1971 Maverick Grabber

Ford's Maverick debuted for the 1970 model year as a compact intended to compete against the likes of Chevy's Nova and the Dodge Dart. It was initially only available as a base two- or four-door sedan, but for the 1971 model year, a sportily-styled version was introduced, known as the Maverick Grabber.

While it came with snarly-looking scoops on the hood and a ducktail spoiler on the decklid, it was all bark and no bite. The scoops were non-functional dummies and the base motor was still the 170 cubic inch pushrod inline six with a one-barrel carb making a bare hundred horsepower.

The base transmission was a three-speed manual. Optional engines for '71 were the 200 and 250 cubic inch sixes, rated at 115 and 145 horsepower, respectively. With the bigger sixes, a buyer could also order a three speed C4 SelectShift automatic.

Late in the model year Ford finally offered a V-8 option for the Maverick, albeit a two-barrel 302 Windsor rated at 210 SAE gross horsepower. Hot Rod magazine tested a 302 Grabber with a three-on-the-tree in April of 1971 and recorded a best quarter mile e.t. of 17.1 seconds at 85mph. 

The example in the photos, in Medium Yellow Gold, has lost its original grille and front bumper. Since the grille is where the turn signals were mounted, the current owner has rigged amber lamps in the dummy hood scoop inlets to serve as front turn signals.

This one was photographed in Peru, Indiana in April of 2014 using a Canon EOS Rebel XTi and an EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens.

1929 Ford Model A Tudor Sedan

The Tudor sedan (get it? "Two door"? Yes, there was a Fordor) was the cheapest version of Ford's Model A, with prices starting at $500. Even adjusted for inflation, that's only about $9,500, continuing the Model T's trend of putting America on wheels. Ford sold a couple million model As in the first few years.

Under the hood was a 200cid flathead inline four putting out forty horsepower, driving the rear wheels through a three-speed manual transmission.

The slight blue cast to the photo above, as well as the low viewing angle, is due to the fact that I snapped it through the windshield of my BMW Z3 while sitting at a traffic light, using a Nikon D2X and 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR II zoom lens.

2006 Ford Mustang Convertible

The fifth generation of the Mustang, known as the S197, debuted for 2005 on a new platform. On the upside, the new D2C platform shed the last vestiges of the old late-Seventies Fox body architecture that had lingered through the preceding SN95 generation. 

It shared much of its front end with the new DEW98 rear wheel drive platform that underpinned the Lincoln LS, new Ford Thunderbird, and Jaguar S-type. On the downside, for reasons of cost and weight, it had a live rear axle, unlike the independent rear suspension of those DEW98 cars.

Base cars had the latest 4.0L SOHC version of Ford's Cologne V-6, the basic lump of which dated back to the early Sixties. The GT came with a 3-valve-per-cylinder variant of the 4.6L Modular V-8.

While the GT versions made 300 horses, even the base V6 cars, like this V6 Deluxe Convertible in Vista Blue Metallic, put out 210 SAE net horsepower, which is almost as much as the 5.0L GT of the Eighties and Nineties.

Motor Trend tested a 2006 V6 convertible with the automatic transmission and recorded a 7.3 second zero-to-sixty run and a quarter mile time of 15.5 seconds at 90mph through the traps.

This car has the Sport Appearance Package, with the spoiler and rocker panel stripes, and someone's retrofitted a GT grille with the fog lamps. 

This one was photographed with a Nikon Df and a 24-85mm f/2.8-4D zoom lens in March of 2026.

1966 Ford Mustang

There have been two '66 Mustangs on these pages before, a Dynasty Green convertible and a Nightmist Blue GT convertible, but this Signal Flare Red car is the first 1966 Mustang coupe to grace the blog.

1966 was the last year for the original, svelte lines of the first generation 'Stangs. For '67 the car would be widened over two inches so as to accommodate big block V-8s under the hood.

You can see the tiny "289" atop the red, white, and blue tri-bar fender badges, as well as the little 289 V-badge up by the nose. That could be the regular two-barrel 289 Challenger V-8 with a 9.3:1 compression ratio making 200 gross horsepower or the four-barrel 289 Challenger Special V-8, which had a 10.0:1 squeeze and put out 225 ponies.

