Ford Pinto
Upon release the Pinto was received with both positive and negative reviews. "Road & Track" faulted the suspension and standard drum brakes, calling the latter a "serious deficiency," but praised the proven 1.6 L "Kent" engine, adapted from European Fords. The larger "2300 inline-4" found in the Chevrolet Vega was an innovative, brand new design using an aluminum alloy block and iron head, but needed more development work as initially released. "Super Stock Magazine" found the fit and finish to be "superior" and were impressed with the car overall. "Car and Driver" found the Pinto, when equipped with the larger 2.0L engine and front disc brakes, to be a nimble and powerful commuter car with good visibility and sports-car feel. A review of the 1974 Pinto with an automatic transmission by "Car and Driver" was not as favorable noting significant decreases in mileage and acceleration.
Economy car
The Ford Pinto was introduced one day after the Vega. It was small, economical, and a top seller. However, it had a key safety design fault - the position of the fuel tank meant that it would be crushed in a rear-end collision, creating a major fire risk. Ford Company memos presented as evidence during the civil trials revealed that these remedies were discussed, with the conclusion that to shut down production and retool would be too expensive. Official memos published in "Mother Jones" detailed a cost analysis of corporate liability in the event of having to compensate crash victims. The "Ford Pinto memo" ruthlessly calculated the cost of reinforcing the rear end ($121 million) versus the potential payout to victims (). The Ford Pinto engine though was successful in European Fords for twenty years, in successive mid and large European sized mainstay models of the; UK Ford Cortina, German Ford Taunus, the Ford Sierra, and the Ford Granada amongst others.