Some Of History's Most Unique and Unusual Cars and Trucks

The Car That Made Ralph Nader Famous

The Pinto was a Ford classic. It was stylish, sleek, small, and sporty. But, very quickly after its release, people started to notice a common problem. Ford engineers decided to place the gas tank between the rear bumper, and the rear axle. This costly mistake meant that during a rear-end collision, the gas tank was likely to be punctured and ignite, endangering everyone inside both vehicles. But, Ford didn't want to fix the problem.

It was the Pinto specifically that led consumer advocate and future third-party Presidential candidate Ralph Nader to write his famous book, "Unsafe At Any Speed."