From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the 1970s compact car. For other uses of the name, see Ford Maverick.
The Ford Maverick was compact car manufactured from April 1969-1977 in the USA, Canada, Mexico and from 1973 to 1979 in Brazil — employing a rear wheel drive platform dating to the original 1960 Falcon. Originally marketed as a 2-door sedan at an initial price of USD$1,995, the Maverick was designed to be inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.
The term Maverick derived from the name of unbranded range animal.
History
The Maverick's styling featured a long hood, fastback roof, and short deck on a 103-inch wheelbase — and featured simple and inexpensive to manufacture pop-out rear side windows rather than roll-down windows.
Internal and external resistance to a "Mustang replacement" meant that the Maverick would actually be replacing the Ford Falcon. The Falcon's sales had already been decimated by the introduction of the Mustang in 1964, and despite a redesign in 1966, the Falcon was left without a place in the Ford lineup. The Falcon was discontinued early in the 1970 model year after a few thousand units were produced as basically warmed over 1969 models, but the Falcon name was used on stripped down versions of the mid-sized Ford Torino during the second half of the 1970 model run.
Nearly 579,000 Mavericks were produced in its first year. This rivaled the record-setting first year of Mustang sales (nearly 619,000), and easily outpaced the Mustang's sales of less than 200,000 in 1970.
Trim packages and variants
The Maverick had several different models. Initially, only the standard coupe was available. Early models lacked a true glove box to save on costs, but the glove box was added in 1973. A four-door sedan on a 109-inch wheelbase was introduced in 1971 and was also well received despite lacking the distinctive fastback of the coupe, as it had significantly more room in the back seat and roll-down rear door windows. A rare station wagon version of the Maverick was introduced in Brazil in 1975, not as a regular option, but at a local dealer who made it from the four-door sedan.
Some of the exterior paint options had unusual names, such as Anti-Establish Mint, Hulla Blue, Original Cinnamon, Freudian Gilt, Thanks Vermillion, Black Jade, Champagne Gold, Gulfstream Aqua, Meadowlark Yellow, Brittany Blue, Lime Gold, Dresden Blue, Raven Black, Wimbledon White, and Candyapple Red.(SEEN ABOVE)
In the first half of production for the 1970 model, there were only two available engine options, a 170 CID I6 and a 200 CID I6. A 250 CID I6 was added mid-year. Commercials compared it to the smaller Volkswagen Beetle for $1,995, even though the Ford Pinto would later be Ford's real subcompact entry.
The four-door model was introduced in 1971. Also available was a vinyl roof. Mercury also revived the Mercury Comet as a mechanical clone of the Maverick. A 210-horsepower 302 CID V8 (SEEN ABOVE)was also introduced for both the Comet and the Maverick. The Comet featured a new grille, taillights borrowed from the Mercury Montego, trim, and hood.
The muscle car-themed Grabber trim package was introduced in mid-1970. The package included special graphics and trim, including a spoiler. It was offered from 1970-1975. In 1971 and 1972, the Grabber came with a special "Dual Dome" hood. A similar package for the Mercury Comet, the Comet GT, was also offered from 1971-1975 and had "muscle car" trim akin to the Maverick Grabber, plus its own distinctive hood scoop.
A Sprint package was offered in 1972. The Sprint had a special red, white, and blue paint job with a matching interior. Similar packages were offered on the Pinto and the Mustang. The one year trim package was said to have been a patriotic theme for the 1972 Olympics. U.S. versions were given a stylized U.S. flag made into a badge decal on the rear quarter panels. The badge was very much in the vein of Olympic symbols, but without being too close, to avoid stepping on copyrights. As an interesting side note, the Sprints sold in Canada were still red, white, and blue, but had a quarter badge styled from the Canadian flag!
A new "Luxury Decor Option" (LDO) trim level was introduced late in the 1972 model year that included reclining bucket seats in a soft vinyl material, plush carpeting, woodgrained instrument panel trim, radial tires with body-color deluxe wheel covers and a vinyl roof. The Maverick LDO option (also offered on the Mercury Comet) was one of the first American compacts to be marketed as a lower-priced (and domestic) alternative to the more expensive European luxury/touring sedans from Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and other makes.
