September 13, 2002 - Over the last 20 years Ford has shown several Fiesta-based “baby spider” concepts from the Ghia studio, including the 1983 Ghia Barchetta, the 1989 Zig/Zag and 1992 Ghia Focus. But none have ever reached production – until now. Originally shown 2 years ago as a Ghia concept by designer Dave Wilkie, the StreetKa has been promptly developed into an affordable production car. This time, however, both development and production have been handled by Pininfarina.

Transforming Ka into StreetKa required modifying every external body component, bar the bonnet and front headlamp assemblies. The windscreen has been shortened to enhance StreetKa’s roadster appeal, while the doors boast frameless windows that do not impede on the car’s clean roof-down lines. The re-engineered boot lid features a centrally-mounted brake light and reversing lamp. The lid curves down to meet the bumper that flows around the bold wheel arches and creates an aerodynamic spoiler – a feature not seen on the concept model – that enhances StreetKa’s high-speed stability.

StreetKa possesses a unique style and strong ‘Speedster’ image. Its polypropylene body-coloured front bumper now flows into a pair of exaggerated wheel arches, slightly shrouding the distinctive headlamp units with large fog lamps added either side of the lower grille.

Both front and rear fenders have been slightly widened to accommodate the larger 16inch alloy wheels, generously shod with 195/45 profile tyres that have been specifically developed for Ford. Front track has been widened to 1417mm, 22mm wider than the standard Ka, while Streetka’s rear suspension is entirely new. The wider 1452mm rear track has allowed Ford to fit a wider and stiffer twist-beam layout which offers increased toe-in stability and heightened camber stiffness during cornering.

The modified chassis layout meant repositioning the fuel tank – it now sits between the twin protective rollover hoops and the roof stowage cavity. Additional structural integrity is provided by two protective passenger rollover hoops.

The manually-operated fabric hood – seen on the show car – unclips from the header rail and folds away beneath the flush-fitting rear cover in less than half a minute. Beneath the roof mechanism – where the rear seats would be in the standard Ka – is an additional storage space that means StreetKa can accommodate a golf bag with ease. A smaller lockable cubby box for storing compact discs and sunglasses is situated in between the two seats. Total stowage space is 188 litres.

The upgraded sports seats are positioned lower than in the standard Ka for an enhanced sporty feeling. A new instrument cluster that features an interlinked speed, rev and fuel counter with white on black graphics is added. These design details are complemented by a cabin which is peppered with jewel-like brightwork touches like the aluminium ball gear-knob and silver spokes of the steering wheel.

StreetKa is powered by a new 95bhp 1.6-litre 8v Duratec engine.

"Streetka is an accomplishment on many levels. It further extends our line-up of exciting and stylish models, it demonstrates how derivatives can quickly and accurately tap into customer appeal and it’s the most tangible example yet of Ford’s commitment to produce fun, stylish and affordable cars. Streetka is a winner in every sense," concludes Paul Thomas, managing director, Ford Motor Company.