Other than that, it's a pretty standard Mustang, with basic hubcaps and no glamorous "K-code" Hi-Po solid lifter Cobra V-8. It's a super nice car, and almost certainly restored to this condition.

It was photographed in October of 2025 using an Olympus OM-D E-M5 and the Panasonic Leica 12-60mm f/2.8-4 zoom lens.

1970 Ford Ranchero

Ford's Ranchero began life as a 1957 full-size Ford two-door wagon with an open bed where the wagon's cargo compartment would have been; sort of a Sedan Delivery on the half shell.

For 1960 the nameplate was moved to the compact Falcon line before settling on the midsize Fairlane in '66. The 1970 model year marked the fifth generation of the Ranchero, which was now a Torino-based ute.

There was now a new Ranchero Squire, which had a personal luxury coupe style interior and faux woodgrain paneling on the sides and tailgate. Continuing over from the previous model year were the performance-oriented Ranchero GT, the midline Ranchero 500, and the bottom-of-the-lineup base Ranchero, like the Candyapple Red one in the pictures.

The basic Torino was very basic, with clean-it-out-with-a-garden-hose vinyl interior and rubber floor mats. The base powerplant was Ford's undersquare 250 cubic inch inline six, rated at 150 gross horsepower, and it came stock with a three-on-the-tree manual.

This one was photographed in July of 2015 using a Nikon D1X and 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom lens.

1970 Ford Thunderbird

1967 saw the launch of the fifth generation of Ford's Thunderbird. Having started out as a sporty two-seat convertible, it got plusher with the addition of a back seat in the second generation. With the launch of the Mustang pretty much taking over the sporty niche at Ford, the T-bird swelled up yet again, becoming almost Lincolnesque in its level of luxury appointments.

Unlike the previous unibody 4th gen cars, the new 'Birds were of body-on-frame construction. The convertible model was axed from the lineup, but you could now get a four-door version with some small rear-opening "suicide doors" to allow better access to the rear seat.

The 5th generation cars got a styling makeover that included a prominent beak-like protrusion in the center of the grille. Ad copy played up the luxe aspect, with sales brochures offering a glimpse inside "the rare and private Thunderbird world".

The only engine available was the 429 cubic inch Thunder Jet V-8 with a four-barrel carburetor and 10.5:1 compression ratio, conservatively rated at 360 gross horsepower. It was backed with a three-speed SelectShift Cruise-O-Matic.

This Wimbledon White coupe with added aftermarket stripes was photographed in rural southwest Washington state in June of 2015 using a Nikon Coolpix P7000.

1972 Ford F-250 Custom

1972 was the last model year for this fifth generation of Ford's F-series trucks. They'd been released as 1967 models and got a mild styling refresh for '70, but the new sixth generation trucks were already waiting in the wings.

This one has a blacked-out '71 grille and aftermarket striping over its Grabber Blue paint.

The lone drinking straw exhaust outlet makes me suspect it has the base motor, a 4.9L (300 cid) inline six rated which had been rated at 165 SAE gross horsepower, but was now advertised as 119 net ponies.

It was photographed in February of 2026 using a Nikon 1 V1 and a 10-100mm f/4.5-5.6 VR zoom lens.

1986 Ford Thunderbird

The ninth generation of Ford's Thunderbird personal luxury coupe debuted for 1983 with eye-catching rounded lines that were a radical departure from the creased, angular "formal look" of the late '70s and presaged Ford's design direction for the remainder of the Eighties.

It shared its Fox platform underpinnings with not only the Mercury Cougar and Lincoln Mark VII personal luxury coupes, but also the sporty Mustang and Mercury Capri coupes.

Other than modest changes to the grille and taillamp treatments for 1985, the first four model years looked pretty much the same. This Oxford White coupe is identifiable as a 1986 model by having both the newer grille and lights as well as the presence of the CHMSL (Center High-Mounted Stop Lamp, aka the "third brake light") in the rear window.

