Ford Fiesta 40th celebration at The International Ford Show

Henry Ford introduces the 1976 Ford Fiesta

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The Ford Fiesta will get a 40th birthday celebration at the International Ford Show along with a 50th for the Essex V6 and an ST celebration.

If you’re a lover of Ford cars, there’s probably no better event than the International Ford Show, which this year is celebrating 40 years of the Ford Fiesta, 50 years of the Essex V6 and highlighting the history of Ford’s ST range.

More than four million Fiestas have been built since Ford introduced it in 1976, making it the best-selling Ford in the UK, and it’s still going strong, being the top-selling UK car since 2009.

From the original Fiesta Pop with its 950cc engine delivering just 45bhp – and 37mpg and a 0-60mph of about 17 seconds with a following wind – to the latest 1.0 litre 3-cylinder Fiesta with up to 140PS in the Fiesta S – and 0-62mph in 9.0 seconds and 62mpg – the Fiesta has come a long way in 40 years.

The show will have all types of Fiestas on show, from mint models of all generations through to modified versions, and will be a nostalgic trip for many.

Also being celebrated at the show is the Essex V6 and its 50 year anniversary, from its debut in the ‘aircraft carrier’ Mk4 Zephyr and Zodiac to the awesome (well, for its time) Capri RS3100, as well as a display celebrating Ford’s ST history.

The International Ford Show runs from April 30 to May 1 at Sandown Park, and two day tickets cost just £20 (with two free under 14s per adult).