Phut Phut Fiesta - info please!

[vulgalour]

The subject of eco engines came up recently and I remembered the 'phut phut Fiesta' which was a prototype/small production run of Mk3 Fiestas, a white one of which was reviewed by a car magazine.  I suspect it was one of Trigger's many useful scans.  Was something like a two or three cylinder engine and returned astonishingly good mpg even by the standards of the day for happy shopper cars.

 

Anyway, I can't find any reference to it and I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine it.  Can anyone help me out here?

[dugong]

Are you thinking of the Orbital 2-stroke Fiesta?

 

There's one in the Haynes Motor Museum in Sparkford.

[vulgalour]

*Googles*  yes I am!  Thank you for that

[saucedoctor]

Somebody on RR (I think) actually had one. White, IIRC, and muchos fuckero.

 

EDIT: Here it is

 

http://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/127787?page=3

[Cavcraft]

Ellesmere Port Police had a trial run with some I recall and I believe Ford decided not to bother continue making them, though (uselessly) I cannot remember why.

[derskine]

On a similar note, volkswagen made a supercharged 2 cyl diesel, never got past prototype though.

 

[dollywobbler]

Hmmm. The museum where that Fiesta was uncovered is within striking distance of Shitefest Cymru...

[talbot928]

Emissions killed it iirc

[holbeck]

Yup, it was emissions that killed it.

 

I had a (small) input to the Orbital Fiesta project. My employers supplied the alternators for the prototypes. I remember

visiting the Ford Aveley plant a couple of times '93ish with boxes of parts for trial build.

 

ISTR that cars were part constructed at Dagenham, and supplied to Aveley engineless for finishing off.

 

The Aveley plant was pretty run down (it was mostly used as a return centre for parts replaced under warranty).

 

I remember padding around the place soaking up the vibe of where the AVO Escorts were constructed

[tooSavvy]

I stood in a carpark - at Linwood.

 

Yeah..... soaking it all up

 

 

TS