Ireland's oldest Fiesta is from Co Galway

Ford Ireland has crowned a 1978 Ford Fiesta owned by John Egan, from Tuam, Co Galway, as the oldest Fiesta in Ireland.

The search for the oldest Fiesta is part of Ford’s celebration activities to mark 40 Years since the 1976 launch of the Ford Fiesta in Europe.

The presentation took place at Weston Airport near Lucan in Co Dublin in an event which featured The former 'Stig' from the Top Gear programme, Ben Collins, demonstrating the new 200hp Fiesta ST200.

The event also brought together some 40 Fiesta enthusiasts from across Ireland who drove in a range of old and new models in a convoy of 40 Fiestas along the M4.

Ciarán McMahon, Chairman and Managing Director of Ford Ireland, said the Fiesta has been part and parcel of growing up in Ireland over the past 40 years with practically every household having its own connection with the car

John Egan said he was delighted that his car was named Ireland’s oldest Fiesta. "It was my ‘every day car’ up to quite recently, but now I only bring the car out to shows and practically every weekend, it is on show somewhere in the country”.

Participants at the event had the opportunity to ‘ride along’ with Ben Collins during demonstration drives in the Fiesta ST200.

The Ford Fiesta has sold more than 17 million units around the world since its launch in 1976. In Ireland, some 180,000 Fiestas have been sold.