU Falcon, which underneath was a great car that the Australian public hated the looks. Ford Australia then spent the next decade trying to back track the design with zero budget.
To be fair, it was poorly executed by Ford Australia, not helped by the VX Commodore which was a revolution compared to the previous model. I remember the interior of the AU Falcon was absolutely atrocious and feeling physically ill the first time I sat in one haha.
And now AU Falcons are seen as something special because they don't look like everything else from that time
@@somat111 really? I always thought that was a bit of a piss-take 😂
So true, Mr Lurch, so true.
@@MrLurchsThings if you look at most modern Mercedes sedans in profile they look like an AU Falcon and trying buying an AU now that's in good condition and not overpriced
This is a great car (KA) to do a video on. I remember the Ford KA's release fondly. Its design was super radical for the time, almost 'futuristic', even though it doesn't look that remarkable today. The television adverts from around 1996/97 were super fresh too - "Get into the KAaaaaa" and really evoke peak mid to late '90s memories for me. Especially when the ad was served on Channel 4, in between the snowboarding programme "Board Stupid". I'd still happily drive and own an original KA today.
I can remember liking but hating it at first. Loved the front but didn’t know what to make of the back bumper (unpainted back then). Really good cars: a friend was almost killed by a drunk driver in a black Golf GTI speeding with his lights off early hours doing 80mph in a village with a 30 limit. He cut across the KA to turn right, making a head on smash. Thank God, my friend driving survived. His footwear was torn by the pedals and went under his seat. He managed to get out and (thankfully) slid slowly down the side of the KA… he had a broken sternum and could have died very easily that night. He can remember spinning around with the cars door-to-door, the CD flying out of the player on impact and the sound of the battery exploding on impact.
He had me test drive a used Citroen Xsara whilst still fresh from his experience as he couldn’t drive but wanted to get a bigger car. Coincidentally I did a three point turn on our test drive on industrial estate in Newport South Wales and we could actually see his KA in a compound, visible from the rear and offside. I can remember seeing the sine wave ripples in the roof toward the rear tailgate.
Many of us are grateful to the KA. Granted, this was 2008 or so, his KA was only three years old so obviously didn’t have any of the rust that comes with age. The police also remarked how the low centre of gravity of the car had held her down. I really can’t praise it enough - coping with a head on like that with a VW Golf doing 80… they must have hit at just the right angle to let them survive.
@@Brimstoneandfire wow, the KA had a profound impact on you (and literally your friend...).
@@AllWheelsGood I was just really grateful he wasn’t behind the wheel of a mk3/4 Fiesta at the time as I figured it would have had better crash protection engineering.
I remember the original KA in Spain in 2008. Wanted to be in one for years since I discovered it in 2002/3. There is no middle seat so had to sit Inbetween the 2 back seats. Very bionicals design that was way ahead of its time called Kenetic design.
KA was my first words pronounced KAA like Kaboom not KAR like Car as there is no R in KA so it's like saying Cat with no T
Loved the Street Ka . Bucket loads of style!
The 90s brought some really good styling
So with the second generation "Ka", Ford killed both the original Ka and Figo in one fell swoop. I think the original Ka was quite a timeless design, and to me it still looks nice today.
Same with the Mk1 Focus too, it doesn't look dated at all.
@@HallonRubus Ford is Yankee crap mate
@@HallonRubus They both look like heaps of junk from the late 90s and thats exactly what they were. Most of KAs and Focuses from that era are not on the road anymore because they all rusted away and were not very reliable. Still see plenty of VWs polo's and Golfs from that era even the renault clio whilst I'm no fan of them has stood the test of time quite well too.
@@gravemind6536 Rubbish! there are MK1 focus everywhere,one of the best cars for durability ever made,can't remember the last time I saw a Clio from that era,or a polo or golf that hasn't been slammed to the floor with shopping trolley wheels and laughable camber driven by people who's IQ is lower than their car.
The wagon would have been sick
So glad you pronounced it correctly. It irritates me no end when people mispronounce it because it was such a great name!
