Ford Pinto A Success or Failure
Yank automakers occasionally take the brunt of the feedback for manufacturing models that are ugly, pointless, or downright deadly. Ford has had its share of beasts thru the years as well as many winners including the current Mustang for which demand cannot be met. For the thrill of it let’s have a look at some of the Ford models that have been derided down thru the years.
Model T – What?! How can the car that introduced mass production make the list? Well, the car was fine, but Mr. Henry Ford’s statement, “you can have any color you would like so long as it is black” has been ascribed with the upward thrust of General Motors [who gave its clients a choice in colors] which eventually dethroned Ford as the top automaker in the globe. No, the Model T was fine, but Mr. Ford’s marketing strategy was not.
Edsel – In September 1957, Ford launched a new division – Edsel – and introduced to America one of the weirdest looking cars. Sporting a “horse-collar” formed grille – some equated it with a toilet seat – the Edsel line was hyped by Ford and defied by buyers resolutely. Expecting to build two hundred thousand Edsels in its first year of production, only 63,000 were built. Other “radical” facets of the Edsel included a “floating” speedometer that glowed upon reaching a particular speed and an awkward push button transmission with controls attached to the heart of the steering wheel. Even with a quick refresh finished in time for the subsequent model year, the Edsel limped along only to be pulled one month after the 3rd model year cars were released.
Pinto – Hey, even I owned one! With a 2.3L inline 4 cylinder paired with a 4 speed manny tranny, the Pinto was Ford’s answer in the 1970s to the attack of Jap autos flooding the market. The compact rear wheel drive coupe, 3 door hatchback, or wagon sold reasonably well until disaster hit : the revelation the Pinto’s gas tank was capable of exploding during a rear impact shocked buyers away. Mercifully pulled after the 1980 model year ; replaced by the favored Escort.
Mustang II – Ford tarnished the Mustang name during the 1970s with this forgettable and hideous model. Resembling a swollen and stretched Pinto, the Mustang II was feeble, poorly made, and an awful competitor against its arch rival, the Camaro. All was forgiven by the early 1980s with the return of a newly designed Mustang. Today’s Mustang, on the other hand, is a sold-out success story as it took its styling cues from a Mustang of another time : the fastback vehicles of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Before you point your finger at Ford, don’t forget to recall some actually forgettable models, foreign and domestic. The Toyota Truck was panned for its hideous styling and for having an engine that had to be dropped from the engine bay to do a tune ; the Chevy Vega – a Pinto wannabe; AMC’s Pacer – the Jetson’s vehicle ; the Suzuki Samurai and Isuzu Rodeo – flip over experts ; the Yugo – a thinly redone 1960s time Fiat ; and countless other automobiles not worth the mention. You hope that automakers learn from their mistakes, but do not count on it. Maybe in another generation we are going to see a really forgettable Ford show up, except for now there is not one in the line up…hooray for that!.
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