The 45th Anniversary of the Ford Maverick in Brazil

Ford is celebrating this year the 45th anniversary of the start of Maverick's production on the Brazilian market. Launched in the United States in 1970 to compete with European and Japanese compacts, the model began to be mbad-produced in Brazil in June 1973, with a mission to replace veterans Aero Willys and Itamaraty (inherited from Ford's merger with Brazil). with Willys Overland) and steal the successful Chevrolet Opala market.

Initially, the Maverick was offered only in the body of the two-door coupe (the four-door sedan would arrive a few months later). It was virtually identical to the car produced until 1972 in the United States. But in Super and Super Luxury versions, he owned a 3.0 six-cylinder engine and 112 hp, inherited from Aero Willys. The highlight was the GT version, which was equipped with an imported 5.0 V8 engine (much more powerful) of 199 hp, which was standard on the sport and optional on the rest of the line.

The oil crisis, however, affected the sale of large cars in the Brazilian market, with the public starting to favor consumption at the expense of performance. In this context, in 1975 Ford traded the six-cylinder Maverick, heavily criticized at the time for poor performance and high fuel consumption, for a modern 2.3-cylinder, four-cylinder, 99-hp. Although smaller than the old Willys six-cylinder, the new engine gave Maverick a better performance, but with lower fuel consumption.

The following year, Maverick would suffer its first and only restyling on the Brazilian market. The rear lights and interior and exterior trim details have changed, and the new deluxe version LDO has been launched. But the most significant change has been the adoption of the four-cylinder engine also in the GT version, with the V8 becoming optional.

In life, the model did not achieve the same success as its competitor Chevrolet Opala, leaving the line in 1979 after producing 108,106 units. But it has become an object of desire these days, as one of the latest Brazilian touring cars equipped with a V8 engine.