1971 Ford Maverick Grabber

To be offered by Silverstone Auctions at the Race Retro Sale taking place on Saturday 25th February.

The Ford Maverick was introduced in mid-1969, exactly five years to the day after the original Mustang appeared. Basically an economy 'Sports Coupe', it was built on the Falcon chassis and used the Falcon’s 170ci straight-six engine. It was advertised at 22 mpg, weighed 2,411 pounds, sold for $1,995 and, in the first partial year, 127,833 found homes. The Maverick gained a four-door sibling in 1971 and a sporty “Grabber” version with a 210bhp, 302-ci V-8 was introduced.

Dating from 1971, this example is indeed an original ‘Grabber’ and we understand it was converted into a competition car prior to our vendor’s purchase around six years ago. Apparently the car took part in a couple of events with the Classic Touring Car Racing Club but was then sold. The next owner, an engineer, fitted it with a 289 cu-in V8 in a hot but not ‘full-race’ state of tune, plus a Ford ‘Top-loader’ gearbox, however, moved to Australia without using the car. The Grabber’s following owner spent considerable sums on a new LSD, a gearbox rebuild, safety equipment, tyres, mechanical improvements, bodywork, paint and much more but, he too, never actually raced the car. In our vendor's care, the car has continued to be fettled but it’s been kept road-legal and has covered around 100 miles or so in the years that he’s owned it.

It’s been dyno’d at 312bhp which means there’s room for further tuning of the V8 but it’s lighter than a comparable Mustang or Camaro and, with good brakes (discs all round), a high-ratio steering box, an anti-dive suspension kit and a heavy-duty rear anti-roll bar, it could be made extremely competitive even at the current output. All the panels are steel, so if you fancied further weight saving, GRP wings, doors, bonnet and boot are available in the USA.

The Maverick presents very well in Ford Diamond White with the obligatory Guardsman Blue Daytona stripes and has had no track use since the re-paint and generally appears very smart. The satin-black rear panel and spoiler offer a period ‘racer’ look and the car sits on new 15-inch, American Racing wheels currently shod with 225/50 Toyo Proxes R888 tyres. It’s been fitted with new Wilwood brake calipers, front and rear, with new vented discs on the front, vented discs to the rear and a brake balance bar.

The interior is fully stripped for competition and fitted with an OMP race seat and a TRS full harness. The cage is described as a ‘fully-welded roll-cage to FIA specification’ and features door bracing bars, two overhead hoops across the car and triangulated rear fixings to welded-on mounts in the rear quarters, plus extra cross-bracing behind the driver’s seat. The extinguisher is fixed to the floor behind the driver's seat and the activation toggle and battery cut-off are in easy reach of the driver’s right hand (it's left-hand drive). The old two-dial dash has been replaced with a more comprehensive set of instruments and the car has just been completely rewired to competition spec. The original pedals have been replaced by a proper adjustable floor-hinged pedal box, the steering column is braced by a rose-joint attached to a strut emerging from under the dash and the steering wheel is deep-dish with a suede covering. Fuelling is courtesy of a large race-spec rubber fuel cell, a Holley electric pump and some very sturdy braided fuel lines with anodised fittings.

The engine bay is functional and purposeful, with lots of professional touches like the tiny spring used to keep the dipstick from working loose, the braided hoses to and from the oil cooler and the doubled-up throttle return springs. The 289ci V8 is topped by a large Holley four-barrel carb on a Weiand intake manifold and the sparks are controlled by an electronic ignition unit in the distributor. Three-inch downpipes meet three inch stainless pipes that head to a single silencer each side and on to those glorious side-exit exhausts offering a classic V8 'burble'.

The car is supplied with a few bills dating back as far as 2012 and there are detailed invoices from a specialist in Dorset covering mechanical fettling and bodywork repairs to take care of minor rust problems, followed by a respray. There are also Dyno readouts supporting the power and torque claims (both over 300), a couple of older MOTs and instruction sheets for Comp Cams products, including their ‘High Energy & Hi Tech’ hydraulic lifters’. The V5C is in the vendor’s name and confirms that the car has been in the UK since 1989 and there are quite a few other receipts for minor mechanical and cosmetic bits and one or two much weightier ones from the Mustang Depot for the new differential. The fresh Motorsport UK Vehicle Passport. No.45162 is valid until 21/12/2032 for Sprints/Hill-climb and Sports Libre.

The Maverick was introduced in 1969 so pre-’66 Appendix 'K' events are not an option but there are a number of championships that could be suitable including the Classic Touring Car Racing Club’s Boss Blue Oval Saloon series, Bernie’s Sports Racing and V8s, the Classic Sports Car Club’s Swinging Sixties or Future Classics, amongst others.

If you are keen to race a proper period American V8, then this well presented, professionally prepared, only one in the UK, Diamond White Grabber may well be the answer and, at this guide price, you’ll struggle to find a competitive Camaro or Mustang.