David's Ford Maverick Page

                  Maverick History   

The Ford Maverick was introduced to the world on April 17, 1969, five years to the day of the introduction of the Ford Mustang and the only new car to achieve similar sales success. Maverick's 1970 model year production totaled 579,000 units, 5,000 more than the '65 Mustang in an equal period of time. The car Maverick replaced, the Falcon continued into 1970 (becoming a stripped down Torino mid-year) but did not return for 1971.

The Maverick was joined by its mechanical twin the Comet in 1971. Other Maverick Models followed, the Grabber ('71-'75), Stallion ('76), a four door sedan ('71-'77), the Sprint ('72), Comet GT ('71-'75), and the Comet four door sedan ('71-'77). Along with these named models, various trim and performance options were also made available through the years.

Through the years Maverick and Comet production fell, but increased during times of high fuel prices. In 1975 Ford introduced the Granada and Mercury Monarch, these larger cars based on the Maverick chassis caused a decline in Maverick and Comet sales. Production of the Maverick and Comet came to an end in 1977 when Ford introduced the Fairmont and Mercury Zephyr, the first of the Fox platform cars. Total Maverick & Comet production came to 2,586,675 cars.

Engine and transmission options varied between models and what the customer ordered. A person could order a Grabber with optional bucket seats and floor shift automatic or standard transmission and still retain a 6 cylinder powerplant. These cars, no matter what year, could be built to a customer's specifications. They came in several color and color combinations over their lifespan, several interior options and quite a few drivetrain options. I believe this to be a big reason why the Maverick production was such a success. Someone could have a car tailored specificly to their needs while retaining a good value for their money.