1953 Maverick Speedster Speedster

With its Jaguar-esque fadeaway fenders, a dramatic boattail, and Cadillac V-8 power, the 1953 Maverick was a big, bold two-seater. It stretched over sixteen feet in length, with an impressively long hood and deck, a tiny cockpit, and a rakish split windshield. Buyers had their choice of one, two, or no doors at all. Approximately seven Mavericks were made.

'The Maverick Sportster is a Land-Bound Pegasus with airborne power and cloud-like riding quality' (Maverick Sportster brochure 1953) The Maverick Sportster was designed by Sterling 'Smoke' Gladwin, Jr. of Mountain View, California, who was a retired aeronautical engineer having worked for Boeing and Lockheed during and after World War II. He was fascinated with the elegance of pre-war automobile design. Gladwin built a postwar boulevard sports car with modern power and classic lines- the result was the Maverick Sportster. He built the first Maverick for himself using a 1940 LaSalle chassis and a flathead Cadillac V8 engine. His company, Maverick Motors then built the remaining six cars for customers using postwar Cadillac chassis with 331 cubic inch OHV Cadillac engines.

This Maverick was originally owned by Smoke and Myrtle Gladwin. Smoke retained this and another Maverick his entire life. The Maverick is known as America's last boattail speedster and is often regarded as America's Postwar Duesenberg.