This Week in Motorhead History: Pinto Bean-Counters

On September 19, 1970, 45 years ago, the Ford Pinto made its debut. The second round in Ford’s compact car volley, following the Falcon of 1960 and ahead of the Escort in 1981, the Pinto was a drab but very successful product, with more than three million sold over ten model years.

Domestically, the Pinto competed against the Chevrolet Vega, ultimately outselling the trouble-prone Chevy by a margin of three to two.  But despite its sales success, the Pinto is remembered today for a deliberate cost-cutting decision in the car’s design and production, a decision that led to lawsuits following fuel fires in rear-end collisions.  Ford’s own internal documents revealed that the company had weighed parts costs against potential loss-of-life liability, making the Pinto a business school case study that endures today.

Image: Ford Pinto Advertisement Life Magazine May 14 1971 – Selected from SenseiAlan via Flickr.