Known for radical shifts in design direction, the European branch of the American car company Ford introduced the city-oriented three-door Ka model 30 years ago, which brought to the scene their then-design direction hidden behind the name New Edge. Ford's unusually designed representative in the former A-segment in the autumn of 1996 brought with it proven mechanics from the already well-known Fiesta model, which, with adequately increased dimensions that same year, moved into the company of B-segment cars. The New Edge design direction, adopted in Cologne, was also used when creating the first-generation Focus, which from 1998 continued where the Escort left off. The unusual appearance of the new smallest Ford divided public opinion, but there were no dissatisfied mentions when it came to the surprisingly spacious cabin for four people, achieved by an above-average wheelbase that placed the wheels at the very edges of the body. The modest potential of the 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine was far below the potential of the suspension, which, with the aforementioned wheels "in the corners," made the small and light Ka one of the most maneuverable cars at the time, capable of overshadowing much more powerful and expensive cars on winding roads. Along with several special editions, the Ka was available from 2000 with an electrically operated folding roof, and the most powerful version (SportKa), which arrived in 2003, was powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder petrol engine (95 hp), ensuring acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.7 seconds. After 12 years of production, the first-generation Ka (nicknamed the ladybug) found its way to 1.5 million customers, and Ford retained the model name in the story until 2021, when production of the differently designed third generation ceased.