Compact car is a vehicle size class —predominantly used in North America—that sits between subcompact cars and mid-size cars . "Small family car" is a British term and a part of the C-segment in the European car classification. However, before the downsizing of the United States car industry in the 1970s and 1980s, larger vehicles with wheelbases up to 110 in (2.79 m) were considered "compact cars" in the United States.
89-730: The Ford Focus (first generation) is a compact car that was manufactured by Ford in Europe from 1998 to 2004 and by Ford in North America from 1998 to 2007. Ford began sales of the Focus to Europe in July 1998 and in North America during 1999 for the 2000 model year . Manufacturing in Argentina continued until 2008, and it was still on sale in Brazil until 2009. In Europe and South Africa,
178-504: A Garrett turbocharger with a water-cooled charge air cooler and an electric water pump. To transmit the higher torque an upgraded AP clutch was used. The Focus RS was available in one metallic color, Imperial Blue. The body looked similar to the standard Focus or to the ST170, although the RS featured unique front and rear bumper assemblies required for the wider wheel arches which accommodated
267-632: A "compact car" target that was larger than what has become known as the "light car" or the kei car . One of the first compact cars that met those requirements was the Toyota Publica with an air-cooled two-cylinder opposed engine, the Datsun 110 series , and the Mitsubishi 500 . The Publica and the Mitsubishi 500 were essentially "kei cars" with engines larger than regulations permitted at
356-710: A Focus Liquid Grey. Mach Audio: The Focus MACH Audio ZTS sedan featured an audio system with six-disc in-dash CD changer, four 5 x 7-inch door-mounted, two-way speakers, a 10-inch dual-voice coil subwoofer, equalization customized to the Focus' interior configuration and 460 watts unique silver-faced instrument cluster, mesh seat fabrics and door trim panels, six-spoke, machined-aluminum wheels, MACH Audio badging, chrome HID projector headlamps, exterior colors of CD Silver, Liquid Grey and Mandarin Copper, and an MSRP of $ 16,975. Centennial: In celebration of its 100th anniversary on December 20, 2002, Ford marketed 3000 examples of
445-517: A boost pressure indicator (up to 1.5 bar ). The gear lever knob, handbrake lever, and pedals were all custom made by Sparco . Compact car In Japan, small size passenger vehicle is a registration category that sits between kei cars and regular cars, based on overall size and engine displacement limits. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Fuel Economy Regulations for 1977 and Later Model Year (dated July 1996) includes definitions for classes of automobiles. Based on
534-567: A car's behavior in an uncannily detailed and superb way." Parry-Jones has embraced environmental initiatives. In a 2000 speech to the Society of Automotive Engineers at The Greenbrier , Parry-Jones said, "What our society wants us to do is to invent the technology to make personal, private transportation sustainable. People expect engineers to do the right thing. It's as if we had taken some kind of Hippocratic oath. And our profession has been around nearly as long as medicine itself." Parry-Jones
623-656: A copy of the limited edition coffee table book "The Ford Century," and a black leather owner's guide portfolio with the embossed signatures of Henry Ford, his son Edsel Ford, Henry Ford II, and William Clay Ford, Jr. Tuner Saleen modified the first generation USA Focus into the S121 and N20 performance cars. The S121 includes a 138 hp (103 kW) Duratec 2.0L I4 engine with improved suspension, custom body work designed and CAD modeled by Phil Frank, custom graphics, tire and wheel package, customized interior components, and optional upgraded brakes. The 10% performance boost to
712-525: A license plate number beginning with "5". In the past, the small size category has received tax benefits stipulated by the Japanese government regulations , such as those in the 1951 Road Vehicle Act . In 1955, the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry set forth a goal to all Japanese makers at that time to create what was called a "national car". The concept stipulated that
801-782: A new market segment and the U.S. automobile industry soon adopted the "compact" term. Several competitors to the Nash Rambler arose from the ranks of America's other independent automakers, although none enjoyed the long-term success of the Rambler. Other early compact cars included the Kaiser-Frazer Henry J (also re-badged as the Allstate ), the Willys Aero and the Hudson Jet . In 1954, 64,500 cars sold in
890-507: A pair of shorter front lateral arms, vertically above each other, control the camber, and the Control Blade reacts to brake and traction loads. In testing the suspension in 2000, Motor Trend writer Jack Keebler noted "The Focus' average speed of 62.6 mph through our slalom makes it faster around the cones than a $ 62,000 Jaguar XJ8L and a $ 300,000 Bentley Continental. The impression is of having plenty of wheel travel for gobbling
