Syllabus

Nova, March 22, 2021

February 24, 2021 by Peter Terezakis Leave a Comment

Ethics V. Corporate/Management Ethics

"The 1971 Ford Pinto was rushed into production to fight imported sub-compact cars. In the 1960s and 1970s, the typical car took 43 months to design and build; the Pinto had just 25. It quickly became obvious that corners were cut.... " — Did Pintos really explode in the 1970s?

Ford Motor Company became the first American corporation to be criminally prosecuted when it was charged with reckless homicide. Three girls died in a fire after their Ford Pinto was struck in the rear and burst into flames; their families claimed that the fire was attributable to the Pinto’s faulty fuel tank design. Although it was acquitted of the criminal charges, Ford paid damages totaling well over $100 million in civil suits arising from explosions of Pinto fuel tanks; recalled 1.5 million Pintos; and ceased production of the car. This animated video is part of the Virtual Museum of Law, presented by the State Bar of Georgia’s Law-Related Education Program and funded by the Cornerstones of Freedom® program.