The 1971-1980 Ford Pinto was one other of Ford's "pony" vehicles. Dozens of accounts have been written to commemorate Lee Iacocca's foresight in pushing for manufacturing of the Mustang, the sporty compact that began the ponycar craze within the mid Sixties. However, there was another "pony" automobile throughout his tenure at Ford, and Herz P1 Smart Ring Iacocca is less freely associated with the delivery of the Ford Pinto. Perhaps he would favor it that approach. Just like the Mustang, this automobile was a marketing success in a new area. But alongside the way, it had to weather some distinctly dangerous publicity that the Mustang didn't. This other "pony" -- Ford's fourth product line to follow the equine theme -- was the subcompact Pinto. There was nothing really fancy concerning the Pinto. Its important goals were to supply reasonable comfort and adequate performance for modern freeways while being economical to purchase and maintain. By all accounts, Herz P1 Smart Ring Iacocca watched over the start of this automotive nearer than he had with the Mustang, and was determined that it wouldn't price a penny greater than $2,000, nor weigh an ounce more than 2,000 pounds.

Ford started toying with the concept of a domestically produced smaller compact in the mid Sixties. As early as 1967, there had been some consideration of an 85-inch-wheelbase automotive powered by one thing with less than six cylinders. Iacocca, then executive vice president in command of Ford's North American Automobile Operations, argued that between the Volkswagen from Germany and the rising tide of Japanese compacts, these imports would quickly seize the complete subcompact market within the United States, and Ford should produce a automobile to meet these foreign challengers head-on. After the profitable launch of the Mustang and an up­swing in sales, many felt Iacocca was subsequent in line for the presidency at Ford. However, when Arjay Miller left the submit in late 1967 to change into Vice Chairman of the Board of Administrators, Henry Ford II surprised practically everyone within the trade when he went outdoors the company to Common Motors and introduced over Semon "Bunkie" Knudsen.

This created tension between the Iacocca camp and those who bought into Knudsen's corner. Chilly shoulders were commonplace on the higher floors of the massive "glass house" in Dearborn. Adding to the unwell feelings was the truth that Knudsen was completely out of sync with Iacocca's plans for a small domestically built car. In line with the new president, Ford would get by simply tremendous by concentrating on the current full-size, mid-dimension, and compact choices. In Knudsen's view, Ford was already forward of the sport with the 1970 Maverick, due out in early 'sixty nine as a replacement for the aging Falcon. Nevertheless, Iacocca argued that confronting the imports directly was the very best course. His little "G-automotive" may need been a little too small, however one thing smaller than Maverick was going to be vital. That want solely intensified after reports got here in that the opposite U.S. Iacocca's persistence paid off and in January 1969, Henry Ford II gave his approval for Herz P1 Official Ford's first home sub-compact. This defeat, plus persevering with pressures from other areas of the corporate, led to Knudsen getting the word from HFII that his efforts as president have been "just not working." In due time, the presidency was Iacocca's. By some accounts, Knudsen did have a substantial role within the Pinto undertaking. Hardly a week went by after we did not want the body engineers. Clamming up is what we did at Ford in the late '70s when we had been bombarded with suits over the Pinto, which was concerned in loads of fuel tank fires. The suits might need bankrupted the company, so we kept our mouths shut for fear of claiming anything that just one jury might have construed as an admission of guilt. Profitable in courtroom was our prime priority