Not Another Piece about a Pinto Explosion
If you know anything about cars, you probably are aware of the fact that the Ford Pinto was one dangerous car. If the Ford Pinto explosions predate your car memories, a simple Internet search will fill you in. Just like the title says, the piece is not about the explosions that caused Ford to stop manufacturing the cars. This piece is actually about how people are still driving the Ford Pinto and why they continue to do so.
Interestingly, Ford Pinto has its very own car club. The Ford Pinto Car Club of America (PCCA) has at least 700 members who are active on the club’s website. PCCA has been in existence since 1999 as a way to bring Pinto lovers together. Pinto drivers in different areas of the country regularly drive their Pintos to gatherings like car shows, swap meets, and rallies. Even if you are not a Pinto driver, you can check out the forums, articles, and photo galleries. One unique feature of the PCCA is their own “official” Pinto poet “Pintosopher” who spouts amazing knowledge about the car that was once known as the “little carefree car” but became the “barbeque that seats four.”
If you continue to love the Ford Pinto, but you are not keen on joining a car club, there is one big event you might want to attend a Pinto Stampede. This is an annual event that began in 2011. The first Stampede was a cross-country driving event with the purpose of celebrating the 40th anniversary of the controversial little car. Since that first Stampede, Pinto lovers have staged Mini-Stampede where drivers rally in their states instead of across the country. There are at least 400 Pintos and their drivers that show up at the annual events and the event for 2014 promises to be just as popular.
Pinto Stampede participants get a swag bag filled with goodies like an owner car, a color calendar with the participant’s car in the pages, as well as other car-related items. The 2014 event starts in Dearborn, Michigan at the Ford Product Development Center in July. If you want more information, check out the Pinto Stampede website.
