V6 Variant: 1975 Ford Pinto Wagon – SOLD!

January 29, 2023 Update – The seller lowered their asking price by ten percent, dropping from the original ask of $10,000 to $9,000, and sold the car that day for the lowered asking price!  While this one got away, please reach out either by email or call us directly if you’d like to be informed when we come across something similar.

As expanding emissions regulations challenged automotive engineers to develop equipment before the advent of computer controls, among the easiest solution in their 1970s arsenal was to lower engine compression ratios. The net effect was much less power. Consequently, automotive companies started offering larger engines to compensate.  For example, the compact Ford Pinto launched in 1971 offered two inline-fours. However, by 1975, Ford expanded Pinto’s engine offering to include a 2.8 Liter V6.

This green 1975 Ford Pinto Squire wagon, last listed in January 2023 on Craigslist in Irvine, California (Orange County) is a nicely optioned example featuring the 2.8L V6, power steering, power brakes, automatic transmission, and factory air conditioning. The seller reports their Pinto features fresh paint and notes the car runs and drives well.

Sold for $9,000 (the original ask was $10,000), Classic.com, the analytics and search engine for the collector car market, confirms the sale price is slightly below the one-year rolling average of this guide’s summary for all Pinto body styles and powertrains produced between 1971 and 1980.  By clicking on the green dots in the graph below, you can navigate to each comparable car sold as a way to help you evaluate the price of the Squire Wagon featured here:

As a second data point, the  Collector Car Market Review Online Tool reveals the seller’s ask falls between this guide’s #2 Very Good” estimate of $7,600 and its #1 “Excellent” appraisal of $12,300 before factoring in a fifteen percent premium for working factory A/C and the more desirable V6 engine.

Ford manufactured and marketed the Ford Pinto for the 1971 through 1980 model years. The smallest American Ford vehicle since 1907, the Pinto was the first subcompact vehicle produced by Ford in North America. In February 1972, the Pinto station wagon debuted with an overall length of 172.7 inches and up to 60.5 cubic feet of cargo volume.  The first 2-door Ford station wagon since the 1965 Falcon, the Pinto wagon came equipped with flip-open rear quarter windows. Along with front disc brakes, the 2.0 Liter engine was standard equipment. A Pinto Squire wagon featured faux wood side paneling similar to the full-size Country Squire.

In 1974, to meet federal regulations, Ford engineers added five-mile-per-hour bumpers to both the front and rear ends. Unlike most 1970s cars, the addition of larger bumpers to the Pinto did not necessitate major changes to the bodywork. While Ford dropped the underpowered Kent engine, the optional OHC engine was expanded to 2.3 L; in various forms, this engine powered a variety of Ford vehicles for 23 years.

In 1975, in a move to better compete with the AMC Gremlin, Ford introduced the 2.8 L V6; while far less powerful than the Gremlin’s standard 232 cu in (3.8 L) I6, the V6 gave the Pinto a feature unavailable in the Chevrolet Vega.

The Osborn Tramain® YouTube Channel features this 1975 Ford Pinto and Maverick TV commercial:

Oddly, while the seller indicates their 1975 Ford Pinto wagon for sale features fresh paint, the faux wood paneling trim has not been restored.  Impressive is the like-new condition of the original interior.  Assuming this Pinto has spent its entire life in southern California, we expect the underside remains rust-free; however, we would ask the seller for pictures of that and the engine bay to confirm.

Here’s the seller’s description:

Show or go: What would you do with this survivor-quality 1975 Ford Pinto wagon?  Please comment below and let us know!