Boeing sends 737 Max to brand rehab to avoid fate of Ford Pinto

Boeing’s 737 Max is about to join the list of brands trying to come back from ignominy. Analysts are digging into decades-old safety scares for clues to the future of the jetliner -- and Boeing’s finances. There’s the Chevrolet Corvair rollovers that launched Ralph Nader as a consumer advocate in the 1960s, gas-tank explosions that sank Ford’s Pinto in the 1970s, and the Tylenol poisonings of 1982 that spurred tamper-proof packaging. But there’s little precedent for the tangle of safety, regulatory and financial issues buffeting a workhorse jet that’s vital to sustaining the surge in global air travel. After 2 crashes of the aircraft model in 5 months and a grounding that’s nearing the 2-month mark, some nervous passengers are vowing to avoid the Max. <br/>