I think the Ka will end up being a future classic. Basic, cheap to buy and run, superb design (the rare alloys made up of KA lettering!) and loads of fun to drive! That is of course if you can find one that's not rotten (especially around the fuel filler!)
There is no mispronunciation though, the Ford adverts I would see and hear as a kid had the “kay-aye” pronunciation so that’s what I’ve always called it.
I have a first generation ka. It's from 2001 with the 1.3 endura engine. It was my first car and I drove it for 1 year, even got it repainted in the original yellow with black plastic bumpers. The air con broke down and because it was really noisy on the highway, I bought another car. But I still have it... I'm keeping it for when it becomes a classic :)
Original KA is a classic
I own a 58 plate KA Style with 41000 miles on it,Never misses a beat and sails through the MOT every year.Great little car,I love it.
Ford gave us the "New Edge" design language that I really appreciate of the 95-05 era.
From the Ka to the Falcon AU internationally the manufacturer did something different.
I loved my KA. It was the only car I have owned that had me smiling every time I stepped out of it. It just drove like a roller skate.
It also had the habit of multiplying in car parks. You would park in a space to go to the shops, and when you came out there would be three more parked next to you. The most KAs in a car park I had was SIX in a row, ALL RED. People was stopping by to look at them as they thought there was a car meet happening.
Had a gen 1 Ka as a rental for a couple of weeks - had a fiesta in for repair. Liked the Ka a lot - just all round perkier than the fiesta. Quite liked the looks after that!
I swear this little car has chased me for the last ten years (here in Argentina)! The girl I fancied in college had a 2nd Gen Latin America Ka, which we used to drive home after classes, and my mother in law still surprisingly keeps a 1st gen Ka in working order, although the thing sound like a motorcycle, it might be missing one or two cylinders.
Some random facts I can provide about the Latin American life of the Ka:
-You think the MP3 edition was obnoxious? Here we had a 1st gen "Tattoo Edition" that charged you more just for some tribal decals added to the fenders.
- The 2nd gen Latin American Ka had also a saloon version, mostly to entice taxi fleets which run in GNC here (should send you pictures) People still love their separate trunks here for some reason.
-Funnily enough, there was never a pronunciation issue in Spanish, since the name "Ka" is basically the sound/name for the letter "K" in our alphabet
Anyway keep up this awesome videos!
I clicked on this video, not because I know about cars but because of the amazing advertising for the SportKa. The name has stuck with me all these years because of those ads!
The Mk1 Ka is an absolute legend. Incredible fun in such a tiny package. I had a 2004 SportKa for about 18 months and my god it was a hoot to drive! It's just a shame about the rust and the dreadful 1.3 Endura engine in the non-Sport/Street Kas :-/
I've spent quite a lot of time in Brazil and the Ka is very common there. You still see them on every street in every town. The Brazilians did a great job with their version
Oh the rust patch under the filler cap. Mine finally died with the cills rotting (its a ford thing) and it would have cost more that the car was worth to fix.
Yes that rust, My aunties 56 plate KA only lasted until 2016 and she had got shot of it two years previously because she could see it was near the end of it's life and would be un-economical to repair.
@@MINKIN2 On a ten year old Ka we spent £400 on rust repairs (the only MOT failure) and then sold the Ka for £800. The MOT inspector said he had seen ones that were showroom condition on top and full of rust holes underneath. Rustproofing must have been where Ford cut costs.
we had the ROCAM engine, it was quieter and you could still turn the AC on if you wanted to go above 60MPH but boy was it thirsty!
I'm from Brazil and I'm actually going to buy again the 2013 model. I had a 2008 1.6 (i called it little rocket), it was my first car. Now I have a fiesta, but due to Powershift problems, I'm going back to a Ford Ka, and I'm excited for it!
25:16 The 3rd gen was actually a big hit in Brazil. It had constantly the 2nd or 3rd spot of best selling models, even on its last year of production. Chevrolet Onix constantly kept the 1st place, but the Ka's biggest competition was Hyundai's HB20. All models were designed in Brazil to be sold in South America. Despite the good positions, I suppose the market itself is somewhat small. Ford decided to leave market here and just import SUV/Crossovers and Trucks, but now their sales are really negligible.