It was available as the base coupe, the more luxurious élan, and the Turbo Coupe, with the former two having the 3.8L Essex V-6 as the base motor with an optional 5.0L V-8, while the performance-oriented Turbo Coupe had a non-intercooled 2.3L OHC turbo four rated at 155 SAE net horsepower.

While the 1986 Thunderbird V-8 had sequential EFI intake setup like the Mustang's, the more restrictive single exhaust and milder camshaft held the output down to a sedate 150 ponies.

The easiest way to distinguish between a base coupe and an élan is to look for cornering lamps, which this one does not have, but they did spring for the 14" styled steel road wheels.

The top photo was taken with a Nikon Df and 24-85mm f/2.8-4 zoom lens while the bottom two used a Nikon D300S and 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR II zoom lens, all in February of 2026.

1962 Ford Falcon

1962 was the third model year for Ford's compact Falcon line. Still riding on a 109.5" wheelbase, the '62 models received styling refreshes to the snout and taillights as well as a chrome fake hood scoop, all of which brought the appearance in line with the larger Fords of the era.

By its third model year, the Falcon lineup had expanded to twelve different distinct models: Tudor and Fordor sedans, a Sports Futura coupe, and a variety of wagons and vans, many of which could be had in Standard or Deluxe forms. The Baffin Blue example in the photos is the Standard Tudor Sedan. This model would have had a base price of $1,985 in period dollars, which adjusts to $21,350 today. Bear in mind that things like two-speed wipers, a windshield washer, seat belts, and safety padding on the dashboard were all extra cost options.

The base engine would have been the 85 horsepower 144 cubic inch Falcon Six, with the 170cid Special Six, rated at 101 ponies available as an option. Three- and four-speed manual transmissions could be had, as well as the two-speed Fordomatic.

The one in the photos was snapped with an Apple iPhone 6s in June of 2016. 

1940 Ford De Luxe

The 1940 model year brought the ultimate version of the Ford that had first debuted in '37. It could be had in Standard or De Luxe trim levels and debuted several new features for Ford. New with this model was a column-mounted gear selector, touted as "Finger-Tip Gearshift", as well as sealed beam headlights, and Controlled Ventilation, which featured side windows that could be rolled down all the way with a crank, combined with a pivoting vent window in front of them.

The base engine in the Standard models was a 136 cubic inch (2.2L) version of Ford's Flathead V-8. With a 6.6:1 compression ratio and a single-throated carb, it made sixty SAE gross horsepower and wasn't very popular. Optional was a larger 221cid (3.6L) Flathead V-8 with a two-barrel carb and 85 horsepower.

The larger engine came standard in the De Luxe, along with such luxuries as a spare tire, floor mounted high-beam control, ash trays, sun visors, a clock in the dash, and a locking glove compartment.

The car is a favorite of hot-rudders, and the Coupe in the picture is lightly and tastefully modified and repainted in a vibrant red that was nowhere to be found in the 1940 Ford catalog. The De Luxe could be had as a Businessman's Coupe, Coupe, Tudor or Fordor Sedan, or Convertible, and the convertible version even had a vacuum-operated power top.

This one was photographed using an Olympus OM-D E-M1X and an M. Zuiko Digital 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 zoom lens in September of 2024.

1960 Ford Thunderbird Convertible

"Longer! Lower! Wider!" were the hype words in Detroit in the late Fifties and the all-new second generation of Ford Thunderbird that debuted for 1958 lived up to the hype. The new four-seater T-bird stretched a full two feet longer nose-to-tail than the outgoing '57 two-seater.

It was also four inches wider than the previous car, and only an inch taller, despite having a much roomier interior. This was made possible by being the first Thunderbird to utilize unibody construction, with the driveline tucked up into the chassis by means of a large tunnel running between the seats.

The wheelbase grew commensurately, by almost a foot. Where the two-seater 'Birds had a 102" wheelbase (identical to the Corvette's), the new one measured 113" between the axles. Suspension was coil springs and unequal length A-arms up front and a live axle mounted to coil-sprung trailing arms in the rear.

Also keeping pace with the current trends in Detroit, the new Thunderbird sported a snout with quad headlamps.

