Two-door versions of the Cortina had been gradually waning in popularity since the late '60s and the three-door Sierra (it was a hatchback, remember) continued the tradition of apathy towards what was seen as a rather pointless variant. The Germans, for some reason, still appeared to like two-door versions of mundane cars.
In fact, the three-door was so unpopular that Ford dropped it after just two years, so it might also make it into a top 10 about short-lived models. Not even tagged 'L', the three-door was known simply as the Sierra saloon. The brochure copy-writers struggled to find many virtues, resorting to references to its exciting push-button radio, three-speed heater fan and the fact that the seatbelts concealed themselves inside the door pillars. It came with 1.3- and 1.6-litre engines and you could spot one from the outside by its ominously naked, plain-steel wheels. These cars are now virtually extinct, as most have been cannibalised to make Sierra Cosworth replicas.
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