I bought one new in 2000. I wish I still had it. Red with an electric sunroof. So cool, sporty, a blast to drive, cheap to run. A classic.
When I visited Sweden in 2011 I saw these (1st generation) everywhere!
In 2007, me and my mother traveled to Germany to find a new car for her. After searching for a few days, we were walking the city streets and stumbled upon a Ford showroom. I glanced at a parking lot in the back of the showroom and there it was!
A black Ford Ka with a British open, that I've never seen before.
We both fell in love with it and after taking a look around, it just had a few scratches on the front bumper. It was in pristine condition and we found out it had only 40k kms on it.
We bought it right away and I loved everything about it. We never had issues with it.
I was always attracted by strange cars, or at least that were different than what you see on the street. This Ka was turning heads and it was very practical and fun.
The best thing about it was the British open.
The only issue it had was that the body started rusting pretty fast.
My mom sold it eventually and we found another strange/rare car...a Mitsubishi colt convertible (pininfarina).
I still miss the Ka though...
I think the design philosophy of the Ford Ka was a hit. The Mk.1 Ka has been in production for an insane amount of time and the same design philosophy was used in the Mk.1 Focus. But the Mk.1 Ka design was a bit too feminine imo. That TouringKa design did look great. My first car was a 1995 Fiesta 1.6 GT which was very similar to the SportKa underneath and insanely fun to drive.
The first generation Ka had surprisingly nimble handling. This may be heresy to some people but at low to medium speeds it was arguably more fun to drive than BMW's Mini that arrived a few years later.
Complete and utter bollocks. Mini batters the ford KA in every single way they can't even be compared as cars, for some reason you're a fan boy of that hideous ugly crap Ford called a car.
@@gravemind6536 You are of course entitled to your personal opinion.
Part of the reason it felt fun to drive was that you always felt like you were going a lot faster than you actually were...
I've always been a huge fan of the KA, it's just a real shame SportKa never sold well, would love to get my hands on one. Should also have gotten the 1.7L, or the 2.0 at the end of its life at least!
I seem to remember that the reason for the low bonnet line was that Ford were originally going to debut the Australian Orbital 2-stroke engine but bottled out at the last minute & the only engine that would then fit under that low bonnet line was the OHV Valencia engine (a development of the Ford Kent engine)? I think it was an funky, avantgarde design at the time & Ford missed a trick by not following suit with the 2nd generation Ka, that looked anonymous imo. I do think the dashboard was a bit bulbous though & imposed on the cabin too much on the original.
A 2 stroke 3 cylinder was put in a few police owned fiestas (Essex police) apparently it was really nippy but it could not meet the emission standards that were soon to be introduced.
We had a mk1 Ka,awesome to drive,but sadly a rustbucket.But even today it looks the future,pity the two versions that followed were poor replacements.If only Ford would build a worthy succesor...🤞
I'm surprised the rust issues weren't mentioned until the end. Especially the traditional fuel filler cap area 😅 I dreaded washing mine for metal flaking off or a salt gritter causing the car to disintegrate! Was a fun go-KArt all the same
Yes rust I was talking to a mate who works at an MOT Station, saisome MK1 Ka were failing first or second MOT with rust said it was akin to the F series Vauxhall Victors in early 1960's s told me he had seen 20 year old Toyota's still OK, but not Ka.
Of all the cars I’ve had, my favourite is still my 2001 Ka Collection…doesn’t matter about how expensive other cars have been, the KA was just ace!
I will never forget the mad advertising of the Ka. 'It just wants to play'. Yes it was a little cruel to animals, but after all, it was made by CGI. No cat or bird was harmed making these adds.
The Ka, like the Twingo is a car that tread its own path. Didn't try to fill a segment or follow a trend, it's not to everyone's taste but it sure is a classic in the making. Two other models I feel fit this mould are the Citroen C4 Cactus and the Skoda Yeti. Really enjoy your videos, thanks for making them.
