The Original Ford Maverick Had This Awesome Option Not Available In 1974 Mustang IIs

By 1974, the classic muscle-car era was mostly a thing of the past. Pontiac did give the traditional formula one last go with the 1973-1974 Firebird SD-455, backed by a 455-cubic-inch V8 good for 290 net horses. But to give you an idea of how far the mighty had fallen, this was the most powerful V8 you could get in an American car at the time. The Dodge Charger with its "High Performance" V8 displacing 440 cubic inches clocked in at 275 horses. And if you walked into a U.S. Ford dealership back then, you'd have to go right by the 1974 Mustangs to find V8 power with options like the Maverick. 

Technically, Ford's erstwhile muscle-car entry had become the Mustang II, which did not offer a V8 for 1974. Yes, its front suspension became popular with hot-rodders, but its biggest motor in 1974 was a 2.8-liter V6. In the Mustang II Mach 1, the mill made all of 105 horsepower. The current base Mustang delivers three times that output for the personal pan pizza generation.

As for the Maverick, its optional 302-cubic-inch V8 came online for 1971 to help grab attention with the Grabber models. Originally rated at 210 horsepower for the hi-po Grabber version, the motor was downgraded to 143 ponies in 1972 (mostly due to a switch from gross to net ratings), then limited to 140 horses for the 1973/1974 Grabber before falling to 129 in 1975.  Yet it could still boss around the Mustang at the drag strip. The 1972 Grabber, with just 3 more ponies than the 1974, could run the quarter mile in 17.2 seconds. The Mustang Mach 1 took a full second longer.

The Ford Maverick, named for a guy who wouldn't brand his cattle, premiered for the 1970 model year. It was the brand's replacement for the Falcon compact, and one highlight was its fresh design inspired by the original Mustang pony car. This helped hide the fact that the Maverick still rode on the Falcon's chassis and was designed more for affordability than speed. In fact, the 1970 Maverick's MSRP was a bare $1,995, the equivalent of $18,351 in 2026, which got you a barebones car without air conditioning or even an AM radio.

Those features were optional, as was the Grabber appearance pack detailed by a striping package and blackout-style grille — but with virtually no performance enhancers, as its name suggests. A more thorough Grabber design upgrade came in 1971, when it became its own model and showcased (nonfunctional) hood scoops, a decklid spoiler, hubcaps featuring trim rings, sport mirrors, and more graphics. The big news, though, was the addition of V8 power to the Maverick Grabber's option sheet. As mentioned, that engine's output fell off over time, but Ford tried to make up for the loss by adding more equipment. Perhaps the most notable from a gearhead's point of view were a new handling package for 1973 and disc brakes in 1974. All told, out of the more than 2.1 million Mavericks made between 1970 and 1977, the number of Grabber models topped 138,000 units.

Oh, and as an FYI, the Mustang II did welcome the 302 V8 for 1975, when it dribbled out a mere 133 BHP. The new motor lowered the car's quarter-mile run, but only to 17.9 seconds, still near the 1975 Grabber's 18.2-second time.