Ford Pinto
Manufacturer	Ford Motor Company
Also called	Mercury Bobcat
Production	1971–1980
Predecessor	None
Successor	Ford Escort
Class	Subcompact car
Body style(s)	2-door coupé 2-door station wagon 3-door hatchback
Related	Ford Mustang II

The Ford Pinto was a subcompact car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company for the North American market, first introduced on September 11, 1970, and built through the 1980 model year. It had a similar car sold under the Lincoln-Mercury brand, in the Pinto's case, the Mercury Bobcat first appeared in Canada for 1974, and subsequently in the U.S. the following year. Ford Pinto. ... Automakers, also known as carmakers, automobile manufacturers, motor manufacturers, or the automobile industry are companies that design and manufacture automobiles. ... “Ford” redirects here. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Ford Escort (European). ... Car classification is subjective since many vehicles fall into multiple categories. ... AMC Gremlin A subcompact car is an automobile in a vehicle size class smaller than a compact car but larger than a city car (and known as superminis in Europe). ... Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. ... The Peugeot 406 Coupé, designed by Pininfarina 1990 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC coupé, noted for its large, angular design 1997 Rover Vitesse Coupe, club coupé Rover P5 Coupe, a traditional four-door coupé Mercedes CLS, a modern four-door coupé Gala-Coupé of Leopold II, Brussels 1970s Sunbeam Alpine fastback coup... Estate car body style (Saab 95) A station wagon (United States usage), wagon (Australian usage, though station wagon is widely used) or estate car (United Kingdom usage) is a car body style similar to a sedan car but with an extended rear cargo area. ... Renault Megane hatchback, a proper hatchback which has shown huge success in Europe Peugeot 306 hatchback, with the hatch lifted and the parcel shelf tilted for access Hatchback is a term designating an automobile design, containing a passenger cabin with an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind the vehicle by... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... AMC Gremlin A subcompact car is an automobile in a vehicle size class smaller than a compact car but larger than a city car (and known as superminis in Europe). ... “Ford” redirects here. ... North American redirects here. ... is the 254th day of the year (255th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The model year of a product is a number used to describe approximately when a product was produced. ... 2002 Ford Fiesta in the UK. The Ford Motor Company (sometimes nicknamed Fords or FoMoCo, (NYSE: F) is an automobile maker founded by Henry Ford in Detroit, Michigan, and incorporated on June 16, 1903. ...

The new Pinto was beaten to the market by the AMC Gremlin, which arrived on April Fool's Day in 1970 - six months before the small Ford. Like Pinto, which shared parts with the slightly larger Ford Maverick, the Gremlin shared parts with the AMC Hornet. In the new American subcompact car class, only the Chevrolet Vega was a truly brand-new design. The AMC Gremlin was the first American subcompact car. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Ford has used the Maverick name on four completely different automobiles in the last three decades. ... The AMC Hornet was a compact automobile made by the American Motors Corporation (AMC) beginning with the 1970 model year and continuing through the 1977 model year. ... AMC Gremlin A subcompact car is an automobile in a vehicle size class smaller than a compact car but larger than a city car (and known as superminis in Europe). ... The then-innovative Chevrolet Vega was a subcompact car sold from 1971 through 1977. ...