The car could be had as a hardtop coupe or a convertible, like the Raven Black 1960 example in the photo. The base engine was the 352 cubic inch Thunderbird Special FE big block V-8. With a four-barrel carburetor, dual exhausts, and a 10.2:1 compression ratio, this motor was rated at 300 SAE gross horsepower, and could be backed with a column-shifted three-speed manual (with an optional automatic overdrive 4th gear) or a three-speed Cruise-O-Matic.

Optionally for 1960 was Ford's 430 cubic inch MEL (Mercury Edsel Lincoln) big block, making 350 horsepower. It was only offered with the Cruise-O-Matic.

The rear suspension was simplified to a conventional leaf spring setup for the '60 model year as well.

Motor Life's test 1960 Thunderbird convertible, with the 352 and slushbox, ran to sixty in 9.1 seconds and returned between 10 and 14 miles per gallon.

This one was photographed using a Sony a700 and 16-80mm f/3.5-4.5 zoom lens in May of 2025.

1965 Ford F100

The fourth generation of Ford's F-series pickup trucks were produced from the 1960 through the 1966 model years. The 1965 models, like the faded Light Turquoise F100 in the photo above, saw an entirely new frame slid under the existing body design, featuring a "Twin I-Beam" swing-axle front suspension in place of the previous solid axle. This basic chassis would remain in use through the '79 model year.

For '65, the F100 could be had with two flavors of inline six: a 150hp (SAE Gross) 240 cubic inch inline six, or a longer stroke 300cid version of the same motor rated at 170 horsepower. The V-8 badge on the hood indicates this one has the 208hp 352-cube "FE"-series big block V-8, which was the most powerful engine that had been offered in an F-series truck up to that time.

This one was photographed using a Canon EOS-1D Mark III and an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS zoom lens in April of 2024.

1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner

The "hardtop" body style debuted in 1949, when Buick added a graceful, B-pillarless roof to their convertible body. It was welded in place and didn't fold, but it gave the car sleek lines and the style was rapidly copied by other makers, including Ford.

For the 1957 model year, Ford went the rest of the industry one better by introducing the Skyliner convertible. On the new Skyliner, the metal one-piece roof would retract into the trunk under its own power for that open air motoring experience. 

If foul weather threatened, just pull over, push a button, and the trunk lid would hinge upward and the roof would reverse its ballet. Once it was in place and the power-operated screws at each corner had snugged it down, a red light on the dash would go out, indicating that you were ready to motor on, snug and dry.

Base engine was the 292 cubic inch Thunderbird V-8, rated at 212 gross horsepower. Optionally, a buyer could order the Thunderbird Special 312 cubic inch V-8, which made 245 horsepower, or go for the top-of-the-line 300hp Thunderbird Supercharged 312 V-8. All three engines could be had with a three-speed manual, with or without a manually operated overdrive, or the Fordomatic three-speed slushbox.

Motor Life tested a 1957 Fairlane 500 sedan with the 245hp Thunderbird Special 312 V-8 and recorded a 10.1 second zero-to-sixty time.

The Flame Red and Inca Gold one in the photos is local to the neighborhood. The top two photos were snapped in September of 2022 using a Nikon D800 and a 24-120mm f/4 VR zoom lens, while the lower one was taken with a Canon EOS 7D and an EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS zoom lens in November of 2022.

1948 Ford Deluxe Tudor

The 1948 Fords were the last year of a body style and chassis that dated back to 1941, before civilian production had ceased for the duration of the war.

When civilian auto sales resumed after VJ Day with the '46 model year, Ford basically replaced the grille on the '42 models with one featuring heavy horizontal chrome bars and launched them as the new 1946 Fords.

While design work was happening behind the scenes for an all-new 1949 Ford, the 1947 and 1948 model years saw only minor cosmetic changes to the old prewar design.

Under the hood of the Tudor two-door (get it?) sedan you could get either a 226 cubic inch flathead inline six rated at 95 ponies or Ford's famed 239 cube flathead V-8 putting out a claimed 100 SAE gross horsepower. Both were backed by a column-shifted three-speed manual transmission.

