The Ford Puma

In summer of 2007, after 6 months and 15,000 miles, I gave in and accepted that my daily 60 mile commute was no longer feasible in my 1994 Mini.  It was fun but it was too noisy, cramped, uncomfortable, unsafe and slow (on the motorway).

So what should I buy?  I didn't have much money to spend on a '2nd' car but it had to be comfy, and it had to be a bit interesting, reliable, cool(ish) and most of all it had to be fun.  After weeks of thinking about it I realised there was a brilliant wee car that I'd been overlooking - the Ford Puma.

Its superb fun to drive, its fast (in my 1.7 litre form), it looks funky and a bit different and most of the parts are cheap and easy to find because its based largely on the common or garden Ford Fiesta.  The best bit is that when I want to take it easy, its quiet, comfortable and smooth.

Quick Facts

• Uprated handling by Jackie Stewart and Ford's Special Engineering Department

• Uprated brakes

• Cracking engines including a 1.7 zetec unit with variable valve timing

• Clever 'feline' styling with unique headlight and taillight treatment

• All roadtests were full of glowing praise at the time and waiting lists of up to 6 months when new

• Proper sporting driving position - laid back with arms outstretched

• 1.7 figures - 123 bhp, 126mph, 8.6 to 60 (later models were slower due to greater torque limiter on 1st gear).

• Based on Ford Fiesta underpinnings, so parts are plentiful and cheap.  Note - The Ford Fiesta of the time was a fine handling hatch, that the motoring press loved (the model before it was pants though!).

"Ford may say the Puma was designed to be brilliant, but no one expected it to be half as good as it was"
Top Gear 5 star review.

Some cars are just right, straight out of the box. The Puma is a perfect example, Ford may say the Puma was designed to be brilliant, but no one expected it to be half as good as it was.

The Puma simply blew away the competition and many more expensive coupes, leaving it as the only choice for those who enjoyed driving without paying enormous prices.

As a used buy, the Puma is only more appealing thanks to strong build quality and fine reliability, so long as it's not been got at by a boy racer.

Based on the Fiesta chassis, Ford firmed up the suspension, beefed up the brakes and dropped in a bespoke 1.7-litre petrol engine with a cylinder head designed by Yamaha that incorporated variable valve timing to make the most of its modest capacity.

The result was a car that was nippy on paper and a hoot on the road. The perfect gearchange of the five-speed manual 'box means you're always in the right gear to access the power and the engine loves to rev, even though there's sufficient power lower down the rev band. Forget the 1.4 and 1.6 models - the 1.7 is where it's at.

Forget hot hatches, too. The Puma will see them off and its handling prowess will keep them behind on any road.

This is a car you can take enormous liberties with - in the right conditions - and it will (just) let you get away with it. Wondrously accurate steering and a superb feel contribute to this.

About the only thing we can level a criticism at with the Puma is that the rear seats are too cramped for anyone but children but frankly, this just seems like a whinge when a car has such God-given talent. No wonder used prices are holding up so well.

The Puma Racing was a rally-bred rarity and even more fun to drive, but the unforgiving ride and extreme nature of this wide-bodied machine made it slow to sell and as a result, it's now very sought after.