2002 Ford Puma 1.7

Highlights

• Just 26,921 miles on the clock, verified
• Comprehensive annual, main dealer service history
• Unmodified and in factory specification
• Punchy 1.7-litre Zetec S engine
• Cambelt and water pump service in August 2024

Overview

Most of us love the idea of a supercar. Multiple cylinders snorting and barking away as we whisk along our favourite B-road. Bliss.Of course, the reality of driving such a car on UK roads can be very different. They’re sometimes twitchy, often reacting badly to the imperfect, leaf-litter strewn surfaces of British B-roads. They’re often impossibly wide too, with severely compromised visibility, making every SUV, tractor or bus interaction an exercise in wincing, holding your breath and praying for the best. They can also tend to attract the wrong kind of attention. What we’re saying is there’s high odds that you’re not getting let out of a junction any time soon. Add to that the fact that there’s nowhere in the UK outside of a race track where you can really enjoy them at anything approaching the limit, and they don’t always make sense.

While the lure of a supercar will always remain strong, to extract maximum driving pleasure at every opportunity from the kind of roads our fair isle is bedecked with, some would say that what you really want is a modestly powered sports coupe. Something not too big, with great handling and a snappy manual transmission. Something you can drive at nine tenths, ninety percent of the time. And if it was a little bit collectible, getting rare and pretty as well, then you’ve hit the jackpot.

As luck would have it, we have just the thing. The original Ford Puma, produced until 2003, is a fabulous little sports coupe of some renown. Loved by collectors, enthusiasts and racers alike for their sparkling chassis, revvy 1.7-litre Zetec S engine and feelsome manual transmission, there aren’t many cars better suited to extracting every last morsel of fun and enjoyment from British roads.

This beautifully well preserved example is presented in exceptionally good condition too, with a frankly ridiculously low mileage, great service history and a lovely, completely original, specification. As a 2002 model it’s a late one too, supplied with optional metallic paint and air-conditioning.

We’re not often lost for words, it’s pretty much what they pay us for here, but this handsome and mightily desirable little Ford had us agape for a while. It’s as good an example as we’ve seen – and we’ve seen a lot of them. If you’ve always fancied adding one to your fleet, we can confidently say you won’t find a better example. Unless you raid the Ford heritage fleet, of course. But we hear they take a dim view of such things.

History and documentation

• First registered on 21 March 2002
• Supplied by ‘Flora Motors’ Ford main dealers in Devon
• 3 former keepers, current owner since August 2024
• 26,921 miles on the clock, verified by the service and MOT records
• Invoices for services as follows: May 2003 @ 3,899 miles, May 2004 @ 6,563 miles, May 2005 @ 8,227 miles, May 2006 @ 10,365 miles, Jun 2007 @ 11,010 miles, Jul 2008 @ 12,474 miles, Aug 2009 @ 14,415 miles, Sep 2010 @ 15,073 miles, Sep 2011 @ 16,321 miles, Feb 2014 @ 18,426 miles, Feb 2015 @ 20,061 miles, Feb 2016 @ 22,195 miles
• The seller tells us that a cambelt and water pump service was carried out in August 2024
• Full document pack and original bill of sale
• Comprehensive collection of invoices and old MOT certificates
• Two keys
• Current MOT expires January 2025
• V5 present in owner’s name
• HPI clear (checked October 2024)

Interior

• Original grey cloth upholstery presents in excellent condition with patterned seat centre panels and matched door card inserts
• The upholstery is all in very good order, with no significant wear and no tears we could see
• There is a small amount of the usual material sagging on the door card inserts – usually due to the glue ageing, a minor issue that’s easy to rectify
• All of the seats show very well, with no sagging or staining we could discern, and the rear bench looking to be in particularly fine condition
• Light grey headlining is intact and secure, with no signs of sagging, damage or staining we could see
• Dark grey carpeting runs through the cabin and appears to be in fine fettle
• Original branded sill guards are fitted to each side
• Electrically operated windows and door mirrors
• Factory fitted CD/radio system
• All of the interior trim and instrumentation looks to be in excellent condition, with minimal evidence of wear, and nothing missing or broken
• The car is fitted with factory option air conditioning, which we’re told works just as it should and has recently been re-gassed
• The vendor tells us that everything in the cabin works just as it should, with no faults or issues to report
• The boot is surprisingly spacious for a small coupe, is trimmed with neat, dark grey carpet, and also contains a first aid kit

Exterior

• Optional metallic light blue paintwork, which all appears to be original, with no evidence we could see of respraying or repair work
• There are a few minor marks and chips, but nothing that would cause us any concern
• All of the bodywork appears to be in very good condition, with clean, straight metalwork, even panel gaps and no corrosion to be seen – even the usual weak spots around the wheel arches and sills look as clean as a whistle
• The external trim and badging is all present and correct, showing in fine condition with no notable wear or damage, the car is even still wearing its original dealer supplied plates
• All of the glass looks nice and clear, with no cracking or chipping we could see
• Similarly, the light lenses are clear and crisp, with just a small amount of misting to the near-side rear lens
• Underneath, the car appears to be in extremely good order, with just a little surface corrosion on some components, but straight and clean floor pans and sills
• A full size spare wheel is present in the cage under the boot floor
• The car is sat on the correct, factory supplied 15-inch, 9-spoke alloy wheels, which are in fine condition with no kerb damage or lacquer peel to mention
• A matched set of Goodyear Eagle tyres has been fitted, and look to have plenty of tread and undamaged sidewalls

Mechanical

• 1,679cc Zetec S 16-valve, naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine
• Front wheel drive
• Five-speed manual transmission
• Factory rated at 125bhp and 115lb-ft, more than enough to push this lightweight little coupe along at a fair old lick
• The engine bay is very clean and tidy, with no issues or leaks that we could see
• The MOT in January noted a very minor oil leak
• Recent service, cambelt and water pump changed in August 2024
• Comprehensive service record and excellent MOT history confirm both the low mileage and the fact that this car has been very well cared for
• It starts well, idles smoothly and runs just as it should
• We’re assured that the car drives exceptionally well, with no knocks, excellent braking performance and an addictive gear shift

Summary

It’s a mug’s game trying to predict what’s going to be a future classic, but we’d bet our hind teeth that the Puma – particularly in 1.7-litre guise – is only going to get more sought after and collectible. Great examples are thin on the ground, and unmodified ones are even rarer as the motorsport brigade love them for their fine-handling chassis.

But forget the collectibility and rarity for a moment and just look at it. This is one of those cars that has clearly been cherished and pampered by its owners. The mileage is stupidly low, the service history is impeccable and the specification is the proverbial chef’s kiss.

We can’t think of many cars that make for a more satisfying modern classic, one that’s more than capable of turning any cross-country blat into an epic, grin-inducing, point-to-point event.

We’re not going to sit on the fence here – this is a car you should be adding to your fleet. It doesn’t matter if your garage currently consists purely of Italian exotica – this can sit proudly alongside anything you care to mention. It is, without any hint of hyperbole, quite magnificent.

To arrange a viewing, please request this in the Q&A section. You can click through to the seller's profile and use the 'Email Me' function to arrange a viewing privately. This seller is located in Wolverhampton in the West Midlands.