Everyone knows the story of the Ford pinto, it is a story full of controversy and debate. When the 1970’s came around so did the 1973 gas crisis, by this time car manufactures had already started offering affordable options for drivers that saved on gas and were a great alternative to the gas guzzling V8’s.

These cars included the Chevy Vega, AMC Gremlin, Ford Pinto, among others. The Pinto was introduced in 1971 and by the end of the year had sold over 100,000 units. It was affordable, costing less than $2,000. But the controversy wouldn’t be far behind as the car would be subject to much debate about the safety of the vehicle, particularly in rear impacts. A article in Mother Jones ( Mother Jones is a nonprofit news organization that specializes in investigative, political, and social justice reporting.) accused Ford after months of investigation into the pinto, “Ford knows the Pinto is a firetrap, yet it has paid out millions to settle damage suits out of court, and it is prepared to spend millions more lobbying against safety standards.”

There were much more allegations made in this particular story and others. Ford would eventually recall the pinto in 1978. We’ve just came across a video showcasing the legendary crash test between a 1971 Chevrolet Impala and a 1972 Ford Pinto. It’s easy to see from the video just how dangerous the pinto was. It’s incredible that more people weren’t injured from driving these cars. Imagine how bad it could of been if there wasn’t a fire crew so close, like in every day driving. Look at also how little damage the Impala takes from the collision. But the fire not only makes things dangerous for the Ford drivers but look how the flames surround the impala also.

It makes you really appreciate the automotive safety standards that cars have to meet today.