MOTORING giant Ford discontinued three headline models in 2023 - including Britain's all-time best-seller.
The manufacturer has notably slimmed down its lineup in recent months as it emphasises the transition toward an all-electric future.
The brand confirmed in late 2022 that a trio of motors would be scrapped as the self-imposed 2030 electrification deadline approaches.
The Galaxy seven-seater MPV was a major casualty, bowing out after nearly 30 years of production.
That fate was shared by the S-Max, a Sports Activity Vehicle which took inspiration from the Galaxy and was released alongside the latter's new generation in 2006.
The S-Max even won the prestigious title of European Car of the Year in 2007 and received a positive review on Top Gear.
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However, sales declined from a peak of over 55,000 in 2008 to just 7,726 in 2022, according to data from Good Car Bad Car.
Perhaps most surprising of all, though, was Ford's decision to drop the beloved Fiesta after 47 years of continuous production.
The model is one of the most-sold cars of all time in the UK and dealerships were still shifting over 100,000 units per year regularly up to 2016.
Indeed, it was only in 2019 that sales dropped below 80,000 for the first time ever.
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It even made an appearance in a Bond film, 1976's The Spy Who Loved Me starring Roger Moore.
However, declining demand across the remainder of Europe, as well as in the US may well have contributed to it being axed, with the decision exclusively revealed by The Sun's Rob Gill.
Confirming the move, a Ford spokesperson said: "At Ford in Europe, we are accelerating our efforts to go all-in on electrification with our passenger vehicles being fully electric by 2030 – and all vehicles across our Ford portfolio by 2035.
"As we get ready to transition to an electric future, we will discontinue production of S-MAX and Galaxy in Valencia, Spain in April 2023 and discontinue Fiesta production in Cologne, Germany by the end of June 2023.
"We will introduce three new exciting electric passenger vehicles and four new electric commercial vehicles in Europe by 2024."
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