Hot Wheels and Johnny Lighting 1971 Ford Maverick Grabber

When it comes to crediting the platform that gave birth to the original Mustang, look no further than the Falcon, Ford's first compact car introduced in 1960.  Since the Mustang's introduction the Falcon has not fared well in the light of it's younger, sportier cousin.  To make matter worse new U.S. Federal Regulations on the horizon meant the Falcon was not going to survive for long in the U.S. so Ford looked for a new replacement for the compact car segment, and what they came up with is the Maverick.

Longhorns and limited styles

The Maverick arrived in 1971 as the replacement for the Falcon as the new competitor to the compact and import car segment.  Unlike the Falcon, the Maverick only came as a two-door fastback with lots of Mustang styling influences.  Sadly, most of those styling elements would also be used in the unloved Pinto and Mustang II.  The Maverick was also affordable thanks to bare-bones interior with crank windows, no stereo on some models, front bench seat only, and body panel construction designed for simpler, cost-effective tooling.  Maverick came with I-6 or V8 powertrains with mostly automatics, though a few had the four-speed manual.  A sedan arrived in 1970, along with a Mercury Comet, to boost sales, along with some distinctive paint names like Anti-Establish Mint, Hula Blue, and Champagne Gold just to name a few.  The more sportier variant of the Maverick arrived with the Grabber, which featured hood scoops, rear spoiler, and special graphics.  While most Grabber's had the 250 CID !-6, others had the 302 V8.  Sadly the Maverick never enjoyed the success that the Falcon previously enjoyed, which would end up being replaced later in the '70's with the Fox-body Fairmount.

Hot Wheels version, one with a peculiar error

The first Maverick for Hot Wheels was the Mighty Maverick Redline, with the standard-looking '71 Grabber appearing in 2010.  The only color in my collection, out of the yellow and blue offered, is this gold version, and if you're wondering why I didn't get the first release in yellow, see the Johnny Lightning version below.  The detailing is standard-fare: Cool, but not really that exciting.  It's unique, but doesn't impress emotions as much as a Mustang does.  Remember, this is based on a basic econobox car in the first place!  The interior is basic, but well-done.  So far, the 2010 versions are the best, though the Dark Green 2013 3-pack and 5-pack exclusive is a surprise.  Though it's not a factory color, it looks sleek on this car.  If you'll notice my example has a slight error:  During assembly the base had some obstruction near the rear axle during fastening, causing the base to stick out a little bit and the rear axle to have a slight rake (more like the Hot Wheels Custom V8 Vega rake) yet it still retains the original ride height.  Not only does it look cool, but it adds a little bit of attitude to this casting.

Johnny Lightning's better example

Now a few year's before the Hot Wheels version was released, I found the Johnny Lightning version in the bright yellow complete with the hood scoop, rear spoiler, and graphics.  However, the JL version features more in details like front grille and rear valence panel detailing, slim 5-spoke wheels with rubber tires, metal base, interior with a bit more detailing, and a hood that opens up to show the I-6 motor.  While the motor is cool, how come the base shows two exhaust pipes typical of a 'V' engine instead of the single pipe?  Also the ride height is a bit high and the wheels tend to contract a little bit into the wheel wells.   Probably not as cool as the Hot Wheels version, the Johnny Lighting version offers more detailing and a more original approach to the real Grabber's.

No doubt the Maverick Grabber is a cool addition to any Ford collection, even though it's basic econocar roots places it a shade below the Mustang in terms of performance and iconic-ness.