979-607: A silver shift knob. 7,500 total Street Editions were manufactured, approximately 85 percent of them were made as sedans ($ 15,750 MSRP), the remaining models as wagons ($ 17,745 MSRP). S2: The Focus S2 (2001), available only in the three-door ZX3 model, featured European-tuned suspension, grey body trim with unique front spoiler and rocker panels, color-keyed bodyside moldings and S2 badging, rear spoiler, six-spoke 16-inch aluminum wheels and chrome exhaust tip, six-disc in-dash CD changer, sport bucket seats with diamond-patterned inserts, and exterior colors including CD silver, Sangria Red and
SECTION 10
#17327877590341068-519: A single Garrett AiResearch GT25 (60) SG turbocharger produced a minimum of 215 PS (158 kW; 212 hp) at 5500 rpm and 310 N⋅m (229 lb⋅ft) of torque at 3500 rpm, which was then mated to the 5-speed Ford MTX-75 transmission and not the Getrag used in the ST 170. Mechanically, most notably, the car incorporated a Quaife automatic torque biasing differential to improve traction from
1157-483: A six-speed manual transmission shared with the Mini Cooper S . This transmission was a twin layshaft design and included a dual mass flywheel to eliminate vibration and transmission noise. Other changes to complete the package included sharper steering through an increased boost ratio in the steering rack, larger disc brakes on all four corners with standard ABS (300mm front/280mm rear,) and stiffened suspension with
1246-414: A slightly larger rear anti-roll bar. Exterior color choices were limited to CD Silver, Infra-Red Tintcoat, Sonic Blue, and Pitch Black. Interior features included two-tone leather/cloth seats with Infra-Red/Sonic Blue cloth seat/door inserts, perforated leather steering wheel, perforated leather shift knob with leather boot, as well as a perforated leather emergency-brake handle and leather boot. Options for
1335-414: A special aluminum cylinder head with enlarged intake ports, high compression pistons and forged connecting rods, piston oil squirters, solenoid operated variable camshaft timing on the intake cam, dual stage intake manifold, and a 4-2-1 tubular exhaust header. These additions, coupled with an increased 10.2:1 compression ratio, increased power from 130 to 170 horsepower (97 to 127 kW). Getrag provided
1424-664: A steady 0.98G in lateral acceleration due to racing parts such as Sachs dampers, lightweight O.Z Alloy Wheels and a Quaife ATB Differential. It would also allow 1.0G of braking force due to the standard Brembo braking system 324 mm (Front) 280 mm (Rear). The development of the Focus RS was undertaken by a mixed team of mainstream Ford engineers (not SVE nor the TeamRS group which replaced it later on) and Tickford Engineering in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. Originally it
1513-504: A stiff and light body structure, low-friction steering and suspension, and extensive safety and convenience features including driver and passenger airbags, available head-and-chest side air bags, rear ISOFIX child-safety seat attachments, safety belt system with pre-tensioners and load-limiting retractors, battery saver to automatically switch off lights after 10 minutes, interior light dimming feature, and flip-up/flat-folding rear seat cushions. The Focus' styling, often noted as polarizing,
1602-518: A supercar is much easier than creating excellence for the millions." Edmunds.com called Parry-Jones a "driving dynamics guru" and Autocar called him "one of the world's leading automotive engineers." Born in Bangor, North Wales , the descendant of a North Wales slate quarry worker, Parry-Jones got the idea to become an automotive engineer after seeing the RAC Rally (now Rally GB) pass through
1691-543: A year later. Fluent in English and German, Parry-Jones's international experience includes an assignment as Director of Vehicle Concepts Engineering in the United States in 1988, before taking charge of Manufacturing Operations at Ford's Cologne, Germany, assembly plant in 1990. He retired from Ford in 2007, after 38 years with the company. While at Ford, Parry-Jones had been courted by Ferdinand Piëch to head
1780-607: Is also a V8 engine conversion for the Focus. The Mark 1 Focus remained in production until 2008 in General Pacheco , Argentina for the South American Market. The last of the Mark 1 Focus produced in Argentina (2008 Version) featured either a 1.6 L Zetec RoCam Flex Fuel engine, a 2.0 L Duratec HE engine, or the 1.8 L Duratorq Diesel Engine. Assembly of the Mark 2 Focus started in 2008 for
1869-585: Is bigger inside than cars much larger outside." Ford later marketed the high H-point seating as Command Seating, noting that "the higher the H-Point, the higher you ride in the car, and in some cases, the more comfortable you feel behind the wheel". Historically, the Saarlouis , Valencia , and Halewood plants had produced the Escort, however the Focus was only produced at Saarlouis and Valencia since Halewood
SECTION 20
