A case of mistaken identity... it's NOT a Fiesta!

One of the bane's of Festiva ownership is that people aren't sure what kind of car they're looking at and are prone to call it something other than what it is. The most common alias is Fiesta, and it has happened to me so often I've given up correcting them!

Not a fiesta!

So for more of a lighthearted post I thought I would share a few mistaken identity stories from the Festiva.


From Corey in New Hampshire:

I was getting gas one day. An older man pulled in to the pump behind me. He starts pumping gas while checking my car out. He asked what year it was, and I told him it’s a 1989. He than proceeds to tell me he owned several over the years. At this point I was getting excited to share something in common with a complete stranger. He than finishes by saying he wishes they’d make the Omni again. I looked at him, rather confused and said, Omni? He replied with yeah, isn’t that what that is? A Dodge Omni? I glanced at him, than glanced at the Festiva logo and the Ford logo on my hatch, than glanced back at him. He started to turn red, and ends our conversation with, oh, very well than. I haven’t seen a Ford Festiva before. Have a nice day anyways.

Not an Omni!

From Bill in North Carolina:

My neighbor keeps calling mine a Gremlin. I also had a guy ask me if my Justy was 4wd or 2wd before. And the best one was the night I came out of the local Irish pub and someone left a note on mine saying my car looks like a shoe.

Not a Gremlin!

Not a Justy either!

 From John in Pennsylvania:

Was at the Ford Nationals in Carlisle last year. Young kid, maybe 15 or 16, says "Is that a Pinto or a Fiesta?"

Not a Pinto!

From Charlie in Arizona. For context his Festiva is race prepped with a Mazda turbo engine under the hood:

I've been asked about my Yugo with a 4g63 at the track before.

 

Not a Yugo!

Well, there you have it! The Festiva is most often mistaken for a Fiesta which was first available in North America from 1977-1980. They were absent from this market until 2009 when the Mark 6 was reintroduced... and then the confusion was reignited! This common error has been recognized on Instagram with the tag @notafiesta!

Has your car been a victim of mistaken identity? Leave us your story in the comments section below!