Although the previously introduced Ford Maverick (and similarly-sized AMC Hornet) was initially compared with the Volkswagen Beetle, it was still designed around a L6 or V8 motor, with an interior featuring two bench seats. The new Pinto, with its 4-cylinder engine and bucket seats, was aimed squarely at small imports such as the Beetle and Toyota Corolla. Although the Chevrolet Vega and AMC Gremlin would often win higher magazine ratings,^{[citation needed]} the Pinto was the most successful of the U.S. designs. The Pinto was also the starting point for the downsized Mustang II pony car. Pintos were built in St. Thomas, Ontario; Edison, New Jersey; and in Richmond^[1], California. This article is about the original Volkswagen Beetle. ... L6 can mean: Motorola L6, Mobile phone. ... The Liberty V8 aircraft engine clearly shows the configuration A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders. ... A motor is a device that converts energy into mechanical power, and is often synonymous with engine. ... The Toyota Corolla is a compact car produced by the Japanese automaker Toyota, which has become very popular throughout the world since the nameplate was first introduced in 1966. ... The Ford Mustang is an American automobile, originally based on the Ford Falcon compact. ... St. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English (de facto) Government Lieutenant-Governor David C. Onley Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament House seats 107 Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area... Map of Edison Township in Middlesex County Coordinates: , Country State County Middlesex County Settled 1651 Incorporated March 17, 1870 (as Raritan Township) Government  - Type Faulkner Act Mayor-Council  - Mayor Jun Choi Area  - Township  30. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

History

For many years, Ford sold many small models from its British line as captive imports, including the Ford Cortina which somewhat resembled a reduced Ford Falcon. The Pinto's design began in 1968 under the direction of Ford executive Lee Iacocca. The Pinto would be later complemented by the imported, but even smaller front wheel drive Ford Fiesta, and formally replaced by the more modern Escort, patterned after the technically advanced front-drive Volkswagen Rabbit, for the 1981 model year. The Ford Cortina is a mid sized family car sold by Ford of Britain in various guises from 1962 to 1982. ... This article is about the North American version of the Falcon. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lido Anthony Lee Iacocca (born October 15, 1924) is an American industrialist most commonly known for his revival of the Chrysler brand in the 1980s when he was the CEO. Among the most widely recognized businessmen in the world, he was a passionate advocate of U.S. business exports during... The Ford Fiesta is a mid-class supermini car designed and built by the Ford Motor Company in Europe, and also manufactured in Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, China, India and South Africa. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Ford Escort (European). ... VW Golf Mk. ...

Compared with other imports, seating was very low to the floor. Styling somewhat resembled the larger Ford Maverick in grille and tail light themes, but had a smooth fastback profile. Body styles included a two-door coupé with a conventional trunk, a three-door hatchback called the Runabout, a two-door station wagon, and the Ford Pinto Cruising Wagon, produced from 1977 to 1980 and styled to resemble a small conversion van (very much the trend in the late 1970s) complete with a round "bubble window" in the side panels. There was even a top of the line Pinto Squire, which had faux wood sides like the flag ship Ford Country Squire. There were appearance packages, but never a factory performance package similar to the Cosworth Vega or the 304 V8 Gremlin X. Ford has used the Maverick name on four completely different automobiles in the last three decades. ... Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. ... The Peugeot 406 Coupé, designed by Pininfarina 1990 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC coupé, noted for its large, angular design 1997 Rover Vitesse Coupe, club coupé Rover P5 Coupe, a traditional four-door coupé Mercedes CLS, a modern four-door coupé Gala-Coupé of Leopold II, Brussels 1970s Sunbeam Alpine fastback coup... Renault Megane hatchback, a proper hatchback which has shown huge success in Europe Peugeot 306 hatchback, with the hatch lifted and the parcel shelf tilted for access Hatchback is a term designating an automobile design, containing a passenger cabin with an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind the vehicle by... Estate car body style (Saab 95) A station wagon (United States usage), wagon (Australian usage, though station wagon is widely used) or estate car (United Kingdom usage) is a car body style similar to a sedan car but with an extended rear cargo area. ... Conversion vans are built on existing vans such as the Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana, Dodge Ram Van, Dodge Sprinter, Ford Econoline, and many other models. ... 1967 Ford Country Squire The Ford Country Squire was a full-size station wagon built by the Ford Motor Company from 1950 until 1991; it was based on the Ford full-size car line available in each year. ...

