Detroit Techno: 2002 Ford Focus ZTS
We’re gonna take a quick trip down the rabbit hole of internet history here…way back to 2001…when Ford was trying to push their 1st generation Focus on Gen Xers. Naturally, they collaborated with MTV and renowned Detroit Techno artist DJ Bone and launched the (long defunct) website Focus247.com where you could mix your own techno beats…How could Ford have let this site fall into the digital abyss? You can see a little bit of what was archived by the Wayback machine here….but don’t expect to be able to mix your own beats because I couldn’t get any of the archived shockwave flash apps to work (arggg..I wanted to play DJ FU!). Anyway if you want a cheap 5-speed equipped car that was once marketed via MTV to a bunch of pimply faced Gen Xers around Y2K, you can drive this 2002 Ford Focus ZTS offered for $1990 in Santa Clara, CA via craigslist.
Enough about the Focus…let’s get back to Focus247…DETROIT TECHNO. I was able to get deeper into the internet archive but I find a way to play DJ FU without installing sketchy Russian spyware, but I did find a sweet youtube video of DJ FU Wax attack II — notice the Ford Focus in the opening splash screen.
But it gets better. Then I found this seizure inducing Ford Focus Detroit Techno television commercial.
And we’re not done with the vintage Ford Focus advertisements aimed squarely at Friend’s viewers yet. Check out that Zach Morris hairdo in this next 1999 Focus commerical.
Okay, maybe that’s enough about the 20 year old Ford ad campaigns…on to the car.
The seller claims it is a 6-speed…but it is only 6-speeds if you count reverse in the gear…but the only way to get a 6-speed in a Focus was to upgrade to the SVT Focus hot hatch. This is a ZTS sedan, with a 5 speed mated to a 2.0 liter Zetec-E good for 127 horsepower and 135 ft-lbs of torques.
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If I own this car, I will finally be cool 18 years ago. But I would have to start listening to Techno. “Nobody listens to Technooooooo!”
I actually dig this car. I’ve always liked the 1st gen Focus, especially the 3 door hatch. To me it was one of the first global Fords that actually looked more European than American. I think the design has aged pretty well.
I used to live in the same neighborhood as this car. If I was still there, I’d be walking down the street to take a look at it… and probably driving home.
I know. For the price this is a steal. You can’t buy a pile of crap slushbox 2010 Sentra for anything less than $10k at Carmax, but you can get this for less than $2k? And this is the perfect first car for a kid.