A 12-month wait for a Ford Fiesta and Europe’s car-supply crisis

Since it was first produced in 1976, the Ford Fiesta has regularly topped bestseller charts because of its affordability, availability and reliability.

Yet, in an extraordinary twist, an automotive expert has told The National the previously ubiquitous model now comes with a 12-month wait in the UK.

Unsurprisingly, it is now nowhere near the UK top sellers list for 2022 to date. It's a far cry from the slogan of mass production pioneer Henry Ford, who promised buyers any car they wanted (as long as it was black).

"The longest lead times are now on the cheapest cars," said Steve Young, managing director of the International Car Distribution Programme.

Ford is not the only manufacturer whose forecourts are no longer crowded. Giant lots with rows of cars awaiting a willing buyer are a thing of the past. Motorists expecting to walk into any showroom and leave with a new car are likely to be sorely disappointed.

This remarkable situation doesn't have a single root cause. It is part of a seismic change in the global motor industry brought about by several factors, from supply shortages and environmental factors to war and changing consumer preference.

Like many other industrial reformations, it has been catalysed by the coronavirus pandemic. It coincided with what Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers, describes as the industry's “biggest change in 100 years” ― electrification.

Read More : https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/uk-news/2022/05/16/a-12-month-wait-for-a-ford-fiesta-and-europes-car-supply-crisis/