Rubbish Cars We Love: Ford Ka Mark 1 – Bubblicious!

Rubbish? Utter nonsense. Loved? Most certainly. Purchased solely by men who dress to the left? What do you think..?

And Your Point is?:

That the Mark 1 Ka is merely ‘a bit girly’ and not rubbish at all. We love the little bugger, in fact. But it has taken nine years since the car’s launch (it’s still being made, though apparently not sold in the US) for us to admit such a sentiment. And with some early models now coming in at under a thousand smackers, our love might just turn into obsession.

The Mark 1 Ka rolled into production with an interior by Mattel, capable of 48 miles to the gallon and, after 1997, standard power steering on all engine variations. That power steering option is a bone of contention to be fair. The Ka already handled like a go-kart without it, so the uprated driving experience can feel a touch ‘sneeze’n’crash’ at times. Not a major quibble though. The do or die, more-guts-than-the-producer-of-CSI’s-infantilism-episode engine can rev to the redline with surprising pluckiness.

Looking Good in Your Little Ride:

Aw, the Ka (pronounced ‘car’ not ‘ca’) is cuter than kitten-fur mittens. You sit upright in a cabin surrounded by dials and heating ducts that appear to have melted in the sun. Your driving view is uncluttered and cockpit-like, making the diddy Ford extremely manoeuvrable in car parks and overcrowded city streets.

If you’re a bloke you do feel a bit of a wally driving the thing, even if you do manage to buy one in black or silver. Nevertheless chicks dig the Ka’s funky bubble curves. They might even mistake you for a ‘new man’, reformed hippie or slumming it millionaire – if you hide your tattoos and dirty fingernails.

Your Mark 1 Ka will live out a happy second, third or even forth-hand life with regular servicing. Dads with teenage daughters? You could do a lot worse with your application for Father of the Year than buy the little princess a Ford Ka in yellow (apparently the cheapest used colour variation). If she bulks just threaten her with a sensible saloon. Anything with four doors and a tow bar should do the trick.

Advice, Perchance?:

If you want change from £1,000 then avoid Ka 2s and Ka 3s. These are higher specced later edition cars and will not be within your price range. If you do find some they’ll probably be resprayed write-offs. Don’t chance it.

Even Mark 1s are still going for top dollar, so garages will charge through the nose for good examples. Buy privately if at all possible. The gamble is greater in the short term, but this can be halved significantly if you use your noggin a bit. Check the history with care, as the seller won’t tell you anything they don’t absolutely have to. Crash damage does not necessarily mean saying goodbye, providing the relevant insurance documentation and repair invoices are sitting pretty. At risk of appearing sexist (or should we say at risk of caring to appear sexist?) lady traders are always a more comforting sight. Though forget about haggling much over the price, they read a lot more than guys.

One For the Road:

We scoured eBay like Dirk Pitt searching for a beard trimmer and discovered this minor Ford Ka miracle. It’s fairly priced for early bids (being as it’s actually a Mark 2) and the seller has a reassuringly high feedback. As we always say, it’s worth a look – if only to get an idea of what NOT to buy.

It pains us to say this even now, but the Mark 1 Ka is a fantastic little motor. It smiles constantly, radiates low-price chic (body-coloured bumpers not withstanding) and makes 60 BHP feel like 160.

Ford you’ve finally made a car that doesn’t date and…(hand over mouth mumbling)…we love it.

[story by Chris Laverty]