Ford Puma is First Produced

The Ford Puma was a small coupé produced by the Ford Motor Company from 1997 to 2001 (although some were first registered in the UK as late as 2002), for sale in Europe.

The Puma was solely built at Ford's Niehl plant in Cologne, Germany.

All Pumas were front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 3-door (driver, passenger and rear hatchback) coupés with 4 seats. They had 15-inch (380 mm) alloy wheels, and front disc and rear drum brakes.

Puma came in four versions over the years:1.4 90 bhp (67 kW; 91 PS) , 1.6 103 bhp (77 kW; 104 PS) , 1.7 VCT 125 PS (92 kW; 123 hp), and 1.7 Ford Racing VCT 155 PS (114 kW; 153 hp) each of which powered by Ford's 16v Sigma engines branded as Zetec-S. The car was based on the Ford Fiesta with new engines (from Yamaha), a new body and modified suspension, as well as other changes. 1.7 Pumas came with Ford's Variable Camshaft Timing (VCT) system, and both low speed TCS (traction control system) and ABS (anti-lock braking system). ABS was not fitted as standard to the 1.4 Pumas, but was available as an option.
Weighing approximately 1,100 kg (2,400 lb), without optional accessories,[2] the 1.7 125 PS version accelerated from 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 km/h) in 8.8 seconds, and could accelerate from 30 to 70 mph (48 to 112 km/h) in 8.8 seconds.
Ford Racing Puma (ST160)

Ford Racing Puma
Quantity Produced: 500 (all numbered on inlet manifold) Years available: 1999(V) to 2000(X)
The Ford Racing Puma was created by the Ford Rally specialist team at Boreham, lead by Peter Beattie. The production run was initially pencilled to run for 1000 units, 500 destined for the German market, 500 for the UK. All conversions were carried out by Tickford, Daventry UK. The vehicle featured a modified version of the 1.7 Zetec-S engine which produced 155 bhp (116 kW) and 119 ft·lbf (161 N·m) of torque. It could also accelerate to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 7.9 seconds. As well as this there were other modifications including wider bodywork and track front and rear, disc brakes to the rear and larger race-spec Alcon discs/4 pot calipers up front, Sparco bucket seats, blue Alcantara trim, 17" Speedline rims. Ultimately, Racing Puma was only sold in the right-hand drive format to the UK market. All were produced in Ford Racing Blue paint, (same as the paint used on Focus RS), which was otherwise not available on Pumas in the UK market. Less than half were actually sold to customers due to the vehicle's high price/bhp often cited as a reason for this. The lower than anticipated demand saw Ford offering Racing Pumas to senior managers through their MRC scheme, which enabled cars to continue being registered and converted.

Quantity Produced: 1000
Years available: 1999(V) to 2000(X)
The Ford Millennium Edition cars were produced to commemorate the Millennium Products Award from the Design Council in 1999 for being 'The first Ford in Britain designed solely on computer and in record time.'
The Millennium Edition Puma featured eye catching Zinc Yellow paintwork, and a dark blue leather interior with Recaro seats. A numbered badge and keyring were available upon purchase from Ford, but the cars were not automatically numbered.
The Ford Ka and Ford Focus also received the same award, and were produced in the same quantity with the same paintwork, but with a black leather interior.

Puma was launched in 1997 - shortly after the Ka - and was the second model to benefit from Ford's 'New Edge' design philosophy. It got its claws into buyers with sleek lines, feline-look headlamps and a chassis that was matched by a sporty-feeling 1.7 engine. Underneath it's essentially a tuned-up Fiesta - and it shares all it's major components with Ford's long-running supermini. There’s now a wide range of models on the market, with retail prices starting at around £5,000.

The Ford Puma was launched in June 1997 and was available in Europe until 2002. The Ford Puma was built at Ford's plant in Cologne, Germany and was one of the only Fords at the time to have a waiting list.

The Puma was initially available with a 1.7 litre engine that was developed with Yamaha. The 1.7 produced 123bhp using variable camshaft timing that provided a great free-revving driving experience.

In January 2008 a 1.4 Zetec engine was made available producing 89 bhp, it may have been down on power on the 1.7 but helped to keep the fun driving experience of the Puma alive.

It was always thought that the Puma chassis could handle more power and in October 1999 Ford released the limited edition Ford Racing Puma that delivered 152bhp. The Ford Racing Puma offered wider sportier bodywork, fantastic figure hugging Sparco seats, uprated suspension, 17in alloy wheels and stop on a six pence Alcon brakes. Ford hand planned to release 1000 Racing Pumas but production was in fact limited to 500. Unfortunately the staggering price tag of £23,000 put many people off due to the high mark up on the existing Puma models.

The 1.4 engine was replaced in October 2000 with a more powerful 1.6 unit that offered 101bhp.

The Puma was based on the Ford Fiesta's underpinnings and provided the best small coupe on the market.

Production of Ford's best selling small coupe ended in 2002.

This website will provide you with everything you need to know about the Ford Puma and links to other fantastic Ford Puma resources available on the Internet.