If you’ll pardon the pun and the allusion to body snatching, you must have all seen this segment of Top Gear’s Series 12 Episode 6 last May December. So, no news. In fact, we've even posted a part of it already in another Fiesta-related post.

But it does not do this pinnacle of televised motoring journalism justice. It is magnificent on many levels, including on the questions it raises about the very concept of road tests.

The second coming of Top Gear—as opposed to the original series—has never been about road tests per se, which are usually boring, videographed articles smattered with Excel spreadheets. On the contrary, Top Gear is a reflection of Jeremy Clarkson’s weird persona, which—as beautifully summed by my AK-wielding F1-driving friend Nino Karotta—is a decades-long career built on descriptions of what seventeen-year-old boys would like to do with cars.

Unlike seventeen-year-old boys, of course, Clarkson actually does everything a seventeen-year-old boy fantasizes about. With cars, that is. We’re not that intimate.

Still, you’ve got to grow up at some point, haven’t you? Just to prove that growing up does not necessarily mean discarding one’s seventeen-year-old self but can also be accomplished with a layering of older personalities, Clarkson road tests the new Ford Fiesta.

He does so in a way that will make you question the very essence of motoring journalism. Or, as Nino put it: “Azt hiszem, az autósműsor el van készítve. Keressünk másik feladatot.” Which roughly translates to: “Televised motoring journalism is a done deal. Let’s find other projects to occupy ourselves with.”

On a helpful note, Clarkson’s test also proves that no matter your profession, an amphibious task force will always come in handy.

Watch it if you haven’t done so yet. Watch it again if you already have. Then go and do something slightly dangerous.

Photo Credit: Top Gear

If you'd like to spend a few hours on Friday helping Fiesta Movement winner (and recent clutch addict) Jill Hanner out on one of her monthly missions, drop her an e-mail at xgobobeanx[Removethis]@gmail.com with the subject line: "Want To Drive With Jill Hanner." She'll pick the Jalopnik reader least likely to be crazy and most likely to want to help out Joan River's charity.

This kinda of makes us wonder just how good Ford's GPS tracking system is, and what kind of criminals it would have taken to steal a car with keyless start and then figure out a way to disable the GPS tracking. Maybe they'd have wrapped a wet towel around its antenna to mute the signal, Total Recall-style. Anyway, after learning of Ford's not-so-gee-whiz tracking capabilities, Jake naturally turned to the next suspect: the near-criminal towing agencies in New York.

It's fairly common for vehicles to be entered into impound with improper plate numbers and effectively lost. The car didn't turn up as impounded but Jake and a lady-friend went down to the local yard and took a photo over the wall, taking a picture which offers irrefutable evidence they do indeed have Jake's Fiesta. Purple with pink dots on one of 100 cars in the US which happens to be in New York City offers pretty strong odds it's the right car.

Despite the evidence the folks running things refuse to admit they have the car. Welcome to impound hell, Mr. Bronstein. [ZoomDoggle]

In case you were wondering, yes, that is Jake in the hipster uber-alles American flag white frame faux Ray Ban Wayfarers. There aren't any more details at this moment on the theft, just what we've been able to glean from his Fiesta Movement Twitter feed (which you can follow here). You had to imagine something like this was bound to happen, it's surprising how much attention the little cars get when you're out an about. We have to imagine the only thing on both Jake's and his Ford contacts mind right now is, appropriately, "Oh shit." Stay tuned for developments, or, you know, that Twitter thing works. (Hat tip to Phil!)

UPDATE: Minutes after Automobile magazine called Ford PR, their social media guru Scott Monty decides to "proactively" drop a tweet on it letting everyone know:
Well, actually, no, it didn't "have" to happen. But the hipster douchebag who got that fine piece of European hot hatch action really should have been parking it in a garage. But whatever. Scott's also now tweeting it's now "(GPS tracked) is on I-95 near Port Chester, CT." Oh good job Scott, why don't you try to get a bunch of people killed trying to intercept it. That information's best used by the Police not a bunch of vigilante twats. Else the next tweet from SMontykins will be "You knew it had to happen. First @FordFiesta from #fiestamovement causes someone to be killed." (—Ed.)

UPDATE #2: We've spared no cost and put together the following video depiction of what's currently just happened to the Ford Fiesta:

Ford's marketing campaign for the upcoming Ford Fiesta econobox is called the Fiesta Movement. Basically, it's aiming to build buzz by putting the keys to 100 Fiestas into the hands of 100 attractive and promiscuous-with-social media 21-35 year olds. Great idea, right? Yes, except every party-car Ford's bringing Stateside has a manual transmission and the percentage of social media gurus who know how to drive a stick? Roughly equivalent to the rest of the American population. Which is to say: virtually none. Luckily we're here to help.

