So, should you buy one?

The 2012-2017 Ford Fiesta ST is a fast Ford great, a model that was a five-star car when new and is certain to be a highlight of the quick Fiesta annuls going forward. That you can buy early cars from around £5,000 these days simply adds to the appeal – particularly as, being a Ford, it shouldn’t cost you a fortune to run, either.

You do need to check your potential purchase over carefully, though. These cars are attractive to thieves as well as enthusiasts, while over-exuberant drivers can cause crashes they can only afford to fix on the cheap. There are a few well-known areas you certainly should check carefully with any model you’re viewing, too.

But if you get a good one, and get a sturdy steering lock and tracker alarm to keep it safe, you’ll have a brilliant hot hatch whose reputation as a modern classic will only build from here. Snap one up before others realise how affordable they are right now and start pushing prices up again…