#17327877590341958-597: The Ford Fiesta and Ford Puma . The ST170 and RS performance models used modified versions of the 2.0 L Zetec . Originally, the only diesel engine available was the Endura TDDI (a development of the old Deutz -designed motor which Ford had been using since the 1980s). This was replaced in 2002 by the Duratorq TDCI . In late 2001, Ford's in-house performance group, Special Vehicle Team (SVT), introduced
2047-545: The Kona Mountain Bike Edition (May 2000, 5000 examples), featuring an "Out of Bounds" Kona bike, bolt-on bike rack, nylon washable seat covers, unique colors Dirt Metallic and Rainforest Green, unique side moldings with molded-in Kona Moto logo and bike tire treads; 16-inch six-spoke machined aluminum wheels and heavy-duty black rubber floor mats, also with Kona Moto logo and bike tire treads Street:
2136-686: The Recession of 1958 , the only exception to the sales decline was American Motors with its compact, economy-oriented Ramblers that saw high demand among cautious consumers. By 1959, sales of small imported cars also increased to 14% of the U.S. passenger car market, as consumers turned to compact cars. By this time, smaller cars appealed to people with a college education and a higher income whose families were buying more than one car. Customers expected compact cars to provide improved fuel economy compared to full-sized cars while maintaining headroom, legroom, and plenty of trunk space. Between 1958 and 1960,
2225-478: The Sundance Film Festival and on Atom Films' web site. In "Little Man on Campus," the lead male, undersized, uncoordinated, who had trouble living up to his father's hopes, gets a Ford Focus from his parents and then makes a varsity sports team, wins 'the girl' and finally carries a squad of cheerleaders in the Focus. The film features a cameo appearance by Barry Livingston , who played "Ernie" in
2314-539: The front-wheel drive setup. The steering used a similar quick-ratio rack as the ST170 while the brakes used fixed-caliper, four-piston Brembo units with 324 mm (12.8 in) discs at the front and single-piston floating calipers and 280 mm (11.0 in) discs at the back. Wheels were 18" alloys specially developed by OZ Racing. The engine was heavily modified with forged aluminium pistons, hardened valve seats, sodium -filled exhaust valves, stainless steel exhaust system. The forced induction system comprised
2403-472: The "small Ford" and produced the Ford Vedette . The first U.S.-produced postwar compact car was the 1950 Nash Rambler . It was built on a 100-inch (2,540 mm) wheelbase, which was nonetheless still a large car by contemporary European standards. The term "compact" was coined by a Nash executive as a euphemism for small cars with a wheelbase of 110 inches (2,794 mm) or less. It established
2492-809: The 1980s that American cars were being downsized to truly international dimensions. In the 1985 model year, compact cars classified by the EPA included Ford's Escort and Tempo as well as the Chevrolet Cavalier. For the 2019 model year, the best sellers were the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. In Japan, vehicles that are larger than kei cars , but with dimensions smaller than 4,700 mm (185.0 in) long, 1,700 mm (66.9 in) wide, 2,000 mm (78.7 in) high and with engines at or under 2,000 cc (120 cu in) are classified as "small size" cars. Small-size cars are identified by
2581-414: The 2009 model. However, in Brazil, Ford do Brasil offered this until 2009, in 1.6 (Flex Fuel - 105 PS gasoline/112 PS ethanol) GL or GLX hatchback or saloon versions. The Mk 1 Ford Focus received 4 out of 5 stars for occupant safety, and 2 out of 4 stars for pedestrian safety in its Euro NCAP tests (69% frontal, 83% side, 28% pedestrian). In Australia, the 2002–2005 Ford Focus was assessed in
2670-453: The 65 mm (2.6 in) wider front track. Internally, the theme is blue and black with sections of blue leather trim on the door trim panels, the steering wheel and the Sparco seats which were trimmed in blue/black leather and Alcantara . A green starter button starts the engine. The instruments have a blue background and in place of the coolant temperature gauge, the RS was equipped with
2759-598: The Automotive Council UK which supports the automotive industry in Britain. In July 2012, Parry-Jones became the chairman of Network Rail , a position he retained for nearly three years. He was non-executive chairman of Kelda Group , non-executive director of GKN plc and Cosworth Group Holdings and a council member of both the Royal Academy of Engineering and Bangor University . Parry-Jones
Ford Focus (first generation) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2848-539: The Focus SVT included a one-touch sliding power glass sunroof, seven-speaker Audiophile sound system with 8-inch (200 mm) sub-woofer, a Cold Weather package (includes heated seats/outside mirrors, traction control, and a 115 V block heater,) and, for 2003 and 2004 models, HID xenon headlamps. In 2003, the SVT was offered in an all-new five-door ZX5 SVT counterpart and an exclusive European Appearance Package available for