You’re welcome Liam
In the line of ‘cars that went on production for a long time without major changes’ I’d vote for the original Fiat Panda: virtually unchanged from 1980 until 2003. I’ve had several of them and they were just brilliant in their simplicity!
I'll see your panda and raise you a beetle 1938-2003.
@@gazjonze a 38 Beetle and an 03 have NO common parts.
@@richardrichard5409 They do if they were made in South America... The original beetle was made until 2003.
Still daily drive the Ford KA, despite being told by disbelievers I should be ashamed and thus wear a balaclava to disguise myself!
Saying Ka sounds like an English person saying carrr 🤔
Thanx for your work I’ve always been intrigued by the lil ford😊
I remember the day I saw the Ka photo in the Daily Telegraph reviewing the latest car from the Ford stable, and fell instantly in love with its fantastic shape; tho had to wait until I got to New Zealand before I bought my black and silver beauty. Brilliant to drive , light to handle, economical fuel consumption, fast, nippy, perfect all round viewing, easy to park anywhere, there was not ONE factor I could criticize , and even after 12 years had zero rust, admittedly the north end of the north island has no need to salt the roads in winter. The best car I have ever owned including MG and VW. When the dreaded day came when it failed to return from its latest journey I got the garage man to give me its beautiful KA logo. I was so heartbroken I took the bus everywhere, for two years before I could even think of getting another car, then bought a Suzuki Swift, which is a reliable supermarket trolley. Always looking for any Ka on the road, its about two years since I saw the last one, 2019 ish. Thank You Ford for an unforgettable joy.
I drove a gen 1, the car corners beyond expectations as it was a kart with a roof
One of my favourite videos yet! Really appreciate the time and effort you put into not only researching everything, but also the considered thoughts and comments you're beginning to feature more regularly. Great work!
Glad you enjoyed it Peter.
My mum used to have a mk1 Ka called Monty so I call them all Monties. He was cute!
The mk2 looks like the Opel/Vauxhall Corsa D & the mk3 looks like the mk1 Hyundai i30.
We have x3 of the mk1 KAs as courtesy cars at our garage, 1 is a pov spec with 50k on the clock that many customers complain of the heavy manual steering, the second is one of those special editions "blue collection" models with 40k on the clock and the 3rd is a KA luxury model in lime green with lan leather heated seats! Again only 20k miles on the clock, some customers love them and don't like to borrow anything else where as some loath them or call them "the roller skate of death." We've only lost 1 to rust so far...! Great documentary, thank you for the info! I've been a subscriber for a couple years now, such quality content!
I always liked the Ka. They handled well and rode ok.
Yes they did not sell well here in New Zealand. People thought the design was modern but the mechanics were very old.
Good video.
Indeed, I remember opening bonnet of this futuristic new car and it had 1300 Kent engine with pushrods. Eventhough it is reliable engine and for daily driver it's best option overall.
25:25 In the Brazilian market, the Ka was disputing the second place in the overall sales chart with the Hyundai HB20 at the time of its cancellation. It was the best selling car Ford had in Brazil in ages. In fact, I believe it was the highest a Ford reached in the sales chart in Brazil. It came as a chock when they announced its cancellation and posterior closing of the Brazilian factories, because Ford was doing better than the Citroen and Peugeot combined, for example.
I have to say that Ford management in Brazil was nothing but lackluster. They were a very popular brand, but their management seems to be too lazy to act quickly and get significant sales in several categories. For example, they had the best selling compact truck in the 80's, the Ford Pampa, but watched Fiat steal their lunch with the Strada pickup, and never reacted with modifications to their Courier pickup (based on the 1995 fiesta) to combat the Fiat, even if they had showed a concept of a Courier that looked great a year before Fiat launched their Strada (based on the Palio hatchback). Fiat was so agile and smart with the way they kept the Strada fresh, that it became the best selling vehicle in Brazil for a few months a couple years ago. The Ford Courier? It was discontinued many years before that without any major modifications to make it more appealing. Simply laziness.
