Ford Pinto Car history

Manufacturer	Ford
Production	1970 to 1980
Class	Motor car
Body	2-door sedan and delivery 2-door station wagon 3-door hatchback
Layout	Rear wheel drive
Engines	(1.6 L) Kent  4 cylinder 122.0 cu in (2.0 L) OHC 140.4 cu in (2.3 L) OHC 170.9 cu in (2.8 L) Cologne V6
Wheelbase	94.0 in (2,388 mm
Length	163 in (4,140 mm)
Width	69.4 in (1,763 mm)
Height	50 in (1,270 mm)
Curb weight	2,015–2,270 lb (914–1,030 kg)

The Ford Pinto was an American car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company from 1970 to 1980.

History 

The Pinto is a full four seater offering high standards of comfort and space. Rack anci pinion steering is fitted taking only tour turns from lock to lock and giving a turning circle of 31.5ft. In standard form the Pinto is powered by an OHV 1600cc engine made by Ford of Britain. The car featured on the stand has the optional overhead cam two-litre engine.

The car soon earned the reputation as the "Car Killer". This was due to the fact that when the car was rear-ended, there was a high probability that it would catch fire and furthermore, due to the deformations that the weak chassis underwent, even at low-speed impacts, the doors often locked, making it impossible to escape from the car. The reason for the development of the Pinto was that Ford wanted to offer an alternative to the increasingly successful imported small cars. Particularly successful in those years was the VW Beetle, but also the sales of Japanese manufacturers increased from year to year. Almost simultaneously with the Pinto came GM with the Chevrolet Vega and AMC the AMC Gremlin on the market, which aimed at the customer base for compact cars. 

The Pinto was slightly changed as well as Mercury Bobcat they offered this rebadged version of the Pinto as the Mercury Bobcat from 1975 to 1980. So that the Pinto could be offered as cheap as possible, it had to be produced at low cost. The Pinto was the first American Ford for decades again a four-cylinder engine. This engine was also used in Europe and is known as a Pinto engine or "OHC engine". The related knowledge, a gasoline engine with four cylinders, which was used in many cars of the Ford Motor Company and named after the Ford Pinto, for which it was originally developed. In Europe, this was first installed in 1970 in the Ford Cortina of the third series and Taunus. At Ford, the pinto engine was officially called OHC (overhead camshaft). Later in 1975, Ford introduced the 2.8 L V6 to the range.

• PERFORMANCE: 1,599 cc 54 hp
  max power (DIN): 54 hp at 4,600 rpm
  max torque (DIN): 81 1b ft, 11.2 kg m at 2,400 rpm
  max engine rpm: 5.000; 33.8 hp/l
  power-weight ratio: Pinto 2-dr, sedan 4t lb/hp. 18.6 kg/hp
  speed in direct drive at 1,000 rpm: 15 mph, 24.1 km/h
  fuel consumption: 25.4 m/imp gal, 21.2 m/US gal, 11.1 1 x 100 km.
• PERFORMANCE :83 hp 2,000 cc
  max power (DIN): 83 hp at 5,200 rpm
  max torque (DIN): 98 1b ft, 13.5 kg m at 3,800 rpm
  max engine rpm: 5,600; 41.5 hp/l
  max speed: about 92 mph, 148 km/h
  power-weight ratio: 30 lb/hp, 13.6 kg/hp
  speed in direct drive at 1,000 rpm: 15.2 mph, 24.4 km/h
  fuel consumption: 23 m/imp gal, 19.1 m/ US gal, 12.3 1 x 100 km.
• PERFORMANCE: 85 hp 2,000 cc
  max power (DIN): 85 hp at 5,600 rpm
  max torque (DIN): 98 1b ft. 13.5 kg m at 3,800 rpm
  max engine rpm: 6,000; 42.5 hp/l
  max speed: about 95 mph, 153 km/h
  power-weight ratio: Pinto 2-dr. sedan 26.8 lb/hp, 12.2 kg/hp
  speed in direct drive at 1,000 rpm; 15.2 mph, 24.4 km/h
  fuel consumption: 22.2 m/imp gal, 18.5 m/US gal, 12.7 1 x 100 km.

The Pinto came in three body styles which include a two-door fastback sedan, a three-door hatchback, and a two-door station wagon. The Pinto body came with 4 seats, separate front seats with back seat folding down to luggage table these came standard for runabout. estate car/station wagon has 2+1 doors also has separate front seats; back seat folding down to luggage table.

The Ford Pinto at first as only a fastback sedan with rear trunk. Later by 1971 hatchback became available. By early, 1972, the 2-door Pinto station wagon was added to the range. From the start There are 16 colour combirations available for Pinto from Model T Black to Pinto Gold. Colour—keyed carpeting, houndstooth check cloth seat covering or comfortable vinyl seats add to the creature comforts. The rear seat folds down to provide a total area of 38 cubic feet.

In 1974, as with all American cars from the time to meet federal regulations, more heavy bumpers were added to both the front and rear. The 1976 Pinto Stallion came with black hood and wheel arches plus rocker paneland textured a grille. large emblems on front fenders along with black mouldings for windows and door trims with racing mirrors uprated suspension and A70x13 tyres with white lettering  By 1977, the Pinto received significant updates styling updates with parking lamps, tail lamps, and grille changes. The last updates again in 1979 saw more styling updates inside and out, new grilles  hoods and fenders. with rectangular headlamps, the interior was also updated along with the dash that now features a rectangular instrument cluster. Sedans have new tail lights. 

During its construction period, there was a scandal around the model, as it turned out that the rear of the vehicle was designed so that in rear-end collisions could easily damage the gas tank. Leaking gasoline significantly increased the risk of fire in accidents. There were several fires that ended fatally for some passengers. In the course of the investigations, internal written reports became known that Ford was aware of this vulnerability, but did not want to bear the cost of a design change. Instead, it was unofficially argued that it would be more cost-effective to accept possible litigation after death and to pay the appropriate compensation. The normal layout of a unibody construction, a longitudinally mounted engine in front with rear wheels driving the cars.

With manual or automatic transmission options and live axle rear end. Suspension was by unequal-length control arms with front coil springs; the live rear axle was suspended on leaf springs. The rack and pinion steering optionally had power assist, as did the brakes depending on model options such as A78 x 13 tyres; A70 x 13 and 175B x 13 wheels with 5" wide rims; sunshine roof; vinyl roof; tinted glass; tinted rear window; electrically-heated rear window; air-conditioning; light alloy wheels.

Accent Group equipment with more deluxe interior with wood-tone trim; Sports Accent Group equipment; Convenience Group equipment with white exterior paint and choice of two-tone orange or avocado accent paint; Luxury Decor Group equipment; back seat folding down to luggage table only for 2-dr. sedan.

The Squire equipment features faux wood side panelling 4-speed fully synchronized mechanical gearbox; vinyl roof and sunshine roof not available.