Was the Probe originally meant to be a new generation of the Mustang?

[F250]

And if you wanted the *really* hot setup, you ordered that 302 Maverick with the famous "Grabber" package.

 

Although I personally think the '70-'71 versions were much more attractive

 

Cool pictures.

That Maverick was the same size as a 1965 Mustang and had the same platform, front and rear suspension with 5-lug wheels and a standard straight-6 cyl or optional small block V8 engine. Even with it's standard straight-6 engine a '74 Maverick would out run a top-of-the-line '74 Mustang Mach-1 with it's torqueless little V6.

 

As I recall the Maverick out sold the Mustang from 1971-1973. Your pictures illustrate how the government's 5-MPH bumpers added a lot of weight and ruined the looks of most cars of that era.

[RichardJensen]

I think Ford would look like they were putting forth more effort to win over those predestined to buy the Japanese models.

Effort is sooooo not cool these days.

 

Seriously, like the company that made these:

 

Is now 'cool' because of products like this:

 

Same brand, same logo.

 

"Motorola"

 

Lead times are much longer in the automobile biz, but products like the Edge and Fusion along with a sustained commitment to the 'bold moves' campaign will work.

[Sizzler]

Cool pictures.

That Maverick was the same size as a 1965 Mustang and had the same platform, front and rear suspension with 5-lug wheels and a standard straight-6 cyl or optional small block V8 engine. Even with it's standard straight-6 engine a '74 Maverick would out run a top-of-the-line '74 Mustang Mach-1 with it's torqueless little V6.

 

As I recall the Maverick out sold the Mustang from 1971-1973. Your pictures illustrate how the government's 5-MPH bumpers added a lot of weight and ruined the looks of most cars of that era.

 

I had an older female relative when I was younger; she bought a 63 Falcon 4-door with the straight 6, then a 68 Nova 4-door with a straight 6, then a 71 Maverick 2-door with a straight 6. Our family got all three cars as hand-me-downs when she moved on to each new vehicle. She was single and hip.

 

All great cars, though some of us were very glad when she finally went with a two-door.

All great inline 6's. Great motors. Plenty of street-use power, good mileage, no problems with any of them.

 

The falcon lasted well into the 70's with little rust problems (in the rust belt), motor had no issues (manual choke, remember those?).

 

The Nova rusted quickly, was an ugly (avocado) green, and even as a free hand-me-down car got passed along quickly.

 

The Maverick had rust by the late 70's, motor ran strong. We took it on a 24-hour road trip, straight through driving once. Plenty of room, both for the driver and passenger. Trunk opening was a little tight for larger boxes.

 

Anyway, I think everyone has a comfort-level with cars. And part of that comfort-level is determined by size. The 63 Falcon (too bad, if she'd waited a year or so to buy a car, we might have gotten a 1st gen Mustang instead), the 71 Maverick, both are about the same size as the original Mustang. It's a good size, not too big, not so small you're afraid of other traffic. Enough power to give you confidence you'll be able to make that left turn in front of on-coming traffic.

 

It's interesting, your point, that the Maverick outsold the newly engorged Mustang during the early 70's. And that the Mustang didn't really recover UNTIL it had returned to its original sizing.

 

The size comfort-level in the sixties/seventies seemed to rest at the Falcon (early)/Mustang (early)/Maverick level for a substantial part of the market. I think that size vehicle is still sought after today. Personally, I think the current Mustang is a little over the ideal size, can anyone tell me what Ford vehicle is closest to the 65 Mustang's dimensions today?

[Anthony]

One of my favorite first cars was my Maverick. I still don't understand why it does not have a bigger following. Sporty in an old Mustang kinda way. (The four door was intensely ugly though for having such a sporty coupe.) I'd love to pick another up as a project resto car....just to be a different.