The Pinto was Ford’s attempt at a sub-compact car, and with a 94.2-inch (2.3 meter) wheelbase, it seemed suited to the role. However, the running gear of the Pinto was not a strong suit. It was seriously underpowered with its standard four-cylinder which, coupled with an astonishingly puny automatic transmission, produced a car that seemed to have the motive power of a wet sponge.
Even the last year produced, the 1976 Pinto, had an automatic transmission that habitually slipped from park to reverse – not a comforting thought, given the Pinto’s major flaw, which we’ll discuss shortly.
The Pinto’s bulging sides, sloping back and insensibly long hood seemed to come from several disparate designs, but was intended to give this small, light car the appearance of elegance and forward motion. Indeed, some found that they liked the little car on the basis that it ‘looked friendly.’
The most dismal aspect of the Pinto was its propensity to explode in a ball of flame when hit from behind. That even a moderate ‘fender-bender’ could result in death by fire is a numbing fact that hangs over the 1970-76 Pinto like the shadow of the Grim Reaper. Ford Motor Company did take steps, after being sued, to correct the problem by a massive recall campaign. The explosion problem was due, after all, to a defect in the gas tank ventilation system.
Steps were taken to correct many of the problems we have discussed in later editions of the Pinto, but some persisted into the late 1970s.
Thanks to the long-standing convention of developing parallel vehicle lines, the slightly more upscale Mercury Comets of 1970-76 suffered the same woes as their Pinto brethren.
By the laws of automotive competition, General Motors had to produce cars that were competitive with the Ford Motor Company products. Therefore, Chevrolet brought out its notorious Vega line. The mystery is why this small car was nearly as bad as its Pinto competitor – an informative coincidence, altogether.
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