Ford celebrates 20 years of the Mondeo

FORD IS CELEBRATING the 20th Birthday of its hugely popular Mondeo model, first introduced in 1993 and with 4.5 million sales across Europe.

Awarded the prestigious Car of the Year gong in 1994, the Mondeo was an instant hit and across the three generations has sold over 1,400,000 examples in the UK alone.

Ford is celebrating the Mondeo’s second decade of success with a new internet video voiced by Hollywood actor Ray Winstone, star of such movies as “The Sweeney,” “Snow White and the Huntsman”, “The Departed” and “Great Expectations”.

The first Mondeo offered a high level of safety, with a driver’s airbag and ABS as standard as well as the option of traction control and adaptive damping, while later updates also added optional side airbags.

The second generation model arrived in 2000 and brought with it Ford’s Intelligent Protection System which used sensors to calculate the most suitable safety features to deploy in the event of an accident. It also offered tempting comfort features such as heated rear seats, automatic headlamps and automatic rain-sensing wipers as options.

The third generation had probably the most glamorous introduction of all, making its debut on the silver screen in Casino Royale as James Bond’s choice of transport on the island of Nassau. The more humble versions available to the public introduced he efficient EcoBoost petrol engines to the range as well as high-tech Adaptive Cruise Control.

There’s more to come from Mondeo too, with the fourth generation arriving in late 2014, which will offer the impressive 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine as well as a hybrid system which will make it the most fuel-efficient version ever.

By Press Association reporters