2937-582: The Focus marketing campaign at its North American introduction, Ford created a now defunct youth-destination website (www.focus247.com), aired 64 live television spots featuring comedian Annabelle Gurwitch beginning September 6, 1999, during the MTV Video Music Awards , featured the Focus in co-sponsoring Ricky Martin 's Livin La Vida Loca North American tour (September 1999), and developed a strategic partnership with
3026-550: The Focus replaced the various Ford Escort models sold in those markets. In Asia and Australia, it replaced the Ford Laser . Codenamed C170 during its development, the original Focus took its eventual name from a Ghia concept car which was shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 1991. Certain elements of the design had been seen even earlier in prototypes used by Ford to demonstrate forthcoming safety features, such as
3115-605: The Focus targeting the youth market marketed as Tailored For You kits, allowing buyers to customize their car's interior: Sony: Ford marketed 7000 examples of the Sony Limited Edition in January 2000 featuring an AM/FM CD receiver with wireless remote, four red and black three-way speakers (one pair in each door), trunk mounted 10-inch subwoofer. Exterior colors were Rainforest Green, Infra-Red, Pitch Black, and Going Platinum, each with an MSRP of $ 15,535. Kona:
3204-559: The Ford Focus Centennial Edition, each a 2003 four-door sedan with black paint, 16-inch aluminum wheels; rear spoiler, fog lamps, leather-wrapped steering wheel with tilt and telescoping column, AM/FM Stereo with CD and MP3 player, driver's seat lumbar support, premium Verona-grain Imola leather seating surfaces in two-tone parchment, Ford 100th Anniversary deck lid and side badges, a commemorative key chain and watch,
3293-675: The Honda City, Toyota Yaris, Toyota Corolla Altis 1.6, and the Changan Alsvin. Richard Parry-Jones Richard Parry-Jones CBE FREng (September 1951 – 16 April 2021) was a British engineer. He was the Group Vice-President of Global Product Development, Chief Technical Officer, and Head of Global R&D Operations at Ford Motor Company . He retired in December 2007. Parry-Jones directed
3382-566: The North American SVT Focus in 2004, Ford introduced the ST variant of the ZX4 for 2005–2007, with a 2.3-liter, 151 hp (113 kW) (154 lbf⋅ft (209 N⋅m) (SAE) Torque) Duratec driving a five-speed MTX-75 manual transmission with reverse lock-out. Though power was lower than the SVT, acceleration was only slightly lower due to a higher differential ratio. The 2005 ST used dampers and stabilizer bars similar to those of
3471-587: The Philippine domestic market); General Pacheco , Argentina ; Chungli City , Taiwan and Vsevolozhsk , Russia. The Mk 1 Focus facelift in late 2001 included: A new flexfuel engine was introduced, based on the European Zetec 1.6 L version. This could use both gasoline and bioethanol , but was only available on the Swedish market. This version is still available in some countries despite
3560-427: The SVT, but significantly softer springs. The ST featured a unique interior, 16-inch (410 mm) wheels with Pirelli P6 Four Seasons tires, spoiler, color-keyed fascia, a color keyed grille, and four-wheel anti-lock disk brakes . The 2005 ST included all SES package equipment – with heated seats, heated mirrors, leather interior, moonroof, and Audiophile package controlled by a Blaupunkt headunit all optional. 2007
3649-668: The Street Edition (September 2000) with European suspension, black trim, 16-inch polished aluminum wheels, a 6-disc CD changer, leather-wrapped steering wheel. On the exterior, the front chin, rocker panels, bodyside moldings and lower rear fascia were black, while exterior colors were Infra-Red, Egg Yolk Yellow and Malibu Blue. The models used same springs, dampers and anti-roll bars found in the European Focus. Interior details included sport bucket seats with diamond, silver-masked instrument cluster, radio bezel, door accents and
Ford Focus (first generation) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3738-499: The TV show My Three Sons . Another of the films was titled "The Kiss." The third film entitled "gulp" and by director Jason Reitman was selected to premiere in the 'Official Sundance Screening Room'. The film depicted the efforts of a young man to save his tropical fish. All three films were available for viewing at a now defunct web site, www.focusinfilm.com. Marketing packages At introduction, Ford offered five specialized packages for
3827-407: The U.S. were imports or small American cars, out of a total market of five million cars. Market research indicated that five percent of those surveyed said they would consider a small car, suggesting a potential market size of 275,000 cars. By 1955, the Nash Rambler that began as a convertible model became a success and was now available in station wagon , hardtop , and sedan body styles. During
3916-472: The US and Canada, the second generation Focus received a body-configuration badging (e.g., ZX3, ZX4, ZX5, ZXW) along with separate badging to designate trim levels SE and SES trim; there was no trim badge for the S trim level. The body configuration badging were deleted from the liftgates/trunklids of 2007 models, the trim badging remained. 2005–2007 trim designations Targeting Generation X and Generation Y in
