Without wishing to sound like a forlorn ex, it’s still hard to get over the fact that there’s no Ford Fiesta for sale anymore. It’s been such a constant in all our lives, with Fiestas new and old serving first-time drivers, school-age parents and retirees equally well. It’s odd that they’re not in showrooms factory-fresh or available to configure. Sure, there are plenty of nearly-new ones out there, but it’s not the same. Thankfully, the Focus ST and Mustang are still on sale – make the most of them while you can.

Anyway, that’s a red herring. There’s never really a bad time to look at old Fiestas, but with another Festival of the Unexceptional taking place this past weekend, it seemed like a better time than ever. Demand for cars with the XR or RS hot on their heels remains high, which means it’s easy to forget that the Mk4 – the car that, along with the Mondeo, really kicked off Ford’s 1990s revolution – is now nearly 30 years old. It’s the classic Fiesta now, and a very good one at that.

Given how long it’s been, it’s easy to forget what an impact the 1995 Fiesta had. The previous car wasn’t all that good, so a lot of effort went into making its successor much better. With a couple of new engines, revised chassis and a fresh look, the Mk4 was much more rewarding. Cars like this, the Puma and the first Focus forged Ford’s reputation as a maker of great-handling, fast Fords. How that chassis never got more power from the factory than the later 1.6-litre Zetec S will forever remain a mystery, but it means that even today an old Fiesta must still be fun to drive.

This one is a real rarity. It’s a top-of-the-range Ghia X for starters, complete with wood trim, which was certainly rarely specified as the Fiesta was generally a cheap and cheerful option. It’s also a 1.4-litre five-door, so someone has really splashed out on it. This particular Fiesta had been a dealer demo car early in its life, and subsequently driven by a single female owner. For 25 years.

It’s hardly been used either, with just 47,000 miles since 1999, so the old thing looks fantastic. There can’t have been many purple Fiestas around in that era, which only adds to its appeal. The wheels are immaculate, the interior is smart and the engine bay is spotless. There was some rust mentioned in the February MOT, but when it comes to Fords of this era, finding it is like finding sand on a beach – it’s always going to be there. It’s probably worth getting on it sooner rather than later though.

Otherwise, the Ghia X would have to be what a Fiesta always was to drive: not expensive to keep, and always a pleasure to drive. At £5k it’s clearly the most expensive of the era, but once upon a time there had to be low-mileage, single-owner Escorts and Cortinas that were a cut above the rest. And that worked out well for both those who wanted to drive them and for collectors. Could the same ever be true of the Fiesta?