In 1977, car shoppers in the United States had a wide selection of 47 different models of station wagons to choose from, tying it with the 1964 model year. Ford was known as the Wagonmaster during the 1970s and offered three different sizes of station wagons with Ford badges, along with three additional wagon models with Mercury emblems. One of these models was the compact Pinto, which is the subject of this discussion. The Pinto was introduced in 1971 and proved to be popular due to the oil crisis caused by OPEC a few years later. Over three million Pintos were sold by the time production ended in 1980. The wagon version of the Pinto was available from 1972 until the end of production.
The Pinto was developed for the North American market in Michigan, but all its available engines were European designs. Initially, buyers could choose between a 1.6-liter version of the pushrod Kent straight-four engine or a 2.0-liter version of the SOHC four-cylinder engine. In 1974, the engine was increased to 2.3 liters, and in 1975, the 2.8-liter Cologne V6 engine became an option. The car featured in this discussion likely has the original 2.3-liter engine with 89 horsepower and 120 pound-feet of torque. It was available with either a four-speed manual or a three-speed automatic transmission.
Pinto sales reached their peak in 1974, with over half a million units sold. However, sales declined afterward, particularly after the release of the “Pinto Madness” article by Mother Jones in 1977, which resulted in negative publicity and jokes about the car’s safety. Despite its condition, this particular Pinto has lasted longer than most other wagons from 1977. It features an aftermarket AM/FM/8-track player and appears to have aftermarket or dealer-installed air conditioning. The meaning of the “P/C” fan setting is unknown. Although not worth restoring due to its grimy, battered, and rusty state, the Pinto managed to become the best-selling wagon in its class, surpassing competitors like the Datsun B210, Toyota Corolla, and Honda Civic.