1971 Ford Maverick

The success of the Mustang-inspired Ford to explore the economy and compact marketplace even further, introducing the Maverick on April 17, 1969, exactly five years after the 1965 Mustang. The company's 'Total Performance' factory racing program was ending, replaced by more economical products designed to adhere to tightening emissions, insurance, and safety regulations. Accordingly, Ford reorganized its model lines and re-emphasized economy at the expense of performance. Ford's compact model during the 1960s, the Falcon, was shifted to the newly redesigned Torino line as a lower-priced, mid-size offering. In its place was the new Maverick, initially available as a smoothly designed two-door five-passenger sedan.

Ford's new subcompact was very popular, ranked among the most successful new-car launch in the company's history, selling nearly 580,000 in the first year and coming close to eclipsing the Mustang's 1965 sales record (619,000 units). Put simply, it was the right car at the right time. Demand was so great, in fact, that Ford left the Maverick essentially unchanged for 1970.

The new Maverick was based on the existing Falcon chassis with power from a 170-CID inline six-cylinder engine and a choice of a three-speed, column-shifted manual transmission or a Cruise-O-Matic three-speed automatic. Options were few and economy and practicality were paramount, as with the original Falcon a decade earlier. The Mercury Comet stablemate arrived for 1971 and reprised the first-generation small Mercury. Special edition Mavericks included the Grabber, Sprint, and Stallion.

Ford continued to improve the Maverick year-over-year, updating the compact with staggered rear shocks, 5-lug spindles and axles, improved brakes, Grabber-style front grille with fog lamps, 'grab-handle' armrests and a glove compartment to replace the original instrument-panel package tray. In 1974, the Maverick adopted new federally mandated equipment in the form of front and rear 5 MPH bumpers, which included bumper guards and a chrome finish to complement the Maverick's sporty long-hood, short-rear-deck styling popularized by the Mustang. Between 1969 and 1977, Ford's North American Maverick production reached 2.1 million units.

The 1971 Ford Maverick
The 1971 Ford Maverick remained unchanged from the mid-year 1969 and 1970 model years, except for the addition of a four-door sedan and a 'Grabber' version of the two-door sedan. It continued to rest on the Falcon chassis with a 103-inch wheelbase and standard power being sourced from an overhead-valve, six-cylinder Thriftpower engine with 170 cubic-inch displacement, 8.7:1 compression, seven main bearings, a Motorcraft one-barrel carburetor, and 100 horsepower at 4,200 RPM. The 200 CID six produced 115 horsepower and the 250 CID six developed 145 hp at 4,000 RPM. A manual transmission was standard and a Cruise-O-Matic automatic was optional.

1971 was the first time Ford offered the Maverick with the optional 302 CID V8. It had overhead valves, five main bearings, a Motorcraft two-barrel carburetor, 9.0:1 compression, and developed 210 horsepower at 4,600 RPM. The Maverick Grabber trim package had been introduced in mid-1970 and continued into 1971. It was offered on the two-door sedan and came with larger tires, a spoiler, and unique graphics and trim. The Grabber was offered from 1970 to 1975 and during 1971 and 1972, it had a special 'dual dome' hood.

The two-door sedan was priced at $2,175, the four-door sedan at $2,235, and the two-door Grabber at $2,350. The addition of the 302 CID V8 boosted the base price by approximately $170. The two-door sedan was the most popular with 159,726 examples sold, followed by 73,208 of the four-door sedan, and 38,963 of the two-door Grabber.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2022