Another example, was the disaster of the new EcoSport, were its first generation was a best seller, to be left behind in the charts because Ford Detroit, in their infinite wisdom, left Ford India impose a 4 meter length on the new model (to get some tax reduction there), effectively killing it in Brazil and elsewhere, letting the doors open for Renault to make the aging Duster the only acceptable model in its price range.
Ford left Brazil in a pretty shady way... Ok, they weren't big sellers overall, but the Ka was going great. The problem is that Ford NEVER took Brazil very seriously. If they did, the whole history of Brazilian auto industry could've been a lot different (and also better and less outdated).
@@PhiZelak
I think Ford grew wary of Brazil specially after the Fordlândia failure.
So sadly true.
What about other projects that we don't know!
Edit:
And the Amazing XR3 with Fuel Injection in the middle 80's? Ford could win all the market with the right settings.
@@RedTsarOldChannel-INACTIVE , but... If you REALLY dig into the Fordlândia thing, you'll see that wasn't Brazilians fault, but Henry Ford's megalomania facing something a lot more powerful than him: mother nature!
@@PhiZelak
Indeed, that's what I was talking about. It wasn't Brazil; it was Ford's terrible implementation of an already dubious plan.
Our government indeed was the responsible for some stuff (like Gurgel's unfortunate demise), but we had no hand whatsoever in the disaster that was Fordlândia.
Ha a Ka as a rental car when visiting Mallorca in the 2000s and it was so much fun to drive on the curvy, narrow mountain roads. Amazing little car! ❤
I honestly love this documentary type essay. Amazingly interesting video, thanks so much for the infos! Keep making these series please!
This is the first time I've ever heard of this Ka. Living in the US, it's fascinating when you cover Ford's European cars.
Great video summary as usual Funny I've always had a soft spot for poverty-spec small cars as a second car and enjoyed a Fiat 127, Renault 5 Campus, Fiat Seicento (remember those?) basic Ford Fiesta and VW Up! I wanted a Renault Twingo Mk1 but found it impossible to get hold of. They all had the stark utility, great design features, fun to drive and "cheeky" looks that appealed to me but the Ka left me cold and I still can't explain why?
Ford Ka had AMAZING TV commercials here in Brazil on it's debut (1997-1998), not only was it elected "car of the year" here back then, but it's commercials also were highly praised!
It's looks were certainly controversial here too, due to a locked market up to 1994, we were very used to boxy designs from the 70s and 80s still. Some people laughed at the extreme "roundness" of the Ka, comparing it to a ladybug.
However, to the 8 year old me, the Ka looked CRAZY futuristic, and I loved how different it looked. (the Tv commercials didn't help, srly, look from them, some are still available on youtube) hahaha
I had two mates who had KA's. For all the criticism the styling got, it must've been like Never Judge A Book By Its Cover as they never complained about its Reliability etc.
It's the other way around
Another well researched and presented video. Thank you for doing these. 👍
I’m continually impressed with Big Car videos. I feel like I know a good amount but I always learn so much. The detail and clips are great
Great video as usual.
A few things that came to mind-
Firstly they shoved the old 1960s Kent engine in it which I seem to recall was seen as hilarious at the time.
They seemed to miss the niche for the car by making it in serious metallic colours that were just dull. The car should have been like a tube of Smarties and just be in fun colours. The back end, with the vast plastic bumper (they were all grey plastic to start) just had an uglyness to it and just looked cheap and the decision to not make them body colour at the start rather spoiled the whole thing.
I had forgotten there even was a Mk II version!
There was nothing wrong with that Kent 1.6 push rod engine.
This was one of the best episodes yet.
It amazes me how Ford seemed like it had it all figured out in the early 2000s. The Focus, Fiesta, Mondeo, Ka, Puma, Fairmont and so on were all at the top of their leagues, the competition didn't quite seem to get it. In the US the Mustang was selling like hotcakes. Ever since around 2008 and the financial crisis I feel like they lost their edge and became just another car company. I guess it has something to do with changing consumer trends; it's really hard to make a modern SUV fun to drive or look charming.
