We hope you enjoyed our earlier post in which Ford owner Anish Iyer spoke about his Ford Fiesta. This is the second part of our Ford Car Lovers Speak series.

Meet Manishi Dutt from Mumbai, who fell in love with Ford more than two decades ago, when he rented a Ford Escort in Germany. Back in India, he got rid of his old car for a Ford Ikon, and has bought three Ikons ever since – he upgraded to the next Ikon everytime Ford introduced an upgraded version. Today, Manishi owns a Fiesta.

To begin with, we asked him, “Why Ford?” and Manishi passionately admitted to having become attracted to the unusual styling of the Ikon, a liking that stuck with him through the years.

“Unlike other cars in those days where one always had to struggle with power, I never felt the lack of power in the Ikon,” he continued, “There was enough reserve power to pull up under any circumstances. Besides the power, the driver’s confidence was of paramount importance. What matters is also not just the braking and handling, but the complete package.” Manishi had tremendous confidence in Ikon and continues to feel the same about his Fiesta.

He shared with us an experience he had with his Fiesta. “In the last two years, I have done several trips on the Expressway enroute to Pune from Mumbai, in all sorts of weather. Even in the monsoon, when I touched 160 kmph, the car was rock-stable. The most memorable incident happened during the monsoon once. We got diverted into very steady terrain and then there was no road to speak of. We came onto a particular off-road stretch, where there were boulders, rocks, and mud, and it was raining. At one point the car was tilted at around a 45-degree angle and my wife and daughter were quite scared that the car would topple over. But I had no such fears. I got out of the car to inspect the terrain, and at some point I thought that I would ring up a friend in the navy to please send a rescue team to pull the car out. But with gentle pressure and with very little traction on that surface, we were able to reach home safely.”

Manishi added that his fifth car would be a Ford, despite his wife having the opinion that they should try owning another brand. But, for one who has felt the Ford difference, it is hard to change loyalty. As Manishi explains, “If I have something good, why I should go for something inferior? That doesn’t mean I will not survey the market, but so far, I have not felt the need for that.”

Hear more from Manishi in the video below:

It wasn’t an ordinary ride. And it wasn’t an ordinary car. When Michael Boneham drove off in a brand new Fiesta from our Chennai factory on May 5, 2010, he was driving away in a very special car. It was the 100,000th Fiesta to come off the line in our Chennai manufacturing facility.

Boneham was justifiably proud of the achievement. “The event marks a new milestone for us,” he said. “Ford Fiesta continues to make us feel proud and is a significant product in our portfolio. The popularity of the Fiesta testifies that more and more customers have been reassured by its quality, features and performance.”

Title: Michael Boneham; Sandip, Exec. Director, Operations; Nigel Wark, Exec. Director, Marketing, Sales & Service and Ram Ramanathan, GM-Vehicle Quality with the 100,0000 Fiesta.

The Fiesta is a significant car for Ford in India in many ways. “The Fiesta has helped to positively shift consumer and dealer perception of Ford cars and added emotional appeal to its rationale strengths,” says Vinothkumar. “It has helped Ford create a strong imagery in the premium B segment and will continue to grab attention among the target consumers for many years.”

Title: Michael Boneham president and managing director, Ford India and Ford India employees give the 100,000th Fiesta a big thumbs up.

The six-figure mark is just another milestone in Fiesta’s successful run on the India roads since its launch. The premium sedan has won rave reviews and coveted awards during its 5-year journey. The special edition Fiesta 1.6 S was adjudged the Best Drivers’ Car amongst top 10 cars by Formula-1 driver Narain Karthikeyan in 2008. Fiesta was ranked No. 1 in ‘Total Customer Satisfaction in the Diesel Midsize Segment’ in the TNS Automotive 2009-TCS Study.

Title: 100,000th Ford Fiesta

While these awards mean a lot to us, what truly motivates us is the appreciation and support of those who drive and ride in the Fiesta. People like Anoop Jain. Here’s what he had to say: “Ford Fiesta has been an excellent experience for me and my family in terms of the driving dynamics. There is no comparison with Ford Fiesta when it comes to safety and experiencing the delight of driving. I have booked the new Figo as well, as my experience with Ford cars has been an amazing one.”

Title: Employees celebrating 100,000th Fiesta roll-out.

Or someone like Sandeep Gulati, whose favourite weekend companion, apart from his family, is the Fiesta. “Ford Fiesta has always been an amazing driving experience to the hill stations like Nainital where the roads are rough and bumpy. Fiesta makes the overall drive experience a very smooth and pleasant one,” he says.

Such words are a constant source of inspiration to all of us at Ford. Go Fiesta!