The one in the picture, wearing a year-of-manufacture 1948 Indiana license plate, has obviously had the traditional hot rod treatment and is almost certainly sporting something beefier under the hood.

It was photographed in June of 2025 using a Pentax K20D and an SMC DA 16-45mm f/4 ED zoom lens.

1965 Ford Mustang

The 1965 model year, which went into production in August of '64, marked the first full year of production for the Ford Mustang and the slogan was Total Performance.

The base engine gained thirty cubes, as the 200 cubic inch Thriftpower OHV inline six replaced the 170 cubic inch version, bumping horsepower by fifteen, to 120 SAE gross. Gone was the 260 cubic inch Fairlane V-8, replaced as the entry level eight cylinder by a 200hp two-barrel Challenger 289 cube small block.

Performance options were two different four-barrel 289 small blocks: The 225hp Challenger Special or the 271hp "K-code" Challenger High Performance V-8 with solid lifters and a 10.5:1 compression ratio. All engines except the Hi-Po 289 could be had with three- or four-speed manuals or the three-speed Cruise-O-Matic. The K-code came only with the four-on-the-floor.

Also new for '65 were an alternator to replace the generator found on the '64½ cars, and optional front disc brakes. The fastback 2+2 body style also appeared this year. The Wimbledon White hardtop coupe in the photos has tri-bar fender emblems with the "289" at the top, but no 289 "V" badge up by the nose, so it's hard to be sure what was originally going on under the hood.

Car Life tested a coupe with the 225hp Challenger Special 289 and Cruise-O-Matic and managed an 8.5 second zero-to-sixty time with a 16.8 second quarter mile run at 84 mph on the way to a top speed of a buck ten. Price as tested was $3,152 in 1965 dollars, or about $32,275 in 2025 money.

The one in the pics was snapped with a Nikon D7100 and a 16-80mm f/2.8-4E zoom lens in June of 2022.

1967 Ford Mustang

The 1967 model year brought the first redesign of the original pony car, Ford's wildly successful Mustang. It was a subtle update. Wheelbase remained the same at 108", but a couple inches were added in length and width. Notably, room was added under the hood to allow installation of Ford's FE big block motors.

Body styles on offer remained the same: a notchback or fastback coupe, and a convertible.

The base motor remained the 200 cubic inch Thriftpower OHV inline six, rated at 120 SAE gross horsepower. The 289 V-8 was on the menu in three flavors: a two-barrel Challenger making 200 horsepower, a four-barrel Challenger Special rated at 225 ponies, and the snarling "K-code" Cobra hi-po variant that swung 10.5:1 pistons and slurped high octane fuel to belt out 271 horses. Finally, the 390 cubic inch Thunderbird V-8 topped the options list with a rated 320 SAE gross horsepower.

This Lime Gold 1967 coupe would have had the two-barrel Challenger 289 small block. Motor Trend tested a '67 coupe with the four-barrel Challenger Special and recorded a zero-to-sixty time of 9.5 seconds and a quarter mile run of 17 seconds flat at 81mph through the traps, while noting a tested fuel economy of 15 miles per gallon.

This one was photographed in November of 2018 in Los Alamos, New Mexico using a Fujifilm X-E1 and a Zeiss Touit 32mm f/1.8 lens.

1976 Ford Courier

For the 1972 model year, Ford revived the Courier nameplate, last used on late 1950s sedan delivery vehicles, and slapped it on a rebadged Mazda B1600 pickup truck.

Since the Ranchero had moved from the compact Falcon platform to the midsize Torino, Ford had been without a small and economical open bed cargo vehicle. Since light truck imports were subjected to the 25% "Chicken Tax" tariff, the Courier was imported without a bed in the chassis cab configuration and final assembly was performed domestically.

Under the hood was Mazda's 1800cc SOHC four-cylinder, making 75 horsepower, backed with either a four-speed manual or a three-speed automatic. With the increasing emphasis on fuel economy, they proved popular in the Seventies.

1976 model year Couriers, like this Clair Orange example, were the last year of the first generation trucks and can be distinguished at a glance by the cab aft of the windows, which had received a three inch stretch over the original vehicles.

