Body style: Hatchback
Segment: Compact
Production years: 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980
While the Pinto was meant to be a money maker for Ford, it ended up being the car that almost ruined the company due to its flawed design.
In the early ‘70s, Ford needed a car to fight against imports, such as the Corolla, the Civic, or the Beetle. Lee Iacocca led the automaker in those times, and he wanted a car to weigh less than 2,000 lbs. (907 kg) and be affordable. In 1970, the average salary in the U.S. was $9,870, and by 1971, when the car came out, that had increased to $10,290, and the Pinto had to be priced below $2,000. The vehicle was developed in 25 months, which was the fastest to date for the American automaker. But all that rush led to a huge problem: the fuel tank was right behind the rear bumper, and it could set the car on fire in the event of a rear-ended accident. Ford was aware of that problem but still produced the car, claiming that the safety regulations allowed them to do that. The problem affected the sedan and the hatchback, but not the station wagon version of the car since that version had a longer rear overhang, and the fuel tank was better protected.
The car’s look was very clean and composed, with a front fascia that sported the mandatory round headlights. Between them, incorporated into the grille, Ford placed the turn signals just above the chromed bumper. The almost flat hood sported a crease in the middle that ran from the front to the windshield’s base.
Ford made the Pinto with two doors, regardless of the body version. The car’s raked windshield and the medium-sized greenhouse offered a generous window area. Its short roof was sloped down towards the back of the vehicle. In the hatchback version, the trunk opened together with the rear window, while the sedan had a smaller lid. Ford placed a metallic rear bumper with additional vertical bars for protection. Still, those were not enough to protect the gas tank against a crash.
Inside, the Pinto offered two bucket seats at the front and a bench fit mostly for two in the back. The transmission tunnel crossed the cabin from front to back, creating a big hump in the floor, limiting legroom for a third, middle-seated rear passenger. In front of the driver, Ford installed a simple, binocular-style instrument cluster with the speedometer on the right, while the left binnacle sported the fuel level gauge and several warning lights for coolant temperature, charging, and brakes. Depending on the model year, Ford made some changes to the dashboard. In addition, the center stack housed the controls for the ventilation system and a stereo.
Under the hood, Ford installed a choice of three engines ranging between 1.6 and 2.3 liters. Depending on the emission standards, the power of these tiny inline-four powerplants varied. The automaker offered the car with either a four-speed manual or a three-speed automatic.
ENGINE SPECS - 1.6L 4MT RWD (76 HP) | |
---|---|
Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1602 cm3 |
Power: | 56 KW @ 5000 RPM 76 HP @ 5000 RPM 75 BHP @ 5000 RPM |
Torque: | 96 lb-ft @ 3000 RPM 130 Nm @ 3000 RPM |
Fuel System: | Carburetor |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
---|---|
Drive Type: | Rear Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 4-Speed manual |
TIRES SPECS | |
---|---|
Tire Size: | 6.00-13 |
DIMENSIONS | |
---|---|
Length: | 163 in (4140 mm) |
Width: | 69.4 in (1763 mm) |
Height: | 50 in (1270 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 55/55 in (1,397/1,397 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 94 in (2388 mm) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
---|---|
Unladen Weight: | 2015 lbs (914 kg) |
ENGINE SPECS - 2.0L 3MT RWD (97 HP) | |
---|---|
Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1999 cm3 |
Power: | 71 KW @ 5600 RPM 97 HP @ 5600 RPM 95 BHP @ 5600 RPM |
Torque: | 120 lb-ft @ 3600 RPM 163 Nm @ 3600 RPM |
Fuel System: | Carburetor |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
---|---|
Drive Type: | Rear Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 3-speed manual |
TIRES SPECS | |
---|---|
Tire Size: | 6.00-13 |
DIMENSIONS | |
---|---|
Length: | 163 in (4140 mm) |
Width: | 69.4 in (1763 mm) |
Height: | 50 in (1270 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 55/55 in (1,397/1,397 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 94 in (2388 mm) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
---|---|
Unladen Weight: | 2066 lbs (937 kg) |
ENGINE SPECS - 2.3L 3MT RWD (90 HP) | |
---|---|
Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 2302 cm3 |
Power: | 66 KW @ 4800 RPM 90 HP @ 4800 RPM 89 BHP @ 4800 RPM |
Torque: | 118 lb-ft @ 2800 RPM 160 Nm @ 2800 RPM |
Fuel System: | Carburetor |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
---|---|
Top Speed: | 96 mph (154 km/h) |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
---|---|
Drive Type: | Rear Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 3-speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
---|---|
Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
DIMENSIONS | |
---|---|
Length: | 163 in (4140 mm) |
Width: | 69.4 in (1763 mm) |
Height: | 50 in (1270 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 55/55 in (1,397/1,397 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 94 in (2388 mm) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
---|---|
Unladen Weight: | 2346 lbs (1064 kg) |