Part 3/8:
Lee Iacocca, Ford’s Vice President at the time, recognized the growing trend of sub-compact cars and pushed for the development of the Pinto. The Pinto was positioned to capture the first-time buyer market, with Iacocca wagering that these drivers would likely return to Ford for future purchases. Thus, amidst a backdrop of intense competition, Ford approved the Pinto’s production with ambitious guidelines: it had to weigh no more than 2,000 pounds and cost less than $2,000.