Minor changes were made from 1973-1975. In 1973, the 170 CID engine was dropped, making the 200 CID I6 the standard engine. Additionally, improved brakes and a previously optional chrome grille became standard. An AM/FM stereo, aluminum wheels and a new front bumper were added (the latter to comply with new federal regulations). In 1974, the Maverick was unchanged except for rear federal bumpers and larger trunk with a higher deck. Jumping gas prices and increasing demand for smaller cars resulting from the Arab Oil embargo did cause the Maverick to grow in popularity, selling 10,000 more units than the year before. Production of the Maverick and Comet dropped in 1975 with the release of the Ford Granada and Mercury Monarch as true Euro-style luxury compacts. The Maverick received minor trim changes for 1975 that included new grilles and the replacement of Maverick nameplates on the hood and trunklid with FORD nameplates spelled out in block letters.
In 1976 the Grabber was dropped, and a Stallion package was introduced. The Stallion option came with special paint and trim. Like the Sprint package four years earlier, Ford offered the Stallion option on several models, this time including the Pinto and the new Mustang II. The Comet GT was also discontinued. Standard Mavericks received another new grille and gained front disc brakes as standard equipment along with a new foot-operated parking brake that replaced the old under-dash T-handle unit. Production continued to drop.
1977 was the final year for both the Maverick and Comet. Both cars remained unchanged except for a police package on the Maverick which was not sufficiently upgraded for police work and sold less than 400 units. The Maverick was produced in Brazil until 1979. Maverick's place in the North American Ford lineup was essentially taken by the 1978 Fairmont.
The Maverick and Comet saw no significant changes towards the end of their lifespan since they were originally meant to be replaced in 1975 by the Granada and Monarch. However, Ford decided to keep selling both sets of cars until the 1978 model year introduction of the Ford Fairmont and Mercury Zephyr, which were built on an all-new "Fox" platform that would serve as the basic platform for many Ford/Mercury/Lincoln designs through the mid-1980s.
Legacy
The Maverick inspired other fastback or semi-fastback compacts, most notably the Plymouth Duster which grafted a curvaceous rear to the front of the boxy Plymouth Valiant. The Plymouth Volaré/Dodge Dart, Chevrolet Nova and even the AMC Hornet would also adopt fastback rooflines in the 1970s.
Despite being one of Ford Motor Company's most successful cars, the Maverick/Comet has not reached the popularity of the Mustang, and is still overlooked by most classic car enthusiasts. As they grow in age and rarity, the cars have been making a resurgence in popularity. The Maverick was produced in toy form as the Hot Wheels "Mighty Maverick" and a Mini Lindy model. In general, Maverick models and toys are few and far between, but in 2006, WalMart carried a new die cast line of small Fords including the Maverick (produced in 1/24 scale by MotorMax). Jo-Han models produced a promotional plastic model for Ford dealers for the wildly popular 1970-1972 model years, providing the only true scale model of the unsung Ford nameplate.
LITTLE MORE MAVERICK HISTORY
Ford Maverick
Wikicars, a place to share your automotive knowledge
Ford introduced the compact Maverick in April, 1969, as an early 1970 model to replace the outgoing Falcon, which was dropped after the 1969 model year (although the name did live on briefly in 1970 as a base model Torino). Ford initially saw the Maverick as an import-fighter for cars such as the Toyota Corolla and Volkswagen Beetle, although most would agree that the subcompact Pinto, introduced a year later, was much better suited for that role. The Maverick was initially available only as a 2-door "fastback" sedan, but a 4-door sedan model would follow in 1971. No station wagon model would be offered. According to several Ford insiders, the Maverick was originally slated to be either a full Mustang replacement or the newest restyling of the Mustang, but of course neither scenario came true. The Maverick carried on thru the 1977 model year (with its corporate twin, the Mercury Comet) with only minor changes until it was replaced by the Fairmont in 1978. This report covers both the Maverick and Comet, except where noted.
