1998 – 2004 Ford Focus
The thinking and development that went into the original Focus were influenced by Ford receiving a thorough drubbing from critics and customers alike. The last of the Escorts had been panned, and management at Ford realised they had taken their eye off the ball in a market where cars were sold on more than price. Driveability, safety and style were becoming as important as a discount and a free set of mats and flaps.
New faces appeared behind the scenes at the Blue Oval, and the resulting Focus took the company in a new direction. It looked fresh and different parked outside the homes of Britain, owners could be heard telling neighbours how good it was to drive, comfort and safety were impressive, and you’d be proud to receive one as your next company car.
Today you’d be proud to own one as your next modern classic car, too. Getting back into the Focus after more than two decades reinforces the impression of what a terrific car it was – and remains.
The example, driven by Hagerty is owned by serial classic car collector Andy Jones. He uses the Focus as a cheap and cheerful runaround, and by golly is it cheap and cheerful, only £600 to Andy, and, as we come to find, faultless to drive.
“These are such good cars. Ford was ahead of its time with the Focus, over-engineering the car, and that shows in the way it still feels so good to drive after all this time. The fact you can pick them up for peanuts makes it all the more remarkable,” Andy says.
And sure enough, it is faultless to drive. The engine of Andy’s 70,000-mile, 1.6-litre Focus is a gem, pulling enthusiastically, revving smoothly and giving the family hatchback a good turn of speed. But this car’s ace card is the way it feels so poised through twists and turns. The steering and chassis have a rare harmony, whereas a comparable VW Golf would feel underwhelming and out of shape.
The rest of the package is good, too. Take the dashboard. The design may not be to all tastes, but the usability of it will be to everyone’s liking. In an age where the average family car is a touchscreen on wheels, with menus buried within menus, the Focus has a clarity of purpose that makes it free of distractions and safe to operate any feature or function with just the slightest glance and hand movement.
Needless to say, the word is spreading about the Focus. Although hundreds of thousands were sold in Britain, really nice examples that have been well cared for and show no signs of rust or neglect require noticeably more dedication to find. But persevere you should – and not just because it is such good value for money.
This is the car from a time when Ford returned to the top of its game. In one of the most competitive industries around, the Focus is a case study in corporate wakeup calls. Thank heavens Ford responded the right way.
2003 Ford Focus 1.6i 16v Zetec
- Engine: 4-cylinder, 1596cc
- Transmission: 5-speed manual, FWD
- Power: 98bhp @ 6000rpm
- Weight: 1171kg
THE HAGERTY VALUATION TEAM SAYS
- Hagerty value condition #2: £1400
- 2019 Hagerty value condition #2: £1300
- Hagerty 12-month value change: +£100 (7.7%)
Hagerty has long championed the unsung heavy lifters of the automotive world, the unexceptional saloons, estates and hatchbacks that take us to our offices, drop our kids at school and transport us on holiday. Values for the Focus are low: even an ‘excellent’ example can be purchased for around the £1400 mark, fair ones for much less.
We believe that this is a very small outlay for a piece of automotive history, and one that could even qualify you for entry to the 2021 Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional Concours De l’Ordinaire.