Does the doctrine of strict liability apply to a defective product or manufacture?

In Gherna v. Ford Motor Co. (1966) 246 Cal.App.2d 639, the product was an automobile in which defective design or manufacture (relating to wiring or placement of the transmission dipstick next to the exhaust manifold) caused a fire, destroying the vehicle. The court did not suggest the product had injured only itself, thus rendering the loss purely economic. Rather, it found the law "settled that the doctrine of strict liability applies to physical harm to person or property." (Id. at p. 649, italics added.)