My mom and dad had 5 mondeo's 1 fiesta and a focus. Even today I still love to drive those models and I'm still fond of them. Today they still drive a ford, but it's a Kuga (yuck). And none of us really liked that car, from day one!
And most of them came with windshield heating. My dad had two Mondeo’s and both had it, an amazing feature.
@@pinut187 Ys, My gran had it on her X reg focus as part of the extra climate pack. Ford had patent on it and that is why very few other brands had it.
Funny you mention the Kuga. Last year after watching a car video I went for a walk noting what people had on their drives. I saw six Kugas all under 2 years old. Maybe because the most established new car dealer near here is Ford.
I agree, I also think they were still at the top of their game in the late 2000s with the Kinetic design langauge. The focus, fiesta, mondeo and Kuga had a dynamic and sleek look during that time compared to other brands. It seems that this has gone away and boxier shapes have came back nowadays?
The 2008 fiesta was very well designed and fresh at the time and still looks relatively new after 14 years.
@@user-mg2qz6ep2o How does the 2008 Fiesta still look new to you when it came out 14 years ago?
Manufacturers had gone away from boxy to curvy back in 1990's, but some manufacturers still boxy shape for some models; such as Land Rover Defender, Mercedes-Benz G-Class, Jeep Wranger and the new Ford Bronco.
Here in Brazil it was also a love or hate car. But those who love it (me included, with my sporty 2001 Ka XR) reeeally love it. I don't think there's anything else like it. Ford was on a roll at the time, and it's nice to know that a little city car was design by more or less the same minds involved in the brilliant Focus. Having driven both, I can see the similarities in behavior on the road. The same principles are there. I don't think I'll ever sell mine. But I'll add a Focus to my driveway eventually.
Great video. I had a gen 1 KA when they were new. The looks were so radical at the time that it drew real attention and stood out as something special.
Great car but one of the last new cars I remember going rusty, especially around the boot
I thought the original Ka was an amazing design. Very out there, very left field. A look to the future. Was there anything like it at the time? I can't remember now. I was never a Ford lover, Citroen and Peugeot for me but I think the Ka was up there with the best.
The downside? Got to be the rust hasn't it.
The original Focus and mark 3 Mondeo
To my American eyes, seeing a Ka in the streets of Edinburgh in August of 2002 (my first Transatlantic trip) was something I'll never forget. I couldn't believe how SMALL it was, and I wondered about it's occupants surviving a crash. Thanks for the video!
About the brazilian KA:Back in 2000 a dealership created a modification kit for the KA called SRT(Souza Ramos Turbo) this kit included new bumpers,wheels,spoiler,a hood scoop but most importantly they installed a turbo kit on the new 1.0L zetec rocam engine.This kit was expensive and nowdays is extremely rare to find a survivor.
Another brilliant video!!
This was definitely a marmite car, when 1st launched, which done better than expected.
Shame the tie up with Fiat signalled the nd of the Ka in Europe
I remember going with my son to get spares for his Citroen at a scrapyard, years ago. We saw two written off KAs and on both the back of the bonnet had sliced through the windscreen. Looked horrible and put us off ever considering one.
Many of the classic Ford Ka cars in this video have K on the number plate. The letter K in German is pronounced kah, but K is also the letter which designates all vehicles registered in the Cologne area of Germany. Cologne is Köln in Germany, which is how the letter K became prominent, as much development was carried out at the new Ford-Werke Köln-Merkenich prototype centre. As a qualified motor mechanic aged 23 in 1969 I left Britain and joined the prototype department as a guest worker. I stayed in Cologne for 10 years and worked on prototypes of various Ford models, including the original Capri, Granada, Escort and Fiesta. The Fiesta was initially prototyped on a Fiat 127 chassis and the plant where I worked had dozens of used Fiat 127s which were cut down, had bits welded on, and other mods to turn them into a working Fiesta, even though the prototypes wouldn't look like launch Fiestas for quite some time. It was easy but well-paid work. One had to take time to ensure all components were fitted exactly to spec as per the design engineers' blueprints. So long ago now.