4005-472: The United Kingdom, by far its largest market. The Mark 1 Focus RS was a limited production run available in 21 European countries. Prior to the launch of the production car, there were 12 development prototypes, which were then followed by 26 pre-production vehicles. Using a turbocharged version of the 2.0-liter Ford Zeta engine , the Focus RS rated at 212 horsepower (158 kW). It would generate
4094-667: The Used Car Safety Ratings 2006 as providing "average" protection for its occupants in the event of a crash. The car scored 11.6 points out of 16 in a frontal crash test conducted by the Russian ARCAP safety assessment program in 2003. Gasoline engines available were the well-proven 1.8 L and 2.0 L Zetec units from the Ford Mondeo and 1.4 L and 1.6 L versions of the Zetec-S/SE units, also found in
4183-588: The WB Network show Dawson's Creek – including a private live concert event (November 1999), featuring of the Focus in two Dawson's Creek episodes, and a Focus signed by the Dawson's Creek cast auctioned on Amazon.com. In January 2001, Ford partnered with Atom Films and J. Walter Thompson (now JWT) to create three short films featuring the Ford Focus. Costing $ 80,000 the films were later shown at
4272-505: The ZX3 SVT only. The European Appearance package (or EAP for short) included all available options listed above, plus full black perforated leather Recaro seats/door panels and fifteen-spoke Dark Argent colored wheels. The exterior was available in two new exclusive EAP colors, Screamin' Yellow and Competition Orange. The only options not available on the 2003-2004 ZX5 SVT were the EAP for 2003 or
4361-668: The advent of an all-new Mk 2 Focus. Ford began marketing the Focus in October 1999 for the 2000 model year initially as a 3-door hatchback , 4-door sedan and 5-door wagon – with a 5-door hatchback debuting for the 2002 model year at the Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto. The Focus became one of the ten best-selling cars in America shortly after its introduction. On 2005 and 2006 models in
4450-783: The beginning of a downsizing of all vehicles so that cars such as the AMC Concord and the Ford Fairmont that replaced the compacts were re-classified as mid-size, while cars inheriting the size of the Ford Pinto and Chevrolet Vega (such as the Ford Escort and Chevrolet Cavalier ) became classified as compact cars. Even after the reclassification, mid-size American cars were still far larger than mid-size cars from other countries and were more similar in size to cars classified as "large cars" in Europe. It would not be until
4539-483: The car's attitude, and an absorbent and quiet ride over bumps. Unlike conventional multi-link suspension, Control Blade features a wide, simple, uniform thickness, pressed steel trailing arm with hub carrier – taking the place of two longitudinal locating rods, eliminating an expensive cast knuckle, and offering the same level of body control – with a lower center of gravity, reduced road noise, and at lower production cost. The long rear lateral arm controls toe,
SECTION 50
#17327877590344628-582: The combined passenger and cargo volume, compact cars are defined as having an interior volume index of 100–109 cu ft (2.8–3.1 m ). The beginnings of U.S. production of compact cars were the late 1940s prototypes of economy cars, including the Chevrolet Cadet and the Ford Light Car. Neither car reached production in the U.S., however Ford SAF in France bought the plans of
4717-412: The compact class, or small family car (European) class. Focus engineers developed a new interior packaging for the car's class, with a computer-modeled interior, long wheelbase, tall doors, raised roofline, increased passenger and cargo volume, raised rear seating and raised H-point front seating providing higher sight lines and increased rear footroom. James R. Healey, writing for USA Today, said "Focus
4806-532: The company's board of directors on technical matters, headed a technical staff of 30,000 engineers, scientists, designers and business professionals in North America, Europe, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region, including the Ford, Lincoln , Jaguar , Volvo , Land Rover , and Aston Martin brands. Responsible for product safety and environmental initiatives at Ford, his work included follow-up work on
4895-428: The company's response to problems that arose through its use of Firestone tyres on Ford Explorer SUVs. He has described this as his most difficult time as an engineer. "I probably lost a half a stone over that period because it was just so intense. I learned a lot from that. Most of all I learned the power of really rigorous engineering analysis in saving lives." Parry-Jones has been noted for suggesting that "building
