The last Ford Fiesta leaves the assembly line on Friday, marking the end of an era for a model that sold 22m vehicles globally and is the UK’s all-time bestselling car.

As the final vehicle leaves production in its factory in Cologne, Germany, Ford will be ushering in a new line of electric vehicles.

Ford said: “At Ford in Europe, we are rapidly transitioning to an electric future.

“As part of this transition, production of the Fiesta in Cologne, Germany, will be discontinued on 7 July, and a new era at the Cologne electric vehicle centre will begin.”

The fate of its final two Fiestas will not be in customers’ hands as one will remain in Germany while the other will enter the carmaker’s UK heritage collection.

Ford’s move to electric cars will be replicated as the 2030 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars approaches, predicted Erin Baker, the editorial director of the online vehicle trading marketplace AutoTrader. “I think the end of the Ford Fiesta paves the way for what is likely to happen across the board as we head towards electrification and the 2030 cut-off,” she said.

“That’s because there isn’t much margin in small, cheap cars any more. Right now, Fiesta isn’t viable, and the same will be true for other brands. That said, it does mark the end of a truly iconic car. Given its huge success over the years, many people will, I’m sure, be disappointed with the move.”

The Michigan carmaker launched the Fiesta in 1976, as engineering teams rushed to bring out smaller, more efficient cars, and it has remained a modern classic during its 47-year reign on UK roads.

Of the 22m Fiestas sold worldwide, 4.8m were in the UK, where the Fiesta was the top-selling model for 12 years in a row from 2009 to 2020.

But sales of smaller cars have waned in recent years as they have been overtaken by bigger sports utility vehicles (SUVs). The Fiesta was the UK’s 10th most popular new car last year, with 25,070 models sold, while the Sunderland-built Nissan Qashqai SUV was the top seller, with 42,704 models sold.

Ford’s Puma and Kuga SUVs were the fourth and ninth bestselling new cars respectively in 2022.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) reports that 1.5m Fiestas were licensed for use on UK roads last year, outstripping other models.

The Fiesta’s popularity will extend its lifetime on roads as it remains a top favourite on the used-car market. Alex Buttle, the co-founder of the used-car marketplace Motorway, said: “The ceasing of production of new Ford Fiestas may mean the end of an era, but the used car market will continue breathing life into this much sought-after car for years ahead.”

The model was a small and trusty sidekick for many British drivers but it also tasted the spotlight in 2008, as the BBC Strictly Come Dancing winner Mark Ramprakash and his dance partner Kylie Jones tangoed with two Ford Fiestas at the Tower of London as part of the launch of its latest iteration.