I had one. My children learned to drive in it. I hate the idea of the Ka but I LOVED that car. Picked up cheap at auction and my daily commuter for several years and 80,000 miles. It rarely went wrong.
Gear change was gorgeous. Sublime. Steering was lovely. Brakes were excellent. Handling was top-notch. Engine was gutless (old pushrod unit). Who cares? It took me and our eldest to Paris with 2 mountain bikes when she wanted to see The Louvre. Huge fun on longer drives, even if no limousine.
It was a 2001 "Silver" model with lots of toys, full leather and funky 45-section tyres on alloys. I still hate the idea of the Ka. And I still cherish the memory of my old commuter.
We thought they were great little cars, fun to drive and very different at the time. It's a shame they rusted as fast as you looked at them.
Wasn't the mk1 Ka in a design museum for a while in the US as it was so cutting edge?
How do they rust ..there mostly plastic.
@@oliveroneill1388 Sills, inner rear arches behind the plastic trim, the floor and just around the fuel filler cap were the main areas of rust on a KA. They also rotted on the inner wings, boot floor, rear valance, front panel behind the headlamps, etc.
The rot was actually ridiculous on early 2000's KA's in particular. StreetKa's suffered from rot on the inner wings behind the plastic arch liners and that killed loads of them off too. Feel free to type in Ford KA Rust on google, you'll be in for a shock.
@@Cascroft-lp6ir my OH's was a 53 plate, it went back at 9mths old under warranty due to rust appearing on the sills and boot lid.
My first car was a mk1 ford KA, I still have it but it being 25 years old, it’s starting to really show its age and the fact that it is a cheap car… I’m really trying to keep it alive and running but the rust, the paint wearing off, the suspension getting tired etc. It’s sad that the mk1 ford KA is just doomed and is going to completely disappear one day
To dev. Sorry to hear your much - loved KA will one day, die! What people have to do, whether it's a vehicle, or anything else, is to buy a "survivor car" that belonged to for example, a retired person, who didn't DRIVE too work, just got a weekly shop!
@@nygelmiller5293 yes, mine wasn’t exactly that sadly. It belonged to a woman who used it mostly on the highway across France so it had around 250 000km, a flat battery and other problems. But i needed a first car and it was cheap, so I bought it thinking i wouldn’t get attached to it but i ended up loving everything about the car so now I’m desperately trying to save it!
@@bebetrixxx from Nygel Miller. Good luck with saving your beloved car! Perhaps I should have spellt it Ka
@@nygelmiller5293 Nice one!
I ran a 2007 KA about 4 years ago as a winter hack! I will always look back on that car with affection and have a soft spot for it
Brilliant as ever. Thank you so much for a quality and very enjoyable video. 🙂
Can't believe it's been out of production for 6 years and I never even noticed.
If Ford kept being bold and outrageous like the original, it would probably still be on sale.
Just sold it around couple months ago. Still mourning over it. I've had it for the last 3 years. It had it's fair share of problems but I loved this thing. Always been an eye catcher where I live.
One of the most informative and interesting car channels on the tube, with little car as well. Harry’s garage and hub nut are worth watching to.
My wife had a panther black Ka back in the day. Still, pound-for-pound, probably the most fun car I've ever driven. Rev the pants off of it, that big comfortable steering wheel, weighed nothing, it was the sort of car you threw into a corner at any speed and just laughed at what happened.
Loved the Ka advert of the SportKa chopping off the head of the cat with the sun roof! Classic... evil Ka! I loved my Puma back then too!
When I graduated from university I bought one of these little marvellous KArs and immensely enjoyed the handling and the clever and stylish solutions that made it easier to travel on that small great car. Converted it to natural gas (!!) after 185000 Km and she run smoothly up to 310000 when I sold it (was running great, with a modern phased-sequential setup by Tartarini). My German friends couldn't believe when they were on a natural gas Ford Ka. I sold it after some 13 years to an engineer that was looking for a small car for his young son, but in the end the son got to run with the large Land Cruiser as the father preferred to run on the Ka...