Here's a quick rundown:
1970-1977
The standard 1970 Maverick coupe was built to a price ($1995 starting price to be exact), and lacked such features as roll-down rear quarter windows (pop-out windows were as good as it got) and a glovebox door to help keep costs down to a minimum. 3 I6 engines were available, starting with the base 2.8L (170 cid) I6 that was carried over from the previous Falcon. The larger 3.3L (200 cid) was optional, and the 4.1L (250 cid) I6 was added as a mid-year option (also carryovers from the Falcon). 3- and 4-speed manual transmissions, along with a 3-speed automatic, were available on all engines. A musclecar-inspired Grabber package was another mid-year offering, but with no V8 engine, the Maverick Grabber was clearly outgunned by compact rivals such as the Dodge Dart Swinger 340 and the Chevrolet Nova SS. Grabbers had special decals and unique blacked-out grilles with the parking lights up beside the headlights versus underneath the bumper for standard Mavericks. The 1970 Maverick was a major sales success for Ford, with nearly 579,000 units sold, a first year sales record bettered only by Ford's own Mustang in 1965, and certainly held its own with its rivals from Chrysler and GM.
1971 Mavericks were nearly identical to the 1970 models, but 3 major things happened to the Maverick this year: the addition of a 4-door sedan (with a 6" longer wheelbase and actual roll-down rear windows), a V8 option (the 5.0L 302 cid unit), and the gain of a corporate twin, the Mercury Comet, which differed from the Maverick by offering slightly more upscale trim, a different grille, hood, and individual taillight units borrowed from its larger Montego brother. All drivetrain choices continued from the previous year, and the Grabber model (and likewise Comet GT) could have a V8 this year (along with a dual domed hood) - still paling in comparison to its rivals, but at least Ford made an effort. For 1972, the Sprint option was offered on the Maverick only, which had a special white with blue and red trim paint scheme (also shared with the Pinto and Mustang), and could be had with any drivetrain. A new Luxury Decor Option (LDO) package was offered on both models, which dressed up the interior somewhat by including reclining bucket seats in a soft vinyl material, plush carpeting, woodgrained instrument panel trim, radial tires with body-color deluxe wheel covers and a vinyl roof. The LDO was pretty much mandatory if you didn't want your base Maverick or Comet resembling a bare-bones taxicab.
1973 Mavericks and Comets both had larger federally-mandated front 5 MPH bumpers and (wonder of wonders) a real glovebox door. The rarely-ordered 170 cid I6 was dropped, the 200 I6 was now the base engine. Other drivetrain and transmission choices continued unchanged. Grabber models got revised larger decals. In 1974, the rear bumper was enlarged to comply with the new federal standard, and the Grabber grille was now standard on all Mavericks. In 1975, Ford introduced a new line of compact/intermediates, the Ford Granada and Mercury Monarch, prompting many to wonder if this would spell the end of the Maverick and Comet, but Ford decided there was room enough for both the Maverick and Granada, so the Maverick and Comet stayed on and continued with very little change. Catalytic converters were introduced this year (depending where the cars were sold), so some Mavericks and Comets started requiring unleaded gasoline. The Maverick received other minor trim changes for 1975 that included another new grille and the replacement of Maverick nameplates on the hood and trunklid with FORD nameplates spelled out in block letters. Speedometers now read 100 MPH (down from 120) and got revised gauge graphics.
In 1976, the Grabber and Comet GT models were dropped, but Ford offered a new paint and decal Stallion package on the Maverick as a quasi-replacement and could be had with any engine option. Mavericks received another new grille (which was now divided in the middle) and gained front disc brakes as standard equipment along with a new foot-operated parking brake that replaced the old under-dash T-handle unit. Sales started falling on both models as they were getting a bit long-in-the-tooth - Chrysler had just replaced the Dodge Dart and Plymouth Valiant with the Aspen and Volare this year, and GM had an all-new Chevrolet Nova a year prior, not to mention Ford's own Granada and Monarch were making the Maverick look old-hat. 1977 Mavericks and Comets held on for one more year in 1977 with virtually no changes. The Maverick would be replaced by an all-new Ford Fairmont in 1978, and the Comet would give way to the Fairmont-twin Zephyr.
Main Competitors
