From Sports Cars To Trucks

Alongside the F-Series pickup trucks, Ford’s other longstanding model has been the Mustang. Outside of those two, they have cycled through quite a number of cars, particularly when it comes to compact cars and sedans. Seemingly, every few years, they scrap one model in favor of a new name. This started with the Ford Falcon, which first hit the market in 1959 (model year 1960). The major American automakers weren’t in the business of compact cars in those days, but according to Automotive History, they saw the rise of the cheaper, more efficient European cars taking hold of the marketplace and wanted to change that.

Sales were strong at first, but by the end of the 1960s, they were dropping, due in no small part to the more desirable Mustang, which entered the market in 1964. Ford decided to abandon the Falcon brand, and they introduced the Ford Maverick in its place. They were priced at just $1,995 in 1969, according to “Ford: 1903 to 1984” by David L. Lewis, Mike McCarville, and Lorin Sorensen. It was designed to compete with the European compact cars and the influx of Japanese vehicles making their way stateside. Thanks to the 1973 gas crisis, the efficient Maverick enjoyed some success.

However, that success was short-lived before Ford dropped the Maverick brand in favor of the newer Fairmont model in 1977. After just eight years, the Maverick was gone and expected never to be heard from again.