4984-486: The concurrent development of dozens of vehicles at Ford and significantly influenced vehicles including the 1993 Ford Mondeo , both the 1998 International Ford Focus and 2000 North American Ford Focus , the European 1981 Escort and 1983 Sierra , as well as the Ka , Fiesta , Puma , Cougar , and Galaxy . Parry-Jones oversaw product development for Ford vehicles worldwide, as well as design, research and vehicle technology. As Chief Technical Officer, he reported to
5073-405: The eye-level rear lighting clusters. As a continuation of Ford's New Edge styling philosophy, first seen in the Ford Ka in 1996, and Ford Cougar in 1998, the Focus's styling was often described as polarising. The styling had been overseen by Jack Telnack and executed by Claude Lobo and Australian designer, John Doughty, concluding in January 1996 upon program approval. The decision to name
5162-653: The factory Duratec 2.0l I4 engine was achieved by replacing the factory paper air filter with a more freely flowing reusable air cleaner and by replacing the factory exhaust with a cat back exhaust system. The N20 offers the same base engine and other improvements along with a factory installed nitrous oxide system that offers a 75 hp (56 kW) boost bringing the N2O to 225 hp (168 kW). The S121/N2O are sold as new at many Ford dealers. There were 200 S121/N2O's produced by Saleen in 2005. Several American companies offer genuine Ford parts to modify North American built Focuses to full or partial European standards. There
5251-428: The forest near his childhood home. Parry-Jones joined Ford product development in 1969 as an undergraduate trainee, and was awarded a first class honours degree in Mechanical Engineering from Salford University, Manchester in 1973. He was appointed Manager of Small Car Programs in 1982 and was named Executive Engineer of Ford's Technological Research in Europe in 1985, before adding responsibility for Vehicle Concepts
5340-457: The larger stuff and big-car, full-frame isolation when encountering expansion joints and smaller road imperfections." Engineers also worked to improve the front suspension, removing sticking and friction (aka stiction ) from each component. Following the 1998 introduction of the Control Blade suspension and its popularization by the Focus, other manufacturers (e.g., Volkswagen with the Golf V ) began offering multi-link design rear suspensions in
5429-400: The major U.S. car manufacturers made a push toward compact cars, resulting in the introduction of the Studebaker Lark , Chevrolet Corvair , Ford Falcon , and Plymouth Valiant . These models also gave rise to compact vans built on the compact car platforms, such as the Studebaker Zip Van, Chevrolet Corvair Greenbrier , Ford Econoline , and Dodge A100 . During the 1960s, compacts were
SECTION 60
#17327877590345518-423: The motor industry and engineering education. He was also a Visiting Professor and Fellow at the university. In 2021, Autocar gave him a Lifetime Achievement award for his services to the automotive industry, informing him of it just two weeks before his death, which occurred in an accident involving a tractor on private land near Barmouth in Wales. Ford executive chairman Bill Ford described Mr Parry-Jones as
5607-438: The new car the Ford Focus was made in early 1998, as Ford had been planning to keep the "Escort" nameplate for its new generation of small family cars. A last minute problem arose in July 1998 when a Cologne court, responding to a case brought by the publishers Burda , ordered Ford to avoid the name "Focus" for the German market cars since the name was already taken by the publisher's Focus magazine. This eleventh hour dispute
5696-514: The passenger and cargo compartments were introduced in the late 1970s. In the early 1970s, the domestic automakers introduced even smaller subcompact cars that included the AMC Gremlin , Chevrolet Vega , and Ford Pinto . In 1973, the Energy Crisis started, which made small fuel-efficient cars more desirable, and the North American driver began exchanging their large cars for the smaller, imported compacts that cost less to fill up and were inexpensive to maintain. The 1977 model year marked
5785-527: The popular Volkswagen Beetle . Compact cars were also the basis for a new small car segment that became known as the pony car , named after the Ford Mustang , which was built on the Falcon chassis. At that time, there was a distinct difference in size between compact and full-size models. Early definitions of vehicle size class were based on wheelbase, with models under 111 inches as compact, 111 to 118 inches intermediate, and over 118 inches as full size, at least until EPA classes based on interior volume of
5874-436: The prize vindicates Ford's risky design for the Focus, especially the New Edge styling -- a combination of straight lines, curves and planes." Engineers for the Focus, including Richard Parry-Jones , developed a class-leading, space-saving independent multi-link rear suspension , marketed as Control Blade suspension, combining the packaging of a trailing arm , with the geometry of a double wishbone suspension . The system