Jill Hanner has huge assets: 5,000 followers on Twitter and 24,000 subscribers on YouTube, so it's no surprise that she's one of the Fiesta Movement winners. More importantly, she's a stick shift virgin. We're going to change that.

The reason you and Jill should know how to drive a stick isn't just to be able to drive a sweet Fiesta but because it unlocks an entirely new world of driving. Many high performance cars are stick-only, but even in slower cars you'll be rewarded with better fuel economy, greater reliability, improved performance and enhanced control over the vehicle. Like being able to swim, it's also one of those skills that you might not use very often, but when you get the chance to it could save your life or at least be a lot of fun.

Step One: Know Your Way Around

A manual transmission requires the driver to shift the gears themselves. Most cars have four or five forward speeds, as well as reverse. In order to master the process, you need to know the following:

• The clutch pedal is located at the far left and is used when moving up or down from one gear to another. The clutch is disengaged when the pedal is pushed to the floor.
• Neutral is not a gear; actually, it is the absence of gear. When the engine is running in neutral, you can rev up the engine, but you won't go anywhere. You'll also be able to wiggle the shifter back and forth - which you can't do when engaged in any gear.For most cars, second gear is the workhorse. It will get you up (and down) steep hills as well as through congested downtown.
• Reverse gear is somewhat different from the others: it's got more range than, say, first gear, but doesn't like going for too long or too fast. So, don't back up around the block to pass the time.
• The gas pedal (at far right) works with the gears to give the engine power at different levels. As mentioned before, if you press on the gas pedal while out of gear, you will only rev the car up: this is how young men impress women. But if you over-accelerate with the clutch partially engaged, you'll eventually wear it out.

Step Two: Learn The Gears

Learn the location of and feel of passing through the gears. First learn to shift the gears without the car running (pushing the clutch in each time). Then, from the passenger seat, try it with someone else driving the car and operating the clutch. Be sure to place the stick all the way into gear—until it won't go any more—but don't force it. If you stop halfway, you will hear an incredibly unpleasant grinding sound which means your car is not in gear.

Eventually, you will know when to shift by feel, but early on you'll have to act deliberately. Even if you've never been in a car before, you can tell when a car is in the appropriate gear: the car's not making a coughing and chugging sound (gear too high) but it's not making a high-revving sound either (gear too low). If you have a tachometer, shift around "3" (3000 RPM) on each gear or every 15 miles per hour (1st gear 1-15 MPH, 2nd 15-30, 3rd 30-45, etc.). This is only a general rule, of course, and higher-powered autos will deviate from this. Shift before you hear that loud revving sound.

Step Three: Starting The Car

Put the car in neutral before starting, or you will jump and stall the car. This is bad. Keep in mind that most new cars will not start without the clutch pressed down. Leave the shifter into neutral while the car warms up. Alternately, start the car in gear with the clutch pedal pushed to the floor, then shift into neutral, release the clutch pedal, and let the car warm up.

Step Four: Using The Clutch

The clutch is the mechanism that allows the gears to transition back and forth smoothly. If you pull the car in or out of gear without using the clutch, or release the clutch only halfway into gear, you will hear an amazingly unpleasant sound. Avoid this.

The clutch is the pedal on the left. The brake is in the middle and the gas on the right. Use your left foot on the clutch and your right foot on the brake and gas, just like with an automatic.

It's difficult to avoid some sort of wear and tear on the clutch when learning how to drive a stick shift. If you go slowly at first and pay close attention, you can feel (in your feet) where the clutch engages and disengages. If you learn that well, you'll put less strain on your car. You'll also be able to drive any stick shift more smoothly from the get-go.

Avoid needless acceleration when the clutch is partially engaged. When at a stoplight, don't get in the habit of holding the clutch in for more than a few seconds or you will have other problems down the line. Instead, put the car in neutral while stopped for any period of time.

Popping the clutch: Invariably, you will miss your gear (or release the clutch too quickly) and the car will lurch ahead. Often at the outset, you will pop the clutch too quickly and stall the car. Don't worry, it happens to everyone. Just get those exercises out of the way before you find yourself in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Step Five: Upshifting

Here we are at the most important junction of the stick shift world: the door to acceleration. Driving a stick shift is all about that magical place where the clutch comes up and the gas pedal goes down. It's that seamless place where the gears are shifted and the car accelerates. Let's take first to second on a flat road as an example: First gear going steady, clutch in as you come off the gas quickly, then off the clutch slowly while pressing in the gas.

