The Ford Orion Is MORE Than An Escort With A Boot! (1987 1.6 GL Road Test)

[@ClassicsWorldUK]

This Orion is FOR SALE! If you fancy a 12,000 mile 1987 Orion 1.6GL, get in touch at [e-mail] :D

[@darrenrichards264]

I own a 1989 Orion 1.6i Ghia and absolutely love it. I have never seen another on the road while driving it, and taking it to classic car shows always gets lots of attention. Great review, nice to see the Orion getting some attention!

[@ClassicsWorldUK]

Thanks Darren, we love ours!

[@alexhiggins7307]

I always seen the Orion Ghia as a posh XR3i with a walnut dash. 😂 Lovely car though!

[@richhughes7450]

There was a blue Orion 1.4 driving around locally a couple of years back. I seen it parked up in a supermarket car park. I had to have a look at it and it was fairly tidy. Ford's always went very well(on the arches) this one looked solid. Had dogs legs alloys on it and red furry dices on the rear view mirror. Made me smile.

[@NB94230]

Does it provide good sensations? I mean, is it fun to drive ?

[@TheRetroShed]

I absolutely loved mine! I had a Mk2 "E" reg Orion 1.6i Ghia in metallic blue and it looked awesome. It was actually a company car and I was only 18-19 years old. I remember my boss being shocked at the insurance costs for me in 1990! Great car, I loved it to bits.

[@mattbod]

Bloody hell not seen one of these in years. I wish more people would have the foresight to preserve everyday cars. To me as a historian it is these that pull the heart strings and evoke nostalgia more than any supercar which one can never relate to. I always liked the 1.6i Ghia of these: the XR3 with a boot! Went to cubs with my mate in an Orion 1.4 L !

[@paulmoor595]

I remember as a young lad seeing an Orion Ghia cruising down the motorway. It definitely looked upmarket compared to the Escort and you had a middle class status. My friend owned a mint one which was loved and polished... which still managed to rust...so there's your answer why not many survive.

[@dom6140]

Orion never looked upmarket lol. The Granada did that.

[@dommidavros2211]

Oh yeah, SO upmarket! I mean it's not like the front was EXACTLY THE BLOODY SAME as the Escort! So other than the fact you couldn't put the seats down so it was LESS practical, what else was so GREAT about it? 🤨🙄

[@chrisgibson8882]

​@@dom6140 c'est par ce que vos parents n'ont pas possédé.un ORION GHIA à l'époque. Les FORD ont été des enjoleuses. Même la sonorité des ouvrants et le poids du capeau étaient rassurants et donnaient des complexes aux adeptes des françaises...

[@simonsharp7252]

I loved my Orion 1.6 GL. Did 129,000 miles in it. Gave a lift in it to someone hitching one day...now my wife of 28 years. The Orion's colour, I think, was Tasman Blue Metallic. Engine pinked a lot in the end and was smokey. Traded it in for a 2.0 306 sedan which was also a lovely car.

[@ClassicsWorldUK]

That's a great story, Simon!

[@MrSonicAdvance]

Oh lord yes! Worn valve stem oil seals were the norm, and starting mine was accompanied by a big cloud of oily smoke.

[@paulhinde8925]

Many fond memories of the Orion. My dad had an ‘88 1.6D GL, one of the last before the 1.8 came on stream. Randomly it came from the factory on bigger Sierra wheels as they’d run out of standard ones! Mind you, he ordered blue and got bright red so they seemed to be doing whatever they liked in Saarlouis that week… Was super reliable and rust free for the next 9 years, took the family the length and breadth of the country. And paid for itself within a year because of the fuel savings over his previous Princess 2 2.2 HLS

[@TheBlaert]

I bought a REALLY dodgy 1.6 diesel for £80 in 1999. It was painted with a brush, hadn't been serviced for years and wasn't very solid underneath. Wouldn't even pull 75mph. I stuck an exhaust from a 1.6 Ghia on it, serviced it and cleaned out the fuel tank. Pulled nearly 100 after that, albeit on an extremely long road. Super easy on diesel too. Lasted a few months until I decided to tow a small trailer full of logs. Hit a bump in the road and the towbar ripped half the boot floor out and punted the whole lot into the hedge. RIP Orion.