The car's design was conventional, with unibody construction, a longitudinally-mounted engine in front driving the rear wheels through either a manual or automatic transmission and live axle rear end. Suspension was by unequal length A-arms with coil springs at the front and the live axle rear was suspended on leaf springs. The rack and pinion steering had optional power assist, as did the brakes. Monocoque (French for single shell) or unibody is a construction technique that uses the external skin of an object to support some or most of the load on the structure. ... A manual transmission (also known as a stick shift, straight drive, or standard transmission) is a type of transmission used in automotive applications. ... The automatic gear selector in a Ford Five Hundred vehicle An automatic transmission (commonly abbreviated as AT) is an automobile gearbox that can change gear ratios automatically as the vehicle moves, thus freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually (similar but larger devices are also used for railroad... A live axle is a type of beam axle suspension system that uses the driveshafts that transmit power to the wheels to connect the wheels laterally so that they move together as a unit. ... Rack and pinion animation A rack and pinion is a pair of gears which convert rotational motion into linear motion. ...

Road & Track faulted the suspension and standard drum brakes, calling the latter a "serious deficiency". But they praised the proven 1.6 L Kent engine, adapted from European Fords. The much larger 2300 found in arch-rival Chevrolet Vega was an innovative brand new design using an aluminum block and iron head. This new engine design suffered from serious reliability problems. Consumer Reports rated the 1971 Pinto below the Vega but above the Gremlin. Road & Track is an automobile enthusiast magazine in the United States, founded by two friends in 1947. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Vehicle brake. ... The Ford Kent is an internal combustion engine from Ford of Europe. ... The 2300 was a 2. ... The then-innovative Chevrolet Vega was a subcompact car sold from 1971 through 1977. ... Consumer Reports is an American magazine published monthly by Consumers Union. ...

Though the cars were thoroughly forgotten for some time, the Pinto seems to be enjoying success as an amateur-level vintage racing car,^{[citation needed]} owing to its light weight, rear-wheel drive (RWD) layout, willing and durable Ford of Europe engines, and good car and parts availability. Rear-wheel drive (or RWD for short) is an engine/transmission layout used in automobiles. ...

Engines

Except for 1973 and 1980, the Pinto was available with two engines. The first was always the smallest and least powerful of the two and was the standard engine offered. The second was always a larger, more powerful engine available at an extra cost. For the first five years of production, only four cylinder inline engines were offered. As can be seen in the following breakout of available engines, Ford changed the power ratings almost every year.^[2]

Of particular note is the introduction in 1974 of the 2.3 L (144 CID) OHC I4 engine. This engine would be updated and modified several times allowing it to remain in production into 1997. Among other Ford vehicles, a turbocharged version of this engine would later power the performance based Thunderbird Turbo Coupe, Mustang SVO, and the European-built Merkur XR4TiWorst car ever built.^[2] A cubic inch (plural: cubic inches) is a non-SI unit of volume, equal to the volume of a cube with sides of one inch. ... The Ford Pinto engine is the unofficial but ubiquitous nickname for a 4 cylinder internal combustion engine built by the Ford Motor Company in Europe. ... The Ford Thunderbird was a car manufactured in the United States by the Ford Motor Company. ... The Mustang SVO was a limited-production version of the Ford Mustang sold from 1984 to 1986, during which time it was the fastest, most expensive version of the Mustang available. ... a Merkur XR4Ti at a car show 1985 Merkur XR4Ti The Merkur XR4Ti was a short-lived American-market version of the European Ford Sierra XR4i. ...

