In this episode I provide the history of the original Ford Maverick, first offered as a compact coupe in 1969 for the 1970 model year. A 4-door sedan was added to the lineup a year later. The Maverick was intended to compete with subcompact Japanese imports, but the Maverick's 6 and 8-cylinder engine options, as well as being a compact and not subcompact, meant it didn't slow down the import sales. However the Maverick was a hot seller at first, selling nearly 600,000 in its first year. But when Ford added the Pinto to the lineup in 1971, and the Granada in 1975, they took away from the Maverick's sales. By 1977, the Maverick car reached its last year, however Ford kept the name and used it on SUV's and trucks in Australia and Europe during the 1990s, and a twin to the Ford Escape in Europe in the 2000s. Today the Maverick lives on as a compact pickup since 2022.
