Ka.

Funny name, wasn't it?

Some people thought it was to do with Egyptian kings. Others figured it a play on a young child's pronunciation of the word 'car'. Truth was, Ford liked a simple two-letter name that was distinctive.

As was the Ka itself. And funny enough, it didn't immediately gain fans amongst the 'experts'. A bit bummy with that wadge of black plastic across the rear. Twee in overall shape, some said.

What they should have given Mazda for their successor to the 'roundy' 121, I said at the time, but it was a little too small.

I loved it from the first time I spun it around the nicely quiet roads of an off-season Sardinia. I continued to love it - even if they insisted to power it by the old but worthy 1.3-litre engine instead of the 1.25-litre Yamaha-bred superior unit available in the Fiesta upon whose platform it was based - when I drove a few of them in Ireland at a later date.

And perhaps it would have done much better in Ireland than it did if it had been equipped with a 1-litre engine from somewhere, to make it competitive in its class against Micra level cars, and even larger segment such as Yaris which came with strategically important smaller engines.

But Ka has always been a sweetheart to me. And to many in continental Europe where it has been very successful for the inheritors of Henry 'Any Colour as long as it is Black'.

And if you feel like me, maybe you should buy the current version in some form or other before it becomes a less distinctive car in its next derivative from the upcoming (very interesting in its own right) new Fiesta.

Like the Ka Calypso.

A 'Ka Collection' version which addresses a lot of the quibbles of my colleagues and a number of potential non-buyers.

In the review car with a smart red livery and matching almost kinky interior trim which still manages to make painted metal interior door dec acceptable (it's been the 60s since that was so for most cars).

The body-coloured bumpers, particularly in the rear, effectively eliminate the 'insectoid' bum.

Back inside, the 'aluminised' dashboard treatment which first came to us in that other Fiesta derivative, the Puma, spices up the Ka nicely.

The Calypso has a more simple glove compartment system too, without the funny 'flipover' gimmick that caused us more consternation than practicality in the earlier (and still more standard) versions.

And though we might prefer aircon, at least the electric sunroof of the Calypso does allow a little more air than the basic car does.

There are also a nice number of other electrics. Like the front windows.

And then that tidy steering wheel by which you can flip the little Ka into the smallest of parking spots. You can keep your Smart cars, with their dinky two seats ... this is nearly as shart and is a REAL car ... or Ka, if you prefer.

And it won't give you any heartstops on the road either, with its suspension based on one of the best in the class, the current Fiesta.

I clap my hands for this one. To a calypos beat, naturally.