For 1977, the Ford Pinto got its first real styling makeover and a bunch of new features.
The theme of this 1977 marketing campaign was, “When America needed a better idea, Ford put it on wheels,” and to drive the point home, we’re quickly shown a series of memorable Fords: Henry Ford with his 1896 Quadricycle, three Model Ts, a Model A Fordor Sedan, a 1935 Phaeton, a 1939 Woody, a 1955 Thunderbird, and a 1965 Mustang. We don’t know how well this pitch would have connected with Pinto buyers in 1977, but we enjoyed the pass-in-review.
Introduced in 1971, the subcompact Pinto got its first real styling makeover in 1977, with a sloping nose to provide better integration with the 5-mph bumper. New features included an optional all-glass rear hatch for the Runabout, a lift-out sunroof, and a rally instrument cluster. The new Pinto “kicks up its heels,” says the announcer. But 1977 was also the year that the Pinto fuel tank issue broke wide open in the national press, generating a product recall and 117 lawsuits, and the car’s public image was forever tarnished. Still, the Pinto remained in production through 1980, when it was replaced by the front-drive Escort. Video below.
Using the fuel tank as a rear bumper to shave a buck didn’t work out so well for FoMoCo. NHTSA was brand new and Volpe was clueless. Pinto rear-end collisions caused some of the most horrid and gruesome fatalities in automotive history…
Statistics of the day listing results of similar sized cars involved in similar rear end crashes showed the Pinto fell about mid-pack as far as deaths and injuries. This never made national headlines for obvious reasons.
Exactly, the Pinto met its end because it was thoroughly outdated by 1980, not because of the safety concerns.
7 “articles” this past week, including 2 “Executive Briefings” & 4 old commercials/videos, with only 1 actual article. Can we maybe adjust the ratio a bit? I’ve been reading & loving this site for years, & I might have watched 1-2 videos out of 100+ posted, as my attention span is longer than a gnat’s & I actually prefer to read. Most times when I click on the new page & see yet another old video listed, not only do I not watch it, I don’t even read the introductory article about it. And no, I didn’t watch this one either.
The website is actually built around the Executive Briefings. Every Monday and Friday.
That’s fine & understandable, but maybe cut back on the videos & increase the articles, please? I mean with the two Executive Briefings & four videos over a seven day stretch that’s a bit much.
Many of the commercials you run from the ’60s on I’m already overly familiar with & even if I wasn’t, they don’t allow me to learn anything. I visit this site to learn more about & enhance my knowledge of the rich history of the American automobile industry; not to watch an old commercial about the “exciting 1977 Ford Pinto”. I saw that in 1977 & with the exception of Pro Stock Pintos, I have yet to find one “exciting”.
The old factory films and commercials do very well. I like them because they showcase the car while also presenting the historical contexts in which they were produced. There are now nearly 4,000 articles on the site. I hope everyone can find something they like.
There won’t generally be so many videos in a row. That’s just how the cadence worked out this time.
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Exactly! Keep up the good work, Mac, we appreciate it!
Agreed…