Love this channel,so much information from a guy who has a genuine interest in the topics discussed.Well Done.
Welcome!
A wonderful upload on the Ka. I remember seeing the early designs in a '92 Auto Express along with the then unreleased Focus. It was a shame when they changed the styling for mark 2.
Here in the Netherlands the name wasn't a problem at all! Pronounced as Kaaaa, it worked very well. Owned one. Loved it. Despite the rust lol. Nice video 👍🏻!
Great video. One of the things that didn't help sales after a few years here in Ireland and probably the UK was the terrifying rust. And people started to learn about that pretty quickly. They rusted at twice the rate of the competition. At 5 years old it looked like a 10 year old car in terms of rust. By 10 years old, most were written off. I know my friend's KA had a hole in the side near the petrol cap within 10 years.
Had a few friends that had KA's all of them died due to chronic corrosion (the cars not the friends), usually the chassis box sections that were impossible to repair economically.
Yep. Mine had rust bubbling up by the fuel cap. All KA's had rust by the fuel cap. It was always in the garage, it got to 90,000 miles and the engine went. An awful lemon of a car.
We didn't see the KA in the U.S. As an American this is both a blessing for our Transcontinental country, and a curse for those of us Small Town, and Urban folks in the U.S. whom rarely drive 20,000 miles a year on a single car.
The Ford KA looks like a great Grocerie-Getter and Errand-Runner. We live in a well endowed small town. Rarely driving beyond 24 miles one way each day for 4 days a week. I got a Jeep XJ restored to factory specs; Mint for car shows and my 2014 Ram 1500 5.7L Hemi Ford our house and yard work aswell as Snow Plowing for our neighborhood and daily errands. The XJ and Our 2016 Ford Focus are garaged. Still; the Ford KA seems like a Niche in our area of Ural Ohio, USA. A reliable, small, and economical "Mini" or a fourth option that would see regular use.
When I was a kid in Brazil in the 2000s, my mom had two Kas, first one was in dark purple, then she sold and exchanged for a new one in silver. We called it the "Armadillo" because the shape reminded us of that 😆. Fond memories of that little car... I loved riding in the back seat area and watching through the little side windows. It even had A/C which wasn't all that common of an optional feature at that time (though it was very weak and it killed the car's performance if turned on so it wasn't much either).
She sold the silver one in 2008 and got a then new generation VW Gol in 2008, which wasn't near as exciting as the "egg wearing shorts" that some called the Ka.
The "baby Focus" Turing Ka looks like a winner.
I had a lovely little Blue matalic Ford Ka Sunshine Collection with electric sunroof, door mirrors and windows, nice little alloys. Great reliable cheap, fun and cheerful KA
Loved driving my mother in laws streetka over the winter when she emigrated to cyprus... loved a handbrake approach to a bend 😁 felt bit ropey north of seventy though 😂 it made its way to cyprus eventually... where serious rot was discovered on front chassis legs... repaired and it lives on..my winter use probably the cause 🙈😂
That was more interesting than I thought it would be. Thanks for this presentation.
Great video. Had one in early 2000s, low millage, powerful ROCAM engine... It was so much fun to drive around. Had to sell to pay college.
The cat advert is still one of my favourites oh and I'm a cat lover as well.
Great video! I remember finding myself behind a Ka on a Brazilian motorway and thinking “That’s not a Ka!” How mistaken I was. I considered buying a Ka+ (Indian made) in Denmark at one stage but I’m glad I replaced my ‘94 Corolla with a Citroen C1…
I bought streetka for only one season and 3 years later it's still with me. Awesome little KA.
Very interesting styling research. Thank you !
Glad you enjoyed it
I live in the U.S.A., approximately a 2 hour drive from Tijuana, Mexico. I still see them every now and then when I go down there.