That place in the middle where the clutch pedal is to the floor and you're off the gas is where you take the shifter from first to second. Get those feet and hands used to working together.

Here we go once more:

• Revving high (around 3000 RPM or at 15 mph).
• Clutch in and gas off.
• Move the shifter smoothly from first to second.
• Slowly off the clutch while pushing on the gas.
• Completely let your foot off the clutch and gas it up.
• Same thing next gear

Step Six: Downshifting

Downshifting is the act of moving appropriately to lower gears while slowing down. This is the essential difference between the operation of an automatic transmission and one of manual persuasion: downshifting not only helps you slow the car, but it also puts you in the right gear for the speed. Downshifting is your friend - especially in bad weather or on hills, where immediate braking can be dangerous.

Keep in mind that you may shift down only one gear or simply apply the brakes. Again, knowing your range in each gear will help determine what's needed.

While downshifting, move from clutch to brake while in gear. This will help you slow down without revving too high between gears.

If you are driving 45 mph in fourth gear and come upon a stop sign ahead:

• Push in the clutch and shift down to third while using the brake.
• Let the clutch out slowly to avoid high revs.
• Next, do it again into second before you stop.
• Don't downshift into first!

Step Seven: Reverse

Be very careful in backing up. The reverse gear is very quick and can jump out at you. To get into reverse, sometimes you need lift collar on the shift lever or push it down. Only do this while at a complete stop.

The clutch is key while going in reverse. Since reverse is so quick, let out the clutch slowly and push it back in while using the brake if necessary; you will likely be able to back out of any spot with this simple measure. If you need to, only push the gas pedal in a little bit.

Step Eight: Starting On A Hill

Find a hill with little traffic. Use your emergency brake when coming to a stop. When the light turns green to go, shift into first, start to accelerate slowly as you release the clutch pedal, then release the emergency brake just as you feel the car engage the gear. This way you are using the brake to keep you from rolling back. If you stall, put on your brake and start again.

Step Nine: Parking

It is important to note that the emergency brake is very important when parking a stick shift car, because there exists no "park" gear to keep the car from rolling. Some rely only on the pull-up emergency brake, usually sufficient in most situations. But for extra safety, leave the car in gear AND use the emergency brake.

Step Ten: Practice!

All of this is going to seem overwhelming at first, but it all become natural with practice. Start off in a big empty parking lot, then progress to quiet roads when you feel comfortable doing so. Even if it's frustrating, keep at it and you'll be rewarded with far more control over your car, better performance, better fuel economy, a valuable life skill and the ability to drive any four-wheeled vehicle on the planet.

I'm counting down the last couple of hours before I head to Detroit Metro Airport for my flight to Chicago where my Squeeze Green (not pink) Fiesta waits. All of you made this happen by watching my hypnotic swaying and I thank you. Expect daily hoonage, awkward road trip moments and everything in between in stunning high definition from now 'til November.

How can you keep track of all this insanity? I'm glad you asked: You can follow me on Twitter, add me as a friend on Facebook and track me on the official Fiesta Movement page.

Now, off to the store to pick up a Buddy Christ statuette and a two pound bag of beef jerky; I've got a plane to catch.

Earlier today we picked up this Europe-spec (or international-spec, depending on who from Ford you speak with) 2009 Ford Fiesta and spent a few hours tooling around New York. It's one of 100 being given away for 6-month loans as part of Ford's Fiesta Movement. All 100 were assembled in Europe and as such, it tells the temperature in Celsius and has some kind of sub-FM band along with normal 'merican FM. American sales of the Mexican-made Fiesta are scheduled to start early next year as a 2011 model and will be identically spec'ed to this one, complete with the 1.6-liter, 118 HP engine and European-tuned suspension. We'll even get the five-speed manual transmission.

That engine/transmission combination is good for 39.8 MPG (US) in the European cycle (expect a combined MPG figure in the mid 30s when it gets run through the EPA) and will hit 60 MPH from rest in 9.9 seconds, continuing on to a top speed of 120 MPH.

When Ray pulled up in the "Hot Magenta" Fiesta outside my Brooklyn apartment this morning it was almost shocking how much the Fiesta stood out on the street and not just because of the unfortunately-named red paint. European Fords have eschewed the recent Colonial trend of retro futurism in favor of something that's contemporarily futuristic. In a sea of SUVs and mid-size sedans, the Fiesta's incredibly small, and the crisp exterior makes it look like something from another planet or at least Europe.

