If you were born well after the Ford Maverick was sold, like me, it’s hard to believe that this was a car Ford felt competed with the Volkswagen Beetle, the import car target for the Big Four in 1970. The Beetle wasn’t exactly a high-water mark to reach, but it had things that the domestics needed to get right in order to keep fending the imports off: reliability, usefulness in a compact package, and a low introductory price. Ford’s Falcon had fit the bill well, and the Mustang had augmented that same plan, but by late 1969 Ford had a two-tiered problem on their hands: the Falcon body wouldn’t meet upcoming crash regulations and the Mustang had gotten bigger and more luxurious, deviating away from basic transportation choice into a proper pony car with all of the showboating 1970s flair applied. 
The Maverick was the solution, and for seven years, was probably Ford’s best effort in the small-car realm. The Mustang II, while it sold well, smacked of indecision and alienated performance buffs, the Pinto had it’s own issues (read: “ka-boom”) but the Maverick did well…as I’ve remarked here often, growing up in the late 1980s, they were still thick on the ground in every possible hue available. Unlike today, where most Mavericks either look like a bad night at the trailer park or a brand new Grabber, most Mavericks back then looked just like this example: One color, two doors, and those hubcaps. 
This car was recently donated to a chairty and it is up for auction. It’s current configuration is bone-stock: the 200ci inline-six and automatic transmission move things along at a gentle pace, and the interior and exterior, while overall in good survivor condition, could both stand some attention. Many people see an old car that needs everything replaced just to be worth mentioning, but we see a blank canvas that honestly needs to stay as it is. That isn’ t to say that the current six cylinder wouldn’t be better suited as a flowerpot, but overall, we wouldn’t want to mess with the look. But what do you do then? Our thoughts lean towards a turbocharged 300ci six to keep up the noise charade, while getting a set of wider rear wheels made that can keep the hubcaps in place. What say you, readers?
eBay Link: 1970 Ford Maverick
For an unmolested survivor, the drivers door doesn’t match and doesn’t look like there’s a rocker seam.
If you look at the pictures in the ebay listing, both doors are faded about the same amount. As for the rocker seam, do you mean the seam between the quarter and rocker panel? That is original. My 73 had that seam, and it was a 40k survivor from AZ.
Budget LS swap w cheap turbo & 4L80e — and maybe 2 stages of dry shot nitrous
I’d import a DOHC “Barra Six” from Australia.
All four hubcaps, every piece of trim looks great…I’d get it cheap like it is now, give it fresh paint/fix that seat and leave it alone. Nostalgia for me, a friend had one burgundy with slots mags for years.
As far as the VW thing goes, plenty of people looking for a new cheap car back when did not like cramped noisy bugs that were heavily advertised but often considered girls cars or for hippies with jobs. Ford tried to hook them with this that was cheap to replace the Falcon with, and a little swoopier/youth-oriented, and lots of people bit.
Mavericks gained weight and doors and the style dated quickly while Ford moved on toward the Granada and Fairmont. For a collector-hoarder I’d consider the first-year Maverick to be the only one to get.
i am currently restoring a71 comet which is basically a copy of this car. i am rebuilding the 200ci six and 3 speed auto tranny. changes include an upgrade to power front disc brakes and power steering as well as radial tires. it is a two tone red body and black roof car which will stay the same. even the hub caps stay. these are cute cars which look good as is and my daughter will look good driving it.
Keep it looking like it does, but stroker V8……..reckon a Cleveland would fit?
As a side note, our XA Fairmonts had same hubcaps.
When I bought my XA wagon I was disappointed to see it had dirty old slot mags. I mentioned in passing to the seller that I’ll have to start looking for a set of those hubcaps, he replied “hang on, here’s the original ones right here!”
Winning
What is XA?
Kaase stroker Boss 429+
In my minds eye, theres a stout 347 with aftermarket block, built c4, 235 drag radials (or whatever will fit INSIDE the wheel wells, I know these dont have big wheel wells), some chassis stiffening, and go roam the streets.