Maverick: A Forgotten Ford

For the 1970-1977 model years, Ford produced a "compact car" (in the American sense of the term) called the Maverick.  It was briefly (until the Ford Pinto was introduced) the smallest car in Ford's lineup, and sold well during the 1970 model year as this Wikipedia entry indicates.

Mavericks were available with V-8 motors as well as in-line sixes, so some could be advertised as "muscle cars" and a few were even sold to police departments.  But basically the Maverick's role in the marketplace was as an affordable, utilitarian car.

As for its styling, it was pleasant for the two-door version.  It had a typically thin roof line of its era that smoothly transitioned into a convex sort of fastback.  The sides featured a horizontal character line that bumped over the wheel well openings for added visual interest.  The grille was a nondescript, but functional, egg-crate design set above bumpers that strike us today as flimsy (they were beefed-up in later years to conform to government regulations).

Four-door Mavericks were less attractive, perhaps because they were slightly longer and had a bustle-back trunk area.

Gallery

Maverick two-door - 1972
This is one of the earlier two-door models with the sketchy front bumper.

Maverick four-door from around 1975
A view of a four-door Maverick with a two-door in the background.  Despite what this advertisement's headline wants us to believe, the Maverick was never a luxury car.  Note the stronger bumpers on these later Mavericks.

Profile views of 1973 Mavericks
This catalog fragment is included to illustrate the roof line variations.