It's one of the worst ways to die in a car crash - survive the crash, but get trapped inside and burn to death. This IIHS report - dated May 29, 1973 - shows that scenario was a likely one in cars of the era. Six 1973-model cars - a Chevy Vega, a Ford Pinto, an AMC Ambassador, a Plymouth Fury, an Opel 1900, and a Toyota Corona - were rear-ended at 36-40 mph. One of the vehicles caught fire spontaneously, while all six leaked fuel at such a rate that a fire could have occurred.
Surprisingly, it wasn't the Pinto that caught fire - it was the Toyota. In fact, the Pinto's performance was no worse than many other vehicles of the era. It was appallingly bad and a death trap in rear end crashes - but so were the vast majority of cars being made at the time.
Surprisingly, it wasn't the Pinto that caught fire - it was the Toyota. In fact, the Pinto's performance was no worse than many other vehicles of the era. It was appallingly bad and a death trap in rear end crashes - but so were the vast majority of cars being made at the time.
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