Climb into the surprisingly large interior and it doesn't feel like our idea of what a small car should be either. It feels spacious and even, dare I say it, luxurious, an effect created by the large glass house, good packaging and high-quality materials. Ours was clearly an optioned-up version with leather and a nice stereo, but even the base model will benefit from the solid, attractive dash, comfortable seats and room for four adults (five in a pinch). US Fiestas will also get Ford's industry-leading SYNC connectivity system.

Driving up the BQE to our favorite shooting location in Greenpoint, the small exterior size, responsive chassis and perky engine make moving through traffic easy. Small cars like this that don't compromise the driving experience in the name of cutting cost are incredibly empowering in traffic. Vision is good and you can work the gearbox to cut through small gaps in the split second that they open. The trucks, cabs and luxury cars just can't keep up. The Fiesta also rides well across the BQE's constant construction and does a pretty decent job of isolating wind and road noise.

While the Fiesta's official price hasn't yet been revealed, our sources tell us to expect a price point starting around $12,000 and moving into the Focus-overlapping $16,000 range. We'd guess the Fiesta we tested would sit near the top, but we're still shocked by how cheap it is; this design, this space, this luxury, this driving experience feels more expensive than $16,000.

It's hard to know which cars to compare the Fiesta directly to. The Versa, Yaris and xA are priced similarly, but fall into the traditional American small car trap of being pieces of crap. The Honda Fit is a comparable drive and has ridiculous amounts of space inside, but it's more expensive and not as luxurious. The lower end of Ford's US-spec Focus overlaps the upper end of the Fiesta's price range, but the Fiesta feels more expensive, not less.

For years nearly every auto journalist in this country has been calling for Ford to replace its partially lackluster US range with its world-beating European cars and now, first with this Fiesta, then with the next-generation Focus and Mondeo/Fusion, all new Fords will be built on global platforms. There, despite facing stiff competition, nearly every one of Ford's vehicles is a clear leader in its class. That's because the European arm sets out to build great cars. American Ford has finally acknowledged that it too can build great cars, by bringing design and engineering over from Europe. Sure, that's a somewhat convoluted approach, but if, like with this Fiesta, they can sell genuinely exciting vehicles at a more-than-competitive price point, we don't care how they do it, we just want them. Now.

Similar to the Fiesta Movement, the Canadians are having a "Hypercube" contest to win a 2009 Nissan Cube, and AN has thrown down the gauntlet:

Some of you folks that follow AutoNorth (and thanks for doing so) might also read a little blog down in the lower 48 called Jalopnik. One of their regular contributors, Diddles McGee, seems to have gotten on Scott Monty's bad side and will be burdened with a German-built Ford Fiesta.

The Germans, up to their eyeballs in Warsteiner and sauerkraut, figured they would take some delight in cobbling together a hundred Ford Fiestas. The quality of the cars was too sub par to sell them in the Old World, so they figured they would dump them in the States and see what would happen. Voila! Fiesta Movement!

Congrats, Andrew! You finally have a car that no American will ever ask you the keys for, so long as gas stays at $2/gallon.

[...]

But, in Canada, we are one-upping the Fiesta Movement. Actually, we are blowing it away. As we mentioned a few times before, AutoNorth has put their name in the hat for a chance to receive a Nissan Cube with the hypercube contest, where 50 creative and talented Canadians get the chance to go home with a brand new car. And guess what, Mini Ray? We'll get to keep it!

This. Means. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!

[Read the rest of the rant from frequent Jalop commenter and infrequent Canadian Mark Stevenson at AutoNorth]

Will he pick the lipstick red color? What about the passion fruit pink or bright alien green? What about white, like Didorosi's favorite pair of Manolos? If we're going by Didorosi's favorite things, maybe the Cinnamon-colored one will bring up happy thoughts of sipping apple cinnamon lattes and window shopping for new bags. Of these fantastically feminine colors, which one should he chose?

Press Release: FIESTA MOVEMENT REACHES U.S. SHORES; FORD'S NEW SMALL CAR DEFIES DOWNTURN IN EUROPE AND ASIA

DEARBORN, Mich., March 26, 2009 – The arrival today on U.S. shores of 100 new Ford Fiestas marks an important step in the rollout of the first of Ford Motor Company's new generation of global small cars.

