Once upon a time, you could walk into a showroom and buy a brand-new, small, petrol car without taking out a second mortgage. That era is quietly being legislated out of existence
Not that long ago, buying a brand-new small car felt like a perfectly sensible, attainable thing to do. You walked into a dealership, pointed at a modest little hatchback, signed a few forms, and drove away knowing you hadn’t just committed yourself to years of financial regret. Cars like the Ford Fiesta became staples of British life for a reason. They were affordable, simple, easy to live with, and perfectly suited to everyday motoring. They weren’t glamorous, but they were democratic. They worked. And then, almost without ceremony, they disappeared.
The Fiesta is gone. The price of cars like the Fiat Panda has crept towards £20,000. The entry-level petrol car, once the backbone of the market, is becoming an endangered species. So what happened?