• 1971
  • 1.6 L (98 CID) Kent OHV I4 - 75 hp (56 kW) and 96 ft.lbf (130 Nm)
  • 2.0 L (122 CID) EAO SOHC I4 - 100 hp (74.5 kW)
• 1972
  • 1.6 L Kent - 54 hp (40 kW)
  • 2.0 L EAO - 86 hp (64 kW)
• 1973
  • 2.0 L EAO - 86 hp (64 kW)
• 1974
  • 2.0 L EAO - 86 hp (64 kW)
  • 2.3 L OHC - 90 hp (67 kW)
• 1975
  • 2.3 L OHC - 83 hp (62 kW)
  • 2.8 L (170 CID) Cologne V6 - 97 hp (72 kW)
• 1976
  • 2.3 L OHC - 92 hp (69 kW) and 121 ft.lbf (163 Nm)
  • 2.8 L Cologne - 103 hp (77 kW) and 149 ft.lbf (201 Nm)
• 1977
  • 2.3 L OHC - 89 hp (66 kW) and 120 ft.lbf (162 Nm)
  • 2.8 L Cologne - 93 hp (69 kW) and 140 ft.lbf (189 Nm)
• 1978
  • 2.3 L OHC - 88 hp (66 kW) and 118 ft.lbf (159 Nm)
  • 2.8 L Cologne - 90 hp (67 kW) and 143 ft.lbf (193 Nm)
• 1979
  • 2.3 L OHC - 88 hp (66 kW) and 118 ft.lbf (159 Nm)
  • 2.8 L Cologne - 102 hp (76 kW) and 138 ft.lbf (186 Nm)
• 1980
  • 2.3 L OHC - 88 hp (66 kW) and 119 ft.lbf (160 Nm)

The Ford Kent is an internal combustion engine from Ford of Europe. ... OHV redirects here. ... The Ford Pinto engine is the unofficial but ubiquitous nickname for a 4 cylinder internal combustion engine built by the Ford Motor Company in Europe. ... Single overhead cam (also SOHC) refers to the internal combustion engine design where one camshaft is located above the valves. ... The Ford Cologne V6, also known as the Ford Taunus V6, was a 60° cast iron block V6 engine built by the Ford Motor Company in Cologne, Germany, hence the name. ... The Ford Essex V6 engine V6 and V-6 redirect here. ...

Safety problems

Through early production of the model, it became a focus of a major scandal when it was alleged that the car's design allowed its fuel tank to be easily damaged in the event of a rear-end collision which sometimes resulted in deadly fires and explosions. Critics argued that the vehicle's lack of a true rear bumper as well as any reinforcing structure between the rear panel and the tank, meant that in certain collisions, the tank would be thrust forward into the differential, which had a number of protruding bolts that could puncture the tank. This, and the fact that the doors could potentially jam during an accident (due to poor reinforcing) made the car a potential deathtrap. A scandal is a widely publicized incident involving allegations of wrong-doing, disgrace, or moral outrage. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... In an automobile and other four-wheeled vehicles, a differential is a device, usually consisting of gears, for allowing each of the driving wheels to rotate at different speeds, while supplying equal torque to each of them. ...

Ford was aware of this design flaw but allegedly refused to pay what was characterized as the minimal expense of a redesign. Instead, it was argued, Ford decided it would be cheaper to pay off possible lawsuits for resulting deaths. Mother Jones magazine obtained the cost-benefit analysis that it said Ford had used to compare the cost of an $11 repair against the cost of paying off potential law suits, in what became known as the Ford Pinto Memo. The characterization of Ford's design decision as gross disregard for human lives in favor of profits led to major lawsuits, criminal charges, and a costly recall of all affected Pintos. While Ford was acquitted of criminal charges, it lost several million dollars and gained a reputation for manufacturing "the barbecue that seats four."^[3] Mother Jones Magazine is a leftist magazine named after labor organizer Mary Harris Jones (May 1, 1830 - November 30, 1930), better known as Mother Jones. ... Cost-benefit analysis is an important technique for project appraisal: the process of weighing the total expected costs against the total expected benefits of one or more actions in order to choose the best or most profitable option. ...

