What is a Ford Pinto?

The Pinto, a subcompact car made by Ford Motor Company, became infamous in the 1970s for bursting into flames if its gas tank was ruptured in a collision. The lawsuits brought by injured people and their survivors uncovered how the company rushed the Pinto through production and onto the market.

What does Ford Pinto mean?

The Ford Pinto is a subcompact car that was manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company in North America, sold from the 1971 to the 1980 model years. The smallest American Ford vehicle since 1907, the Pinto was the first subcompact vehicle produced by Ford in North America.

Was the Ford Pinto a death trap?

Nowadays, most people are aware that the late great Ford Pinto was widely considered to be a rolling death trap during its reign of terror from 1970 through 1980. This is mainly due to allegations that if it were rear-ended, the doors would jam shut and the bomb-like rear gas tank would explode upon impact.

How did the Ford Pinto get its name?

The executive's objective was clear: He wanted a compact car, weighing less than 2,000 pounds and priced at less than $2,000. They'd call this project the Pinto, its name coming from a term given to horses whose coats have large distinctive patches of white.

What is the ugliest car in the world?

The Story of the Ford Pinto

Do they still make Pinto cars?

The final production year was 1980, as Ford Escort replaced Pinto in the Blue Oval lime-up. But for 10 years, Pinto was a huge part of American automotive consciousness, with 3,173,491 models built, but cut from the line well before its predicted 11-million-unit build-and-sale.

Is the Mustang II the same as a Pinto?

The Mustang II rode on a longer wheelbase than the Pinto, and the two shared only a few components. The Mustang II also brought a higher level of interior fit and finish than was seen in earlier Mustangs. “There's less Pinto in a Mustang II than there is Falcon in a 1965 Mustang,” Clor said.

Was the Mustang II a Pinto?

Just as Ford had derived the Mustang II from the Pinto, General Motors developed a similar-sized car from the Vega, though it wasn't marketed as a Camaro or Firebird replacement; it was offered as the 1975 Chevrolet Monza, Pontiac Sunbird, Buick Skyhawk, and Oldsmobile Starfire.

How much is a Ford Pinto worth?

A: The average price of a Ford Pinto is $9,685.

How many Ford Pinto blew up?

Based on historical documents, Ford first performed rear end collision testing on the Pinto way back December 1970, months after it was currently in production. At first, a total of 11 crashes were conducted, and in 8 instances, the gas tanks ruptured and burst into flames.

Are there any Ford Pintos left?

Once among the most popular cars in America, the Pinto is an endangered species. Of the 3 million Pintos manufactured, experts estimate that fewer than 10,000 are still on the road.

What was the Ford Pinto scandal?

The Pinto, a subcompact car made by Ford Motor Company, became infamous in the 1970s for bursting into flames if its gas tank was ruptured in a collision. The lawsuits brought by injured people and their survivors uncovered how the company rushed the Pinto through production and onto the market.

What does a Pinto mean?

Definition of pinto

(Entry 1 of 2) : a horse or pony of various breeding that is marked with patches of white and another color — compare paint, piebald, skewbald.

What does the Spanish word Pinto mean?

pinto. adjective. speckled, spotted. Examples have not been reviewed. pinto (696)

Was the Ford Pinto a good car?

While reliability was decent, the 20 MPG fuel consumption was good for the time. The Ford Pinto is far from the single worst car ever made, but the thoroughly mediocre quality, an abundance of cost cutting, and a fatal flaw that was willingly ignored make it hard to think of it as anything but one of the worst.

What is a Mustang King Cobra?

The Mustang King Cobra was a limited edition Mustang produced in 1978. Only 4,313 were ever produced. The King Cobra is part of the Mustang II generation but was designed to be more powerful than the rest of the generation.

What is the smallest Mustang?

Consumer reaction to the Mustang II was enthusiastic with a combined total production of the 1974–1978 models exceeding 1.1 million. "As the smallest, lightest Mustang since the original, it was a fresh start for Ford's pony car and a refreshing return to rationality.

What is Fox Body Mustang?

The third-generation Mustang was produced by Ford from 1978 until 1993. Built on Ford's Fox platform, it is commonly referred to as the Fox body Mustang. It evolved through several sub-models, trim levels, and drivetrain combinations during its production life.

Are Mustang 2 and Pinto spindles the same?

Between the ball joint holes (vertically, inside-to-inside) on the Pinto spindle is 5-1/16″ while the Mustang II is 5-7/8″. Also, the steering arm hole center to the lower ball joint center dimension is 4-1/2″ on the Pinto spindle but 5″ on the MII. The lower caliper bracket hole is in a different location as well.

Is a pinto horse a breed?

The Pinto horse is a color breed in contrast to most other breeds which are defined by their genetic ancestry. In America, the Pinto is regarded as a proper breed. Pintos have a dark background coloring and upon this color random patches of white. The Pinto coloration may occur in any breed or specific conformation.

What is a Mustang II?

The second-generation Ford Mustang, marketed as the Ford Mustang II, is a two-door, ( some models have a hatch-back ) four-passenger, front-engine/rear-drive pony car manufactured and marketed by Ford from 1973 to 1978.

Why did Ford quit making the Pinto?

In April, 1974, the Center for Auto Safety petitioned NHTSA to recall Ford Pintos due to defects in the design of the strap on gas tank which made it susceptible to leakage and fire in low to moderate speed collisions.

Did Ford make a Pinto station wagon?

The Pinto was manufactured in three body styles: two-door sedan, three-door hatchback and two-door station wagon.

How much was a Ford Pinto in 1972?

The popular Ford compact Runabout models carried a base price of just $2,078 brand new.