A 40th birthday party is normally a pretty big affair, so it’s no surprise to find Ford has pulled out all the stops to celebrate four decades of its Fiesta supermini. In fact, it has gone as far as to launch an all-new version, which promises to set new standards for refinement, technology and upmarket appeal, while retaining the old car’s value and sparkling driving dynamics.

We’ve got into the party spirit by bringing the newcomer face-to-face with its illustrious ancestors. In November, we headed to Ford’s Go Further event to get under the skin of the exciting new supermini, before hitting the road in the models that have become some of the most popular buys in Britain.

• Ford Fiesta at 40 - we celebrate the UK's best-selling car

Many of Britain’s drivers took their first motoring steps in a Fiesta, while the wide variety of models means there’s a version for every taste and budget – from a frugal family runaround to a hairy-chested hot hatch.

So all you have to do is click through the links below or at the top left of this page to see our epic 40 year-spanning Fiesta road test!

The complete Ford Fiesta review

Fast Fiestas: a race through time

Ford first toyed with the idea of a faster Fiesta in the late seventies, when it entered a pair of Group 2 Fiesta rally cars into selected events for future world champion Ari Vatanen and British legend Roger Clark.