Cute, but it’s no ball of fire

In 2003 Ford launched its compact convertible, the Streetka. One engine was offered, a 93bhp, 1.6-litre petrol unit.

Well equipped as standard, the base model included ABS, CD player and alloy wheels.

The luxury-spec car added leather seats and air con. Here’s what to look for if you’re in the market for a used one:

Engines:

Ford offered just a 93bhp 1.6-litre petrol motor with the Streetka. Although hardly cutting edge, it does the job.

It could be more refined when revved hard, but it’s unlikely that many owners bothered as the car was designed to be more of a town cruiser than B-road bruiser.

Exterior:

You only have to look at Daihatsu’s similar but smaller Copen to realise that buyers will go mad for cute styling - assuming the rest of the product is sorted.

And that has been the case with the Streetka; boasting Ka underpinnings the car oozed cuteness, and the clever design of its manual fabric folding roof ensured that it looked good with it up or down.

Interior:

If the Streetka’s exterior packed a punch, it’s a surprise that the interior failed to follow suit. Although the Ka’s largely basic fascia works well, Ford sprinkled only a modest amount of fairy dust over it.

For instance, hard plastics are everywhere. That said, for a car that’s likely to have been driven top-down in all elements, it’s hard to fault its durability. And for a compact two-seater it’s surprisingly spacious.

Driving:

As already said, it’s preferable to file the Streetka under ‘cruiser’ as it’s no ball of fire. The car’s engine is willing, but a little down on power and noisy when pushed hard.

The chassis is perfectly capable though, despite the extra weight of the folding roof. It’s best to enjoy the car at a sensible pace so as not to get frustrated. Do this and it’s hard not to enjoy the experience.

Ownership:

Like all Fords the Streetka is almost painless to own. With what often feels like a dealer on every street corner, support is never far away. Thanks to the economies of scale support should be affordable, too.

As for day-to-day running, when driven sensibly the Streetka is reasonably economical. The fabric roof might inflate insurance slightly, but all other running costs should be supermini-sized.

What to look for:

All the usual city car complaints apply here: parking dents, kerbed wheels, stodgy brakes, flaky clutch. Don’t forget to factor in skipped services, dirty engine bays and equally dirty oil - the latter being a classic sign of neglect on a ’shopping’ car.

It’s also important to check the condition of the car’s roof, as damage to the mechanism or the fabric could prove expensive to repair.