5963-405: The product development group at Volkswagen AG . On retiring from Ford, Parry-Jones became involved on policy matters. He advised the Welsh Government on economic development, transport, energy and IT infrastructure. He also worked with central government, including the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), where he chaired the new Automotive Innovation and Growth Team and then
6052-432: The side skirts. In 2004, the Focus SVT's final year of production, the Euro package was available in the ZX5 SVT model as well. The base 5-spoke "Cobra R" wheel design would be replaced by a 6-spoke design similar to the ones found on the Steeda Focus as the base wheel option, the 2004 EAP would retain the Dark Argent 15-spoke design. The Focus SVT would be replaced by the 2005 Focus ZX4 ST Sedan. Following discontinuation of
6141-425: The smallest class of North American cars, but they had evolved into only slightly smaller versions of the 6-cylinder or V8-powered six-passenger sedan. They were much larger than compacts (and sometimes even mid-sizers) by European manufacturers, which were typically five-passenger four-cylinder engine cars. Nevertheless, advertising and road tests for the Ford Maverick and the Rambler American made comparisons with
6230-419: The styling "mixes round shapes with funky geometric ones and adds sharp angles, somehow making them all work together." James R. Healey, writing for USA Today , called the styling a "collision of curves and lines." After the international Ford Focus, which shared styling with North American models, had won the prestigious European Car of the Year (1999), William Diem of the New York Times wrote, "To some extent,
6319-496: The three-door Focus ZX3 SVT (ST170) to the United States and Canadian markets for the 2002 model year. The exterior included revised front and rear bumper fascias, side skirts, fog lamps, rear diffuser, hatch lip spoiler, and 17-inch (430 mm) 5-spoke alloy wheels wearing fairly sticky "Y" rated 215/45R17 tires from Continental. The SVT also featured a reworked version of the 2.0-liter Zetec engine available in other Focus models. Developed in concert with Cosworth, this engine featured
6408-842: The time, while the Datsun was an all-new vehicle. These vehicles were followed by the Hino Contessa in 1961, the Isuzu Bellett , Daihatsu Compagno and Mazda Familia in 1963, the Mitsubishi Colt in 1965, and the Nissan Sunny , Subaru 1000 , and Toyota Corolla in 1966. Honda introduced its first four-door sedan in 1969, called the Honda 1300 . In North America, these cars were classified as subcompact cars . By 1970, Nissan released its first front-wheel-drive car which
6497-545: The two. Ford had tried again with the 1993 Mondeo and Contour/Mystique but the two variants still had too many differences to be called a true single car for both American and European consumption. The Ford Focus was officially revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1998. Focus models had been designed under the directorship of Richard Parry-Jones and were noted at introduction for their styling, class-leading rear suspension and tall interior packaging – as well as
6586-399: The vehicle be able to maintain a maximum speed over 100 km/h (62 mph), weigh below 400 kg (882 lbs), fuel consumption at 30 km/L (85 mpg ‑imp ; 71 mpg ‑US ) or more, at an average speed of 60 km/h (37 mph) on a level road, and not require maintenance or significant service for at least 100,000 km (62,000 mi). This established
6675-400: The vehicle's dynamics. suggesting that "an engineer could learn more from the 50-metre test than laps at the limits around the track." Parry-Jones credited the racing driver Sir Jackie Stewart with influencing his approach to testing cars, saying "Jackie was tremendously helpful and influential with my approach. He's not an engineer so he can't fix cars, but he can extract information about
6764-459: Was Ford's return to the RS (Rallye Sport) badge after the demise of the tweaked Escorts, particularly the fabled Ford Escort RS Cosworth . Production was limited to 4501 units only. The car was largely built on its own assembly line in Ford's Saarlouis plant, with some additional specialist off-line assembly performed by the ACÜ group at Überhern. The RS was offered all over Europe, but 2147 were sold in
6853-416: Was a rugby fan, having played as a schoolboy. He died in a tractor accident on his Welsh farm. In developing automobile dynamics, Parry-Jones became well known for suggesting that a great deal could be learned about a vehicle's dynamics within a simple 50 Metre Test , rather than testing the vehicle at top speed, Parry-Jones insisted that engineers drive very slowly for 50 metres, sensing the subtleties of
6942-520: Was developed by Cosworth and tuning bumped the power from 127 to 170 horsepower (95 to 127 kW). Upgrades included: High-flow aluminium cylinder head ; Variable valve timing ; Dual stage intake manifold; Stainless steel exhaust system and exhaust manifold by Cosworth; Sports catalytic converter ; Larger brake discs (300 mm front, 280 mm rear); Getrag 6-speed manual M6 gearbox; Revised power steering 'falling-flow' pump and close ratio steering rack. Black Oak engine management system. The engine