This one was photographed with a Canon EOS 5DS and an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS zoom lens in Martinsville, Indiana back in September of 2020.

1939 Ford Tudor Sedan

Ford's lineup was revised for 1937 with new, more rounded lines, and the addition of a smaller 136 cubic inch flathead V-8 as a cheaper alternative to the 221 cubic inch original.

Over the next couple years the external changes were mostly cosmetic. The 1939 Fords continued with both standard and Deluxe trims. The Deluxe had lower, chevron-shaped grilles which were different to the taller grilles on the regular cars like the one in the photo.

Behind that grille, the base motor was the 136 cid Flathead Ford V-8. Undersquare, and with a 6.6:1 compression ratio, it was rated at 60 SAE gross horsepower. If you were willing to add a few bucks to the $700ish base price of your 1939 Tudor Sedan, you could spring for the optional 85-horsepower 221 cubic inch motor.

Ford marketing materials of the day heavily touted the compactness of the V-8 relative to the competition's inline six- and eight-cylinder powerplants. They also boasted about the car's big, powerful new hydraulic brakes (the previous year they had touted the cable-operated brakes as having "the safety of steel from pedal to wheel".) The ride was "triple spring" for smoothness and comfort: There were springs in the suspension, shock absorbers, and the seats.

This example was photographed in July of 2022 using a Canon EOS 5D Mark II and an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS zoom lens.

1986 Ford Mustang GT Convertible

When the Mustang II launched in 1974 it could be had as a notchback coupe or a three-door hatchback with a sleek fastback roofline. What was missing from Ford's pony paddock for the first time since the debut of the first 1964½ 'Stangs was a convertible.

It wasn't until the fifth model year of the third generation "Fox body" Mustangs that the convertible made its return after a decade-long hiatus. For 1985, the Mustang got a newer, more aerodynamic nose, with a little mailbox slot in the fascia replacing the eggcrate grille but retaining the inset quad headlamps because the government was dragging their feet about approving modern composition headlamps.

In 1986, the droptop model was available in both LX and GT trim levels, like this Oxford White example. (Only distinguishable from the '85 by the third brake light integrated into the standard decklid-mounted luggage rack.) Under the hood, the new standard motor for the GT was the trusty 5.0L "Windsor" 302cid pushrod V-8, now featuring sequential fuel injection and rated at 200 SAE net horsepower, backed with a 5-speed Borg-Warner transmission.

Car and Driver tested an '86 LX 2-door coupe with the EFI 5.0 motor and the five-speed gearbox and and it returned a zero-to-sixty time of 6.2 seconds, only a tenth of a second slower than the 5.7L IROC-Z Camaro in the same test, although the gap opened to four tenths in the quarter, with the 'Stang's 14.9 second E.T., and the Camaro's better aero and bigger motor paid off the most on the top end, where it exceeded the LX's 132mph top speed by an even ten miles per hour.

The convertible in the pictures here would be a couple hundred pounds heavier than that LX coupe, so adjust expectations accordingly.

It was photographed in June of 2025 using a Canon EOS R and an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS zoom lens. 

1949 Ford F-1

The Ford F-series pickups were launched in 1948, with that first generation being known as the "Bonus-Built" line. They replaced the previous pickups that had been basically carried over from the prewar line of Fords.

Much was made of the new cab, which was roomier, had better visibility, was easier to enter and exit, and generally a better place to spend a work day. So much had been spent developing the new driver's accommodations that it was referred to in ad copy as a "Million-Dollar Cab". Other innovations included telescoping shocks at all four corners (earlier trucks had used cruder lever shocks) and V-8 engines available at every level of truck from the heaviest-duty F-8 all the way down to the ½-ton F-1, like the Fox Red 1949 model in the photo.

Available powerplants for the '49 F-1 dated back to the prewar era, though, being either a 226 cubic inch (3.7L) flathead six making 95 SAE gross horsepower or the classic Ford flathead V-8, which displaced 239 cubes (3.9L) and was rated at 100 horses. Both three- and four-speed manual transmissions were on the menu.

This one was photographed with a Nikon CoolPix P7000 in April of 2015.