The Ford Pinto was the first subcompact car produced by Ford and it was sold from 1971 to 1980 in different versions.
It was available in three body styles: a 2-door fastback, a 3-door hatchback and a 2-door station wagon. Rebadged versions of the Pinto were offered by Mercury, which sold the vehicle under the Mercury Bobcat nameplate.

The first version of the Pinto released in 1971 had a brand new platform and borrowed the powertrain from the European Ford Escort model, costing around $2000. The Pinto had the shortest production planning schedule in automotive history at that time. It only took 25 months from conception to delivery, while the industry’s average was at around 43 months.

The Pinto’s story is still a sad one, as the Ford company was involved in a trial, being sued by the family of a boy who suffered third-degree burns on over 90% of his body. What’s the connection, you might ask? The steel fuel tank was located behind the rear axle,just behind the bumper. The car the boy was in was involved in an accident, the car was struck from behind, the fuel tank ruptured, thus provoking severe burns. Ford had to pay $3.5 million. Some say that this car contributed to today’s improved automotive safety.