The most famous Ford Pinto product liability case resulted in a judicial opinion that is a staple of remedies courses in American law schools. In Grimshaw v. Ford Motor Co., 119 Cal. App. 3d 757 (4th Dist. 1981) [1], the California Court of Appeal for the Fourth Appellate District reviewed Ford's conduct, and upheld compensatory damages of $2.5 million and punitive damages of $3.5 million against Ford. It also upheld the judge's reduction of the punitive damages from the jury's original verdict of $125 million. Of the two plaintiffs, one was killed in the collision that caused her Pinto to explode, and her passenger, 13-year old Richard Grimshaw, was badly burned and scarred for life. Arthur N. Hews was the attorney for Plaintiffs.^{[citation needed]} Products liability is the area of law in which manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, retailers, and others who make products available to the public are held responsible for the injuries those products cause. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... In law, a Judicial remedy is the means by which a court, usually in the exercise of civil law jurisdiction, enforces a right, imposes a penalty, or makes some other court order. ... // A law school is an institution where future lawyers obtain legal degrees. ... In law, damages refers to the money paid or awarded to a claimant (as it is known in the UK) or plaintiff (in the US) following their successful claim in a civil action. ... Punitive damages are damages awarded to a successful plaintiff in a civil action, over and above the amount of compensatory damages, to: punish the conduct of the civil defendant; deter the civil defendant from committing the invidious act again; and deter others from doing the same thing. ...

However, a 1991 law review paper by Gary Schwartz [2], argued that the case against the Pinto was less clear-cut than commonly supposed. Only 27 people ever died in Pinto fires. Given the Pinto's production figures (over 2 million built), this was no worse than typical for the time. Schwartz argued that the car was no more fire-prone than other cars of the time, that its fatality rates were lower than comparably sized imported automobiles, and that the supposed "smoking gun" document that plaintiffs claimed showed Ford's callousness in designing the Pinto was a document based on National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regulations about the value of a human life rather than a document used to design the Pinto. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, often pronounced nit-suh) is an agency of the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government, part of the Department of Transportation. ...

Due to the alleged engineering, safety, and reliability problems, Forbes Magazine included the Pinto on its list of the worst cars of all time. Alternate meaning: For the Boston Brahmin family associated with John Forbes Kerry, see Forbes family. ...

Pinto Pangra

A Pinto Pangra. The same car is also visible in the background in the first picture in this article.

The Pinto Pangra is a modified sporting Pinto produced in limited numbers by a Ford dealer, Huntington Ford in Arcadia, California. Approximately 55 were sold during 1973 and (to a limited degree) 1974, and in addition the components were sold in kit form. A Pangra cost approximately $5,000. Download high resolution version (2304x1728, 1001 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (2304x1728, 1001 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Ford may mean a number of things: A ford is a river crossing. ... Arcadia is a U.S. city in Los Angeles County, California that is located about 13 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley, at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ...

The most visible modification was a slanted fiberglass nose with pop-up headlights. Internally, the stock 2 liter engine was fitted with an AK Miller turbocharger; a "Can-Am" suspension package with Koni dampers lowered the car and improved the handling; aluminum wheels with wider tires were fitted, as were Recaro seats, a revised dash with a new center console, full instrumentation, and a digital tachometer.

See also

• Ford Pinto engine - Used in many other cars as well
• AVE Mizar - A flying Pinto

The Ford Pinto engine is the unofficial but ubiquitous nickname for a 4 cylinder internal combustion engine built by the Ford Motor Company in Europe. ... The AVE Mizar (frequently misspelled Mitzar, but named after the star Mizar) was a flying car built between 1971 and 1973 by Advanced Vehicle Engineers (AVE) of Oxnard, California. ...

References and footnotes

1. ^ Lofty ambition / Developer revs up former Ford factory in Richmond for real live-work spaces
2. ^ ^{a b} Gunnell, John A. and Lenzke, James T. (1995). Standard Catalog of Ford Cars, 1903-1990. Krause Publications. ISBN 0-87341-140-4. 
3. ^ http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z11820/default.aspx 1972 Ford Pinto information

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Ford Pinto

• Ford Pinto at the Open Directory Project
• FordPinto.com
• Mother Jones magazine's 1977 expose on the Ford Pinto
• Pinto Page - year by year specifications and magazine articles.
• Ford Pinto used as a patrol car
• Ford Pinto at The Crittenden Automotive Library includes full 1973 brochure in JPG format