[@hermanmunster3358]

I personally think the Mk1 Orion was the best looker, with it's louvred front grille, and square headlights. It reminded me of the Cortina Mk5 in lots of ways. I never owned one, but always wanted one back in the day. I did own a Mk3 Escort 1.6 Ghia though, and loved it. Mine was a 1984 B reg, and I had it right up until 1999, and it had just ticked over the 100k Mile's, 103k I think, when I sold it for £500. It had developed a 'Hot Starting' problem, due to the automatic choke, which was a common problem I believe. And the dreaded rust started to set in, around the rear arches, scuttle panel below the windscreen, sills, and front valance. So I was lucky to get what I did for it in the end. I bought a Sierra Sapphire 2.0i Ghia after that, which was like riding on a magic carpet by comparison, and much quicker off the mark with its DOHC engine.

[@chrisblay]

This brings back a lot of memories. I owned an E Reg Orion for around three years in the early nineties. It was good all rounder vehicle and actually very reliable.

[@Mattchubb1]

My dad had 3 of them one after the other, always had the 1.6i Ghia..... and he always wanted the 1600E! Everyone he had, he had the Ford Orion boot spoiler added!

[@martinholmes1493]

I had a 1988 Orion 1.6 ghia. It had a heated screen, fuel computer, sun roof, pepperpot alloys etc. I paid the princely sum of £120 as it only had 3 months MOT left and had rotted out around the rear wheel arches. I bought a tin of filler and 2 tins of Ford diamond white, filled and painted it and got it through the mot. I drove it for a year till it failed on rusted out sills. But it was a great car, pretty nippy, comfortable, and strangely seemed most economical at 83 mph!

[@davidt6312]

My mum had an mk2 Orion 1.6 ghia injection when I was young. I remember it well and still fond of them but haven’t seen one in years! Hers was black with a boot spoiler and “pepper pot” alloys as she used to call them. And the red piping trim around the bumpers.

[@albertadams2095]

USA native here… and this is my first time hearing about this car. It definitely gives off some 190E vibes; especially from the rear ¾ view @ 2:22

[@tonydrake6649]

Loved my Orion,had a sky blue 1.6injection Ghia Reg Number EN51 GMO with a boot spoiler and pepperpot allows back in the Day (1996) was a step up from my previous car which was a metro,being only 20 at the time I thought it was amazing,after owing it for 3 years sold it and missed it that much bought it back from the guy it sold it to 6months later

[@scroggins100]

Hired one for a month on business. Denmark - Germany and Holland. Never missed a beat and very comfortable.

[@21dazzer]

I had one of those. D-reg dark blue 1.6GL. Lowered it on 15" 5spokes, de-chromed it, light blue door strips and bumper inserts plus an RS deck spoiler and number plate panel. Looked the biz. Loved it.

[@michaeledwards427]

Great video. We had a H (90) 1.6 GL. Absolutely loved it, we brought it because I knew how good the orion/escorts were at work. To be fair on the escort if the used car dealer where we got it had an escort instead we'd probably have got that instead. It was just a good car at the right time. I also admit that 20 plus years later, now having a large dog I wouldn't even consider a car without a hatchback. Also the last of the ford Taunus range (rebadged mk5 cortina) actually used mk2 orion rear lights and I believe the bootlid as well.

[@carlosmunganos9080]

I had an 87 1.6gl Orion when it was about 3 years old. It was rubbish. Cvh engines always seemed to have problems with valve stem oil seals and burnt oil on start up and it had rust holes on the underside of the front doors you could almost get your fist through. After I'd had it about a year I came out one morning to find the gearbox oil all over the floor which resulted in a gearbox rebuild and a massive bill. I sold it after that and bought an 88 MK2 Golf GTi which was about a million times better.

[@badatfootball4698]

I had an identical Orion 1.6GL in that smart Galaxy Blue. Kept it for 3 years in the early 90s. I remember the stumpy indicator stalks and ski hatch in the back seat. Nice car!

[@speedypaul2314]

Ski hatch. Yup love to know how many owners used it for skiing lol

[@TheSimonhammond]

The Orion was built on the Escort estate/cabriolet platform. My mate in the 90s had a mk1 C reg Orion 1.6i Ghia with Jamex air filter and lowered suspension and was a hoot to ride in.

[@andyK1878]

I had a 1990 (G Reg) 1.4L mk3 OrionL in gold, it was an ex-dealer demo car. It was my first car with 5 gears and front electric windows, it was economical & reliable. It had an enormous deep boot that easily coped with my son’s baby pram, changing bag and a weekly shop. 👍

[@dwaynekelly2266]

I currently have a 1992 orion ghia with the 1.8 16 valve 130 bhp engine and in my opinion its a cracking car .

[@AndyK.1]

The memories. They did a Ghia Si didn’t they? With xr3 fog lights and boot spoiler

[@tu5jp]

I love it! I am from the north of Spain and i have one this in very good shape. Here in the north rust killed all of them 15 years ago. I love drive it,repair it and take it to classic shows. Cars from my childhood.

[@janetfishwick8887]

I had blue Orion 1600 Ghia. Absolutely loved it. Registration E933GMO. Did a part exchange in 1997 for a Mondeo . Tourmaline green , registration M741 PBV. I kept this for 20 years and was so impressed with it, got a Mark 4.Mondeo Edge in 2017. Beast of a car wit boot like a skip. Another one to love.

[@RicardoRamosRetrocomputacao]

Here in Brazil, we had something different, the Ford Verona and VW Apolo, it had a more modern design, however, it was limited to the option of only 2 doors.

[@RicardoRamosRetrocomputacao]

The Ford Escort (and most Fords) around here, did not use the standard mechanics, there was never that option. Instead, they used Willis/Renault or Audi/VW mechanics (same engine used in the VW Passat B2)

[@adrianlw2750]

Brings back memories. Whilst I had a 1983 1.6GL Escort, my old-folk had a 1985 1.6GL Orion. The Orion was noticeably more refined, felt more mature on the road, and had a massive boot which was perfect for their camping trips. I preferred the lighter sportier feel of the Escort, though. And I was always very conscious of the Orion’s greater length behind the driver when nipping out of junctions, probably more psychological hindrance than real though! Having said that, my dream was to own the impressive Orion 1.6i Ghia Injection which I saw as more acceptable moderate performance car than the XR3i. It is easy to forget that hot hatches had a bit of an image problem around that time, thieves loved them of course, and insurers didn’t.

[@atnorthabc]

I loved driving the Orion I had it for years it never lost that new ford smell I loved every minute

[@michaeljohnson-li5nn]

I purchased an Orion 1600E back in 1991. It was finished in a very dark blue called ‘Raven’. It had leather interior trim and quite a nice factory fitted stereo and graphic equaliser system, very upmarket for the time. It drove like a dream an had plenty of performance available from the 1.6 injection engine. This was the first decent car that I had owned, having run several bangers (Metro etc…) before I upgraded to the 1600E. Had the car for about 6 weeks when it was stolen from the car park of the local Tesco supermarket. Unfortunately, the car was never recovered and after a months the insurance company eventually paid out for the car. I used this money (plus some savings) to purchase one of the last VW Mk2 Golf Gti’s sold in the U.K. What a fantastic car it was, beautiful to drive and very well built. As it was the last of the Mk2’s it had a few additions to the specification - factory steel sunroof, Rainbow interior trim and BBS RA alloys. This car help cement my liking of the VW marque. I now own a MK 7 Golf R, 5 door in Lapiz blue. I purchased this car from new in 2014, decided to add a few options such as leather interior, Electric glass sunroof, reverse camera, DCC adaptive suspension, upgraded SatNav unit and winter pack. I opted to stick with the 18” Cadiz alloys as I personally like the simplicity of the wheel making them easy to clean. This cannot be said of the BBS RA’s fitted to the GTi as they had a ‘lattice’ style to the wheel which was difficult to keep clean. Approximately a year ago I was in a queue of traffic waiting to leave the Newark Autojumble site. I was in my Golf R and noticed a red Mk2 Gti in the queue behind me. It was my old Mk2 GTi! Wanted to stop and chat with the new owner, but every time i was going to get out to speak with them the queue keep moving forward and I never got the chance. Who ever now owns my old car certainly keeps it in really nice condition.

[@jamesleate]

I had a 1986 Orion, it was absolutely an Escort with a boot.

[@NB94230]

Is it fun to drive ?

[@jamesleate]

@@NB94230 No

[@markscars1069]

The 11 year old me used to lust over the Orion Ghia. I remember travelling to the NEC for the BIMS in 1986 and the biggest win of the day was leaving with the Ford range brochure 😀

[@pcr8918]

The stubby indicators were ergonomically great. My (new) 1987 1.4L was a rust bucket by 4 years. Loved the boot but then my other car was a MG Midget.

[@6ettinold]

From more, a lot of the 1986-7 cars rusted like hell because they were stored outside during consecutive strikes. A mate won a court claim at the time after his XR2 roof rusted through at 3 years old. This was because they allegedly stored the shells upside down outdoors.

[@dungareesareforfools]

I had wondered about this, I noticed a lot of D-E plate Ford cars back in about 1991 or so that were seriously rusty. A Sierra Sapphire with rusty rear arches, and a mk4 Escort that actually had rust perforate the rear of the roof above the tailgate!

[@saqibmulla2811]

I had a Orion 1.6i Ghia bk in the day The things I done in that car …still miss it today and still remember the Registration number plate to this day 👍🏼👍🏼

[@rosse119]

I remember my brother having an Orion with alloys and blue painted calipers and drums. Was a fun car.

[@speedwell0560]

I had a Mercury Grey 1.6i Ghia with early 90’s “upgrades” including clear indicators, aircraft style fuel filler cap, alloy pedals and Scorpion exhaust 😂 My first proper car

[@broomad]

I owned a mercury grey F Reg 1.6i Ghia with full RS body kit. It looked fantastic and was a great car for the time. Dead easy to look after as well 🙂

[@chrishart8548]

I new of 4 orions with the rs body kit. A white F reg 2 black G reg ones. And the 4th one actually had a rs turbo engine and bonnet. (WITH THE VENTS) and a 90 spec front bumper.

[@quotagious]

I had a 89/90 Orion I really enjoyed the car with plenty of space in the boot I only just sold it a few months back as it needed a lot of work done but she was a good car

[@rob5944]

I never knew about the suspension, however I'd of thought it was mostly aimed at middle class, somewhat elderly drivers who wanted a sedate, sensible, modestly sized saloon. At least the Belmont appeared to be....Mind you, with a name like that the Vauxhall car couldn't really be anything else!

[@markfox1545]

'I'd of thought'? What DO you think that means?

[@toddnelson5132]

Gosh - my grandad had a B-plate 1.6 Ghia identical to the one at 1:00 for most of my childhood, I've always preferred the cleaner lines of the original. The chrome - the little Ghia shields on the side - Ford knew how to market to all demographics back then. Was always garaged and immaculate, when he finally chopped it in for an Escort in around 2000 it only lasted until 2005 which seems a shame, but back then they were just disposable bangers I guess...

[@doveronefoxtrot4417]

I had one until it got written off. Yes they are rare. I now own a Honda Legend which brings rarity to a new dimension !

[@dmuirhe1]

I had three injection Ghias back in the nineties. The best cars I've ever driven

[@ivorjones6618]

i had a early 1,6i ghia and also the last facelift model loved them both

[@adrianharrison5208]

My Mum had a mk1.3 so very early Orion and I used to love the way it drove over the yorkshire Moors.. I prefer the mk1 dash layout also, just looked so cool with the sliding heater controls and the way it lit up at night

[@steverichards575]

Had one for 4 years until the rust visited the chassis . One lovely motor .

[@michael_houghton]

I had a Ghia 1.6i in metallic blue and loved it. Thought I was the bees nees in it.

[@tomgoode4858]

Escort with a Cortina boot crafted to the back. Nice looking car in high spec. Neighbour had one on a D plate it was covered in rust scabs at 5 years old and traded for k reg proton

[@gppsoftware]

I had a MK1 March 84 'A' reg Orion GL 1.6 - it was a great car, although being a European design, the brake reservoir was on the passenger side with a mechanical link across the back of the engine bay. Result was very spongey brakes! But it was a good car and I did a lot of miles in it. It always did the same mpg whether it was driven lightly or hard. Seeing this video brings back lots of happy memories. Following the Orion, I discovered Japanese cars and to this day, have never looked back.

[@xboxonegameplay9842]

I had a 1985 Ford Orion 1.6i Ghia and a 1987 Ford Orion 1.6 GL. I remember replacing the cam followers as engine was very tappety, also replaced intake manifold as coolant pipe connector had corroded away and was leaking

[@MrRetro-]

I love Orions, ive owned many, my last was an 85 mk1 GL , i have a mk3 Escort in my collection, and as much as i love Escorts, the Orion is my Fav

[@tenti1524]

Big fan of the orion , had a ghia way back and have have had a few over the years , still have a ghia tucked away now , always gets more attention than some of the more desirable cars I’ve driven , a lot of fondness for them

[@mikes747]

Had a 1.6 ghia one of those in that colour as my first car! I can confirm the lift off oversteer!

[@allanmacbadger5692]

Nice job, in the very late 80's / early 90's I had a Ford Sierra 2.0i auto Ghia X estate in mercury grey, fabulous car with nearly every upgrade available - head lamp wash / wipe, fog lights, heated front screen, clarion stereo, self levelling suspension, etc. I had mates who bought the BMW 3 series and a radio was an extra, seats as hard as rocks - why buy one?

[@Brytonrock]

I had a lovely red mk3 Orion which never caused me and my family any problems. It was a joy to drive and we had many a family holiday thanks to that car. Unfortunately, I was on my way home after a late shift when I was hit by an idiot who lost control of his car going round a long corner on a greasy road. He had no licence, insurance or mot and the impact jammed both doors on the drivers side. Luckily, The Orion was strong enough to protect me from the worst of the impact but was written off by the insurance. The idiot managed to con the magistrates who fined him just over £100 and gave him six penalty points on a licence he didn't have.

[@fatfreddyscoat7564]

An Orion 1.6i Ghia was one of the cars to have back in the day… definitely a classy and cool ride, especially if you had leather.

[@1980rpgify]

Interesting content. I had a 1990 1.4 LX as my first car. It never let me down.

[@The-Salty-Bager]

I had an escort 1.6 DL as a company car and always had high hopes of one day getting promoted and having an Orion Ghia

[@giftorreid8876]

The thing with the ford orion is the top models had a rear wiper on a saloon body shape...normally it's hatchbacks with a rear wiper...I remember that !

[@andreww83]

I bought a new Ford Orion 1.6 Ghia (A85BCU if i remember correctly) ~ loved it

[@devlinracing3553]

I had a new Orion 1.6i Ghia as a company car. I had it a couple of years and put 70000 miles on it with no drama. I do recall it had an awful automatic gearbox. It seemed modern at the time compared to the Rover 1.6i Vanden Plas I had before it. I remember I also ruined the look of the back of it by putting a towbar on it to tow a boat😀

[@philclarke313]

I own a mk2 1.4L in the same galaxy blue as the one in the video it's been my daily car now for 13 years. I'll never sell it. it's a great car

[@shonkytonky]

1988 1.6D. Great car, 177000miles amazing. In the end the car just rusted away.

[@leonshackleford9585]

I loved the Ford Orion 1.6 GLS & the Ford Orion 1600 Ghia I Always wanted to own both Orion’s As Well as all the Mk3 / Mk4 / Mk5 Cortina’s

[@lewis72]

Up until 1990, Ford hit the nail on the head with the Escort and Orion. Cheap to build, cheap to insure & run, cheap to fix. Vauxhall Belmont was oddly named and proportioned. Austin Rover were all over the place with the Maestro and Rover 213/216. IMO, the Rover R8 200/400 in 1990 made the Escort & Orion seem obsolete. 16v engines as standard across the range, Honda build quality and miniature exec-saloon styling. Then came the Peugeot 306 to rub even more salt in the wounds.

[@DaveP668]

I remember in about 1985 a family friend having his company car swapped from a last of the line Cortina 2.0 for an Orion diesel non turbo. Back then many fuel stations didn't stock diesel, apart from a pump for trucks which he wasn't allowed to use.

[@davidflack6430]

Owned one but towards the end all the electrics got a bit dodgy. Traded in for a Focus saloon. Had the Orion for about ten years though and it never let me down

[@pcb1623]

Had one can't recall reg but it was the late 80's & I was in my early 20's. Enjoyed the ride bt wouldn't have said it was so very different from the n* of escorts I purchased. Good memories 👍

[@drewwagar]

My Dad had a choice between a Ford Orion Ghia Injection 1.6i and an Audi 80 1.8s back in the mid 80s. He went for the Audi. :)

[@johnwright3075]

My first car 1.4 LX Orion loved that car great memories

[@VilchezG]

In 1989 Ford in Brazil launched a 2 door sedan version of the Escort, named Verona. Just for curiosity, there was another version of this car, but with VW logo, named Apollo. At that time there was a joint venture between Ford and VW that resulted in Autolatina, valid in South America.

[@aston-martin-internationalist]

I think this is the first time I've ever heard someone call a CVH 'refined'. 🙃 I nearly bought one of these to replace my 1.3 Belmont but plumped with the Astra Belmont SRi. Do like the Orion though particularly the first iteration.

[@maximumattackrallying]

These seemed to go through a period of being mocked a bit, but were actually pretty good. Thanks to the stiffer rear structure, they were a bit more refined than the Escort. I always thought they had better proportions too. Even the third generation, which gets loads of stick, wasn't nearly as bad as people look out, so long as you avoid the very early models and the 1300. If you can find a late Ghia X with the 1.8 Zetec, they actually drive quite well. I had one fitted with a 2.0-litre engine from a Mondeo and, with some suspension modifications, it was really capable.

[@sabni8668]

My grandfather in NI has a 1990 Orion LX I think, it's a diesel anyway. So rare. Going like a tank. But falling apart at every panel lol

[@russellcooper5826]

Love the Orion. Ford even did a 1.3 L trim with a 4 speed manual gearbox.

[@neilpickup237]

The original Orion was so much more than an Escort with a boot, especially for the rear passengers, where the quite different seat gave noticeably increased legroom because it was set back a little further. Unfortunately, this was not carried forward into the Mk 2, nor were many of the exclusive premium items. (I base this on the Mk1 1.6 Ghia and the Mk2 1.6i Ghia I owned). If only I could have taken the 1.8i engine, gearbox, and ABS from the MK3 Ghia I owned and put them into the Mark1 - I would have been very happy.

[@andypandy9013]

I had one as a company car in the early 90s. As I said at the time, there was nothing about it to fall in love with. It did the job (just) but that was about it. 😟

[@robertwillis4061]

Only ever saw 1 of the 1600E models, thought it was absolutely lovely. Wanted one so much, but I could not get one as I needed a van for work.

[@flipflopthong2]

Ford Australia employed a similar strategy in the 80s with Laser and Meteor - both being rebadged Mazda 323s. By around 1987, they dropped the Meteor named and called it what it really was - Laser sedan.

[@95blahblahhaha]

Hard to believe that they were making that over there but here in America they were making the Tempo and Taurus. Really couldn't look more different.

[@JK-rt2jj]

A classic Saab 900 4 door also was a classy, modest looking car from the era - a bit more solid and upmarket off course. I still miss it.

[@_B.M_]

The Orion was available as a 1.6L. I used to have a E plate one.

[@AndyK.1]

Maybe he meant when it was first introduced. Mk1

[@ivanfernyhough3851]

The L trim was introduced a couple of years after the car was launched.originally you could get a 1.3 and 1.6gl,1.6 ghia and 1.6 ghia injection.remember when me dad brought his brand new 1.6gl in early 1984 a newsagent just around the corner from us had a ghia injection.i was well miffed lol.the 1.6 gl in glacier blue with grey trim looked the part tho.went 15mths later for a pre release mk3 granada 2.0 injection ghia.That was the business.

[@sbatty65227]

Fleet car managers loved these.

[@andrewmacgregor9252]

I had two 1.6i Ghias, following two 3 litre Capris. I remember comparing the mk1 to a BMW 3 series, the only aspect that BMW scored better was the BMW name. Ford at that time were a class act and one could argue the Orion 1.6 Ghia, especially the better equipped mk1 and discounting the 'end of line' big engined Capris, was the leader of that pack for what it was and what it cost.

[@martinhall3309]

Many years ago as an apprentice at a Ford dealership the guy I worked with said never buy an Orion always go for the Escort because if Ford had a big production run on Escorts,Orion bodyshells were made then stored outside in all weathers to be put on the production line at a later date.A few years later I purchased a Black Orion 1.6GL D373DEW and yep it rusted like hell I traded it in for a much better spec Renault Megane

[@bletheringfool]

I was never a fan of the Orion. That being said I almost bought one. About 20 years ago very similar to the one you have. The purchase fell through because of a repair that needed to be done through insurance and it was taking too long. When I took a test drive in one I was surprised how well it handled.

[@taunuslunatic404]

I have one; an '84 1.6 GL in left hand drive. One of the very few examples with a tach and an undamaged dashboard.

[@tjls]

Here in Brazil with slighty differences it was called Ford Verona. And for a short period of time it had its sibling as the VW(!!!) Apollo (as part of the joint venture called Autolatina).

[@grayfool]

My father had a 1.6GL which was outstanding for being the most avergae car I have ever driven. It wasn't particularly good at anything as I remember. It doesn't stand out in my memory at all. I much preferred his Cavalier 1.6Gl saloon that the Onion replaced.

[@kieranwhite6647]

A minor claim to fame. I took that GLS picture in the car park at Tatton Park 😂

[@Adrian1981]

The CVH engine is underestimated in some areas but I've never heard anyone accuse it of being refined

[@crcomments8509]

I had a Mark 3 Orion, it was rather boring, but years later I needed a cheap runaround and got a Mark 2 Ghia, it was vastly better than the MK3, really nice to drive. Unfortunately the floor pan rusted out eventually.

[@MrSonicAdvance]

I had a 1.4 LX Orion, and it was a nice car. Good to drive and with a big boot. Weak handbrake, though.

[@grolfe3210]

Just looked it up on "How Many Left" and there are only 336 Orions taxed on the road. That is just one left for every 10,000 made!

[@raoufboulaarasraouf8672]

I now have a Ford Orion Ghia 1600i, which I love very much, but it lacks some minor modifications. 😥

[@carlwilliams3488]

I had an '87 1.6 Ghia as a 3rd car (after an ill fated MK2 Cav experience). I'm surprised this one survived, they were utter rotboxes being made in Spain with poor steel and shells left out in the elements, my only 6 year old example had holes at the bottom of both front doors, the bottoms of both A pillars and was going on sill and rear arches. Had it patched up and it drove reasonably well with a decent engine/gearbox combo and very perky with a twin choke weber on the Ghia.

[@completechimp]

For the UK marked Mk2’s at least were made in Germany of the UK. German ones lasted a lot better.

[@avinpertab5051]

Orions were everywhere when I was a kid then it felt like they suddenly started to just disappear, same with the mk3 fiestas and sierras

[@alexandrecouture2462]

We also had a hatchback and booted version of the American and Canadian Escort. A completely different car, based on the Mazda 323, with relatively similar shape.

[@Simon-ui6db]

had a escort saloon p433oke , preferred it over the many mk6 hatchbacks I had. Just a shame some plank put alloys on it with steel wheel bolts before I got it and lost both back wheels driving along down in Kent lol.

[@jasongomez5344]

3:24 High-speed stability is the reason for the fins on the tail lights? Huh? Those were just to let light through when they were covered with snow/dirt like on Mercedes I thought, but I think mostly just for decoration?

[@roberttucker805]

I don't think Ford exactly dominated the sales charts in the 1980's as the cavalier and Astra were doing really well especially in the fleet car market. My only experience with the Orion was when my son bought one from a mate at work. It looked fairly good from a distance but after a while the rust had taken hold of the rear of the sill. I was going to weld it up but the more I poked it the worse it got. In fact I found that the step down panel was made entirely of body filler and newspaper. I literally pulled it apart and told my son to drive it straight to the breakers as the whole structure was so weak a rear end collision could cause the whole thing to fold up. It was about ten years old so I suppose it wasn't bad for a late eighties Ford.

[@paullacey2999]

Orion and Belmont,popular back in the day but try finding one now....

[@sajidsadiq5463]

My first car Orion 1.4lx . Was so underpowered but loved the look