From 1970 to 1977, the Ford Maverick was mostly just another econobox. When it was released in April 1969, Ford advertised that you could buy one for just $1,995. But special editions would be offered from time to time to attract more attention, including the 1972 Sprint. Painted in white, it had ample blue graphics in honor of the 1972 U.S. Olympic Team (the games were not held in the U.S., BTW). With just 33,000 miles, this nice example spent more than 40 years in hibernation because its owner felt it was something worth preserving. Located in Henrieville, Utah, this Maverick has emerged into the sunlight and is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $26,000. Thanks, T.J., for bringing this interesting car to light!
Because the Sprint package was an option and not a model, exact production numbers of the Sprint aren’t known. But estimates place the output at north of 15,000 units for the single year. The Sprint offered a largely white and blue interior with red pinstriping, and the same blue was repeated in decals on the outside, most noticeably on the hood. Apparently, if you liked the theme, you could order a Pinto or a Mustang in the same fashion. The standard 200 cubic inch inline-6 or 302 V8 were your powerplant choices (the same as in any Maverick).
It’s fairly safe to say that no one bought a new 1972 Ford Maverick with plans to keep it for 50 or 60 years. But the original owner (or someone else) did, as it was used sparingly for its first 11 years and was then put into mothballs for the next four decades or more. The result is this unrestored survivor that’s not quite in show condition but comes close (a few little scratches and dings as you might expect).
This one sports its factory 302 V8 with a floor-shifted 3-speed manual transmission, and we’re told it runs well. The paint, graphics, and interior are from the day it was built. A Marti Report was purchased and will come with the sale of the car to verify it’s a real deal (but would someone clone a ’72 Sprint?). We wonder what measures were taken to preserve it and what was needed to get it going again. BTW, the U.S. Olympics team collected 94 gold, silver, and bronze medals in the Summer Games.
The early Mavericks definitely get the nod with the Barnfinds crowd for having the nicer bumpers. The 302 and 3 speed sounds like a fun around town cruiser. As I always say about 3 speed manuals, we only NEED 3 speeds….. Slow, Medium and Fast. Very nicely preserved. At first I thought the 26 Grand sounded awful steep. And still does. But truth be told, how many nice original Mavericks are left out there?
Nifty Maverick. The pre-big-bumper Mavericks with their sporty styling were quite attractive. The Sprint added an eye-catching package. 302 3-speed would be plenty fine for a cruiser. A Marti would help nail down the production data.
I was at a show many years ago and met a gentleman who was working on the Sprint trifecta. If I recall, he had a Mustang in good shape and a Pinto in fair shape. He would have been glad to have this Maverick.
3 by the knee 🦵 boys 👍😎
Bob in Tennessee loves him some Fords. Just dawned on me..has the man ever even had a spelling mistake or slip up in his comments? They’re always so tidy. 🍻
Thank you for the kind words Stan. “Tidy,” I like that. But being accurate (and I take pride in being accurate), I have certainly made spelling mistakes and have made errors in comments.
I agree about Bob; he’s as tidy (and nice) as it gets.
I thought the Sprint looked familiar; we saw a Pinto version back in 2019.
https://barnfinds.com/sprint-decor-option-1972-ford-pinto-runabout/