The European-built Fiestas arrived today at seaports in Baltimore and Oxnard, Calif., and will be loaned for six months to 100 young trendsetters chosen from more than 3,300 applicants as part of the "Fiesta Movement." Those picked to drive the European Fiesta will share their experiences online through social media sites such as Facebook, Flickr and YouTube to build buzz and anticipation for the vehicle's North American launch early next year.

The Fiesta already is a hit in Europe and Asia, where it went on sale last year and earlier this year, respectively. The new Fiesta already is the second-best selling vehicle of any make across Ford's 19 major European markets, and is headed for its best month yet in Europe in March. Early response from buyers in China and other Asia-Pacific markets already is outstripping company expectations.

"In the midst of the toughest economy many of us have ever seen, the Fiesta is becoming a legitimate global success story," said Jim Farley, Ford Group Vice President of Marketing and Communications. "The Fiesta Movement is all about introducing a new kind of small car to a new generation of buyers."

The 100 five-door Fiestas coming to the U.S. were built at Ford's Cologne Assembly Plant in Europe. For many U.S. customers, it will be their first chance to see and read about the small car that is one of three finalists for the World Car of the Year award that will be announced next month at the New York International Auto Show.

"We're really excited to be able to get our U.S. customers behind the wheel and experience this car," said Sam De La Garza, small car marketing manager. "It's all part of a plan to build excitement about the new Fiesta with the next generation of Ford customers."

Designed and developed as Ford's first global car, the Fiesta takes the nameplate's three-decade heritage to a new level with its eye-catching kinetic design, widely acclaimed driving dynamics and unexpected refinement.

Before coming to the U.S., special permission was granted by the EPA and the European-spec vehicles were modified for American drivers.

The language in the vehicles' instrument panel message center was changed from German to English and the speedometers were changed from kilometers to miles per hour. The voice piping from the Bluetooth-enabled vehicle, however, retains its British accent. All the Fiesta Movement vehicles feature keyless entry with push-button start, EasyFuel™ Capless Fuel-Filler System, 16" or 17" wheels, and many other features typically found on larger or premium vehicles.

Agents on a mission
Beginning in late spring, the chosen participants, or "Fiesta Movement" agents, will be asked to complete monthly missions in their vehicles, capture their experiences digitally and share them with Ford and others through social networks.

Ford is aiming the Fiesta Movement at Millennials, the next-generation consumer group born between 1979 and 1985 that will total 70 million new drivers in 2010 – the largest class of any generation. Making up 28 percent of the driving age population, the potential size of the market serves as an opportunity for Ford to connect with a group that hasn't yet established brand loyalty and is very connected to the use of technology and social networking.

For Millennials, social media is a part of everyday life. Statistics show that for those born after 1980, 62 percent of the content they consume comes from someone they know personally. The missions will be designed based on monthly themes that will take them to new places, to meet new people and to experience new things in their Fiesta.

Collecting data about how the car performs in the U.S. market is an integral part to the vehicle's launch. With this program, Ford aims to gather valuable customer input on how they perceive the vehicle prior to the next year's North American launch. It's the first opportunity Ford has ever had to get a wealth of feedback so early on prior to launch – unique in content and unfiltered from a multitude of sources.

The movement already is catching on, with more than 3,300 agent applications to the www.fiestamovement.com website and 580,000 views of applicant videos on YouTube.

About Fiesta
In Europe, the Fiesta name has long been synonymous with outstanding performance, design and value. The new Ford Fiesta takes that three-decade heritage to a new level with eye-catching styling and exemplary driving dynamics for U.S. consumers.

The vehicle is also winning awards, including being named Car of the Year 2009 by the authoritative What Car? magazine in the U.K. and was awarded a prestigious "red dot" award for international product design.

In 2010, the Fiesta will be produced at plants in Germany, Spain, Mexico, Thailand and China for sale in markets around the world. The Fiesta for the North American market will be built at Ford's assembly plant in Cuautitlan, Mexico.

Ford tells me in choosing entries, they're looking for an ability to draw both comments and YouTube views on the entry. So, here's your chance to shine as Jalopnik commenters. Go crazy! Let's get some serious comment traffic going here and some serious view traffic going over on YouTube to show FoMoCo what JalopMoCo is made of!

Be sure to hit the HD button if you're rocking a broadband connection — now you'll get me swaying in full digital glory.

We're really straining here not make any jokes about the similarities between the term "Fiesta Movement" and a movement of a different sort, but it's really hard for us not to pinch one off. Here's the full release below. Use it as reading material or whatever.

