Ford Maverick – $1995*

Messenger Ford ad 04-17-1969These guys were ready to sell you ‘the first car of the 1970s at 1960 prices.” Step right up and drive off with a Ford Maverick for $1995. There’s an asterisk after the $1995, so that’s probably where they tell you that the tires, engine, steering wheel and seats are extra.

Are car salesmen born or made?

Messenger Ford ad 04-17-1969I hated shooting advertising photos. Partially because you ended up having to take hokey shots like this; partially because the next time you ran into them at a news event, they thought they still owned you. It gave me a great deal of pleasure to disabuse them of that idea.

These were taken for The Athens Messenger in April 1969. Based on the expression, these guys didn’t seem to think there was anything unusual about pretending to be roped cowboys (I’m not sure I understand that symbolism). I guess they figured anything goes so long as they met their quota.

Cape car dealer ads

Here are some Cape car ads that ran in the 1956 Sesquicentennial booklet. I think one of the most curious slogans was in the Clark Buick ad: “We will deal until we deal.” They must have offered a pretty good deal to get Dad to buy our 1959 Buick LaSabre station wagon from them. Whoever did the Goodwin Motor Co. ad didn’t quite know the difference between the “roll” and the “role” of a Mercury-Lincoln dealer (it “is of ever increasing importance to Cape Girardeau”).

If you want to read about the early days of automobiles in Cape, follow this link. Here’s a piece on Rusty” and Rueseler Chevrolet.

Click on any image to make it larger, then click the sides to move through the gallery.

6 Replies to “Ford Maverick – $1995*”

  1. I don’t like the hokey-pokey ads on tv either, especially when they think they have to holler at you!!

  2. I love car ads…the hokeier and the louder the better. They are home grown huskerism at its best.
    I did own a Maverick a 1973 dark green over beige vinyl top with Biscuit interior. It had a 298 V-8 with 3 speed auto and it ran pretty good for its time. Remember in 1973 smog control just started and NOTHING ran very well in those days! I think the list was a little over $3,200 at the time.but with discounts and dealing until we dealt is was much less!

  3. First new car–a 1971 Ford Pinto. Drove it off the lot at Ford Groves for $1,850. It was a stick, of course, crank windows, no A/C, AM radio and I put 137,000 miles on it the next 8 years. Biggest repair was $93 for a new clutch. Sold it for $300. Ah, the good old days.

  4. My first new car was similar to yours Walt. A ’71 Datsun sedan purchased from the dealer on Broadway, I think one of the Harris group of car dealers. Butt ugly green, black interior crank windows, no A/C obviously, a four speed and AM radio. It did have a tach standard. It turned four grand at 75 and still got 40 mpg when gas was almost free. Ran like a top for well over 100,000 miles. I paid $1800.00 and sold it for $700 several years later to some kid that wadded it up two weeks later.

  5. I have a 1965 Ford Fairlane that my dad bought new from Ford Groves. 289, 4 door, twilight turquoise!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *