Five decades after Ford launched the Pinto to counter a tide of small imports, the compact’s fuel-tank fires and the courtroom fight that followed still echo through American product-safety law. Built ...

Then, on May 28, 1972, Lilly Gray was driving her six-month-old Pinto down a stretch of California’s Interstate 15 when the engine stumbled and stalled. A 1962 Ford Galaxie braked hard and rear-ended ...

Due to the location of its fuel tank, when involved in a collision, the Pinto was more susceptible to explosions than a typical car. As detailed by MotorTrend, the Pinto’s fuel tank was located ...