FORD TARGETS 100 SOCIALLY-NETWORKED MILLENNIALS FOR FIRST DRIVE OF FORD'S NEW SMALL CAR, FIESTA

* "Fiesta Movement" is designed to spread the word online and generate excitement among Millennials about Ford's new global small car leading up to the 2010 North American launch
* The first of the 100 Fiestas are coming off the line today at Ford of Europe's Cologne assembly plant in Germany
* Millennials, born between 1979 and 1995, are expected to be the largest cohort group of drivers by 2010 – over 28% – representing tremendous opportunity to meet their vehicle needs
* Over 1,500 applications have been received in the quest to be one of 100 individuals chosen to drive a new Fiesta and tell others about their experience through social media sites

DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 20, 2009 – Ford Motor Company is creating a ‘movement' and it has its own official car.

As part of what Ford is calling the "Fiesta Movement," 100 specially selected people will be given new Ford Fiestas before the vehicle launches in North America in 2010. The cars for the movement were built this week in Germany and are now on their way to the United States.

"It's all part of a plan to build excitement and spread the word about the arrival of the new Ford Fiesta to the next generation of customers," said Sam De La Garza, Ford's small car marketing manager. "These 100 socially-vibrant Fiesta Movement ‘Agents' will then relate their driving experiences through social media sites such as Facebook, FlickR and YouTube."

Ford is aiming the Fiesta Movement at Millennials, the next-generation consumer group that will total 70 million new drivers in 2010 – the largest class of any generation. Making up 28 percent of the driving age population, the potential size of the market serves as an opportunity for Ford to connect with a group that hasn't yet established brand loyalty and is very connected to the use of technology and social networking.

"The Millennials are an emerging market force, with 11,000 reaching driving age every day," De La Garza said. "It's the most important demographic trend since the Baby Boomers, and it represents one of the greatest opportunities for Ford."

"Agents" Spread the Word About Fiesta
Beginning in late spring, the chosen "agents" will be asked to complete "missions" in their Fiesta on a monthly basis and capture their experiences digitally and share them with Ford and others through their social networks. For Millennials, social media is just a part of life. In fact, statistics show that for those born after 1980, 62 percent of the content they consume comes from someone they know personally. The missions will take them to new places, to meet new people and to experience new things in their Fiesta.

Social networks are becoming an increasingly important way to talk to consumers, especially for the Millennial generation. According to statistics from a Universal McCann Comparative Study on social media trends, 45 percent of online users have started a blog, 57 percent have joined a social network and 55 percent have uploaded photos – these are all tasks that agents will be asked to complete to create a social media conversation.

"Socially vibrant campaigns are so important because of their power in delivering authentic and genuine messages across a broad spectrum of media, which only will help us deliver a more positive consumer experience when the car launches in the U.S. next year," said De La Garza.

Most importantly, these consumers also will give Ford valuable feedback on the features and performance of the Fiesta prior to the launch in 2010. It's the first opportunity that Ford has ever had to get a wealth of feedback so early on prior to launch – it also being unique in content as it will be unfiltered from a multitude of sources.

The movement already is catching on, with more than 1,500 "agent" applications to the www.fiestamovement.com website.

The application also asks applicants to submit a two to five minute video explaining why they want the opportunity to become part of the Fiesta Movement. Applications will be accepted through March 13, 2009.

About Fiesta
The initiative to introduce the new Fiesta to consumers in North America is kicking off today with the first of the 100 "Movement" vehicles coming off the assembly line at Ford of Europe's Cologne plant in Germany.

In Europe, the Fiesta name has long been synonymous with outstanding performance, design and value. The new Fiesta takes that three-decade heritage to a new level with eye-catching styling and exemplary driving dynamics.

Since it was introduced last August, sales of the new Fiesta have totaled more than 89,000 units across the main European markets. That success continued into 2009, with January sales of more than 28,000 vehicles. The model is continuing to win awards, as well as orders. In Britain it recently was named Car of the Year 2009 by the authoritative What Car? magazine.

The Fiestas engaged in the Movement campaign are European-specification vehicles, updated for use in the U.S. The language in the message center was changed from German to English and the speedometer was changed from kilometers to miles per hour, but the voice for the Bluetooth functionality has a British accent!

In 2010, the Fiesta will be produced at plants in Germany, Spain, Mexico, Thailand and China for sale in markets around the world. The Fiesta for the North American market will be built at the Cuautitlán plant in Mexico.

# # #

Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 213,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's wholly owned brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.