7031-553: Was developed from that used in the CDW27 Ford Mondeo estate, but with various modifications to make it simpler and cheaper to build and therefore economically viable on a mass-market vehicle. Where many competitors in the compact class, or small family car (European) class, used the less expensive semi-independent twist-beam rear suspension , Control Blade offered enhanced elasto-kinematic performance, i.e., strong body control, sharp and accurate steering regardless of
7120-646: Was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society in recognition of his pioneering work in the application of statistical methods to automobile engineering. He was appointed a CBE in the 2005 New Year Honours for services to the automobile industry. In 2005 Parry-Jones received an Honorary Fellowship by his 'home' University of Wales in the North Wales town. In 1995 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Loughborough University in recognition of his outstanding contributions to
7209-450: Was marketed by Ford as New Edge design. The design language had been overseen by Jack Telnack and Claude Lobo and executed by Australian designer, John Doughty. In 2000, Karl Brauer, writing for Edmunds.com described the styling: "While ergonomically sound, the Focus' interior, like its exterior, displays much of Ford's New Edge philosophy that had editors split on loving or hating it." Sherri Koucky, writing for MachineDesign.com said
7298-801: Was named Man of the Year in 1994 by the British publication Autocar and in 1997 by Automobile Magazine . In 2001, he received the Golden Gear Award for Outstanding Automotive Achievement from the Washington Automotive Press Association, and was honoured as Marketing Statesman of the Year by the Sales and Marketing Executives of Detroit. He was an elected Fellow of both the Royal Academy of Engineering and Institution of Mechanical Engineers . In 2004 he
7387-615: Was originally developed by Prince Motor Company which had merged with Nissan in 1966. This was introduced in 1970 as the Nissan Cherry . In 1972, the Honda Civic appeared with the CVCC engine that was able to meet California emission standards without the use of a catalytic converter . In Pakistan, the concept of compact cars is significant. The most common cars tend to be Kei cars . Popular compact cars in recent times are
7476-474: Was overcome, however, and the car was launched without a different "German market" name. The Focus once again represented an attempt by Ford to introduce a truly "world car" that could be sold in disparate markets with little modification. Previous attempts to achieve this had met with limited success - the concept for the original 1981 Escort had infamously mutated into two entirely different cars for Europe and North America with only superficial similarities between
7565-635: Was sourced from the Ford of Mexico Chihuahua plant. The vehicle final-assembly was in the Ford Saarlouis plant in Germany, with some content such as the subwoofer assembled off-line at the ACÜ facility attached to the plant. There was an additional Wagon/Estate variant (codename Swordfish) launched in Europe-only in 2003, which featured Nivomat self-levelling rear dampers. The Focus RS Mk1 was produced from October 2, 2002, to November 11, 2003, and
7654-527: Was the final year for the 2.3 L engine in the Focus. For the 2006 and 2007 ST's the suspension geometry was changed to provide a softer ride. In Canada, the Street Appearance look was available and named the GFX package. The Focus ST name did return in 2012 in an all new model. Total Production:14464 2005: 9329 2006: 2419 2007: 2716 The ST170 (codename Piranha), which was launched in 2002,
7743-670: Was the first Focus sport model to be developed for international markets by a joint SVE/SVT global team. Adapted from the Facelift Mk 1 Focus, the ST170 had the following cosmetic revisions: 17 in (430 mm) Multi-Spoke Alloy Wheels; Alarm; Side Airbags; Optional 1/2 (in non-UK markets) and full Recaro leather seats; Optional 9006 Stereo system with bespoke Subwoofer ; brushed aluminium door releases; honeycomb 'tech flec' front grills, round projector style fog lights, color-coded bumper and side beadings & door handles; and Locally developed bodykit (Australia only). The 172.3PS engine
7832-625: Was to be released as the Racing Focus, however after the poor selling Racing Puma, Ford (driven by Martin Leach) decided to revive the RS badge. More bespoke than the concurrent Ford Focus SVT (badged as the Focus ST170 in Europe), the Focus RS upgraded or replaced 70% of the standard Focus mechanicals. The 1,998 cc (2.0 L; 121.9 cu in) inline-four engine equipped with
7921-691: Was to be switched over to production of the Jaguar X-Type . However the sixth and final generation of the Escort remained in production in Halewood until 2000 as a budget alternative to the Focus, and the van versions continued until 2002 until its replacement by the Focus-based Ford Transit Connect . The Focus production also took place in Santa Rosa , Philippines (though it was only for export and never offered in
#33966