Idle Hands: Ford Puma

I still vividly remember my first encounter with a Ford Puma, although initially not for the way it drove. One had popped up for sale locally and, upon viewing it, I’d found a lot to like. But there were stumbling blocks: it was long overdue a comprehensive service and, like many, the difficult-to-halt march of corrosion had kicked off in places, tainting its appeal.

At the time, some 15 years ago, it also wasn’t my usual fare. I knew they had a reputation for delivering stacks of real-world fun, but back then I had a laser focus on rear-wheel drive classics with a pleasing plurality of cylinders. A compact front-drive hatchback with a four-cylinder engine, albeit both sporting in nature, didn’t tick many boxes for me.

Coupled with the issues at hand, I decided to pass. Nevertheless, in the weeks after, I found myself occasionally thinking about it. I liked its bright Moondust Silver paint, and its pretty five-spoke wheels, and the more I read about its engine, the more interested I became; the 1.7-litre motor put out a not-staggering 123bhp at 6300rpm, but it was developed with and assembled by Yamaha, and road testers sung its praises.