Ford Maverick Grabber

Maverick Grabber at a glance

A compact to replace the Falcon

Ford introduced the Maverick on 17 April 1969 as a 1970 model, priced at US$1,995. Underneath it used rear-wheel-drive mechanicals that went back to the 1960 Ford Falcon, with a 2,616 mm (103 in) wheelbase for the two-door and a kerb weight of 1,320 kg (2,909 lb). Nearly 579,000 were built in the first year. The story of the whole range is told in the Ford Maverick hub.

The early Maverick had six-cylinder engines only: the 170 with 78 kW (105 hp) in the first half of 1970 production, the 200 with 89 kW (120 hp) and, from mid-1970, the 250.

1970: the Grabber package

The Grabber arrived during calendar year 1970 as a trim package for the two-door. For US$179 in 1970 it added bigger wheels and tyres, racing-style stripes and graphics, a blacked-out grille and other trim details. Mechanically nothing changed, so a 1970 Grabber was still a six-cylinder car.

1971: a model of its own and a V8

For 1971 the Grabber became a separate model with the body code 62D, against 62A for the ordinary two-door Maverick. Conceptcarz lists its price at US$2,350 in 1971, against US$2,175 for the base two-door. Ford changed the look substantially:

• a new dual-dome bonnet, used on the 1971 and 1972 Grabber;
• a rear spoiler and a blacked-out tail panel;
• driving lamps built into the grille;
• two sport mirrors, 14-inch wheels and an all-black vinyl interior;
• reflective stripes with optional outlines in red, orange or yellow.

The bigger news was under the bonnet. For 1971 Ford offered the 302 V8 in the Maverick for the first time, shared with the new Mercury Comet. It had overhead valves, five main bearings, a Motorcraft two-barrel carburettor and 9.0:1 compression, and was rated at 157 kW (210 hp) at 4,600 rpm. The option added about US$170 to the price and came with a three-speed manual or an automatic; the standard Grabber engine that year was the 170 six.

With 38,963 cars sold in 1971, according to conceptcarz, the Grabber accounted for about 14 per cent of the 271,897 Mavericks built that year (our calculation).

Ratings and sales, 1972-1975

From 1972 American engines were rated in SAE net terms, and the 302 lost both on paper and through emissions equipment. Conceptcarz gives these ratings for the Maverick 302:

The 170 six was dropped for 1973, when the 200 became the standard engine. The dual-dome bonnet was used only on the 1971 and 1972 cars. Consumer Guide puts 1975 Grabber production at 8,500, after which Ford replaced it for 1976 with the Stallion, a package with special paint and trim. The Maverick itself ran until 1977, with 2.1 million built in North America.

How quick the Grabber was

Consumer Guide's summary of period tests puts a V8 Grabber at under 10 seconds from 0 to 60 mph and a little over 16 seconds for the quarter mile, and notes that the Grabber equipment itself did little for performance apart from the wheels and tyres. That places it below the compact muscle cars of 1971, such as the Plymouth Duster 340 with its four-barrel 340 and AMC's one-year Hornet SC/360.

The difference lay in the engine. The Grabber's 302 used a two-barrel carburettor and 9.0:1 compression, and from 1972 its net rating stayed between 96 and 104 kW (129 and 140 hp). Ford sold the Grabber on its looks, its price of US$2,350 in 1971 and an optional small V8, much as Chevrolet offered the Nova compact with V8 power in the same years.

Maverick Grabber today: what to check

From 1971 the Grabber has its own body code, 62D, which separates it from a two-door Maverick (62A) dressed up with Grabber parts. A 1970 Grabber was a package on the ordinary two-door, so for that year the build documents carry more weight. The dual-dome bonnet should appear only on 1971 and 1972 cars, and a V8 is correct only from 1971. Many Grabbers were built with sixes, so a six-cylinder car is not a sign of a fake. Other Ford compacts and their versions are listed in the Ford catalogue.