Ford’s hot hatch journey began with a modest attempt in 1980, when the Fiesta Supersport was launched. Things got more serious the following year with the beefier Fiesta XR2. However, it was the 1984 Escort RS that truly cemented the company’s contribution to this exciting niche of practical performance cars. 45 years after the Supersport, the Blue Oval is now exiting the segment. After the Fiesta ST was discontinued a couple of years ago, the Focus ST has now followed suit.
