We’re Excited To See The Final Result When Restoration of our 1953 Maverick Sportster is Complete
Hi Gang…
Back in 1952, Sterling Gladwin set out to build a beautiful boulevard sports car that would make a statement no matter where it appeared – and he met that objective in every way. The Maverick was always fitted to a Cadillac chassis and Gladwin even inked a deal with General Motors to use the Cadillac name in the advertising that he created.
When Maverick Sportsters first hit the road in 1952 they made a great big splash. And in short order they were featured on the field of the 1953 and 1955 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance – one of the first “Undiscovered Classic” cars to make it to the prestigious lawn decades before any others appeared.
Today’s story is about one of the few Mavericks that has survived the years and shows the progress Tom Chandler has made on restoring our 1953 Maverick Sportster – one of three known to exist of the seven built. The car is now nearing the end of a seven year restoration and as you’ll see the end result will certainly be worth it. And away we go…
The Roth Family’s Beautifully Restored Maverick Sportster
The Restoration Begins
Tom Chandler and I started our partnership on the Maverick in 2014 – but our friendship started much earlier. Tom and I met around 2008 when he was researching and restoring his Glasspar G2 sports car – and what a beautiful car it turned out to be. Check out some of the photos below.
What makes this Glasspar of Tom’s even more important is that it was built on Shorty Post’s chassis #1 in August, 1952. Tom’s Glasspar turns out to be the first production chassis built for Glasspar G2 sports cars. Quite a historic car and not a bad investment at all 🙂
By 2013 Tom was itching to do another rare car restoration and one that was part of our American handcrafted sports car legacy. Tom knew we did partnerships on cars at Undiscovered Classics so he wanted to pick something special. Tom picked one of our two Maverick Sportsters. Just 7 Mavericks were produced in the 1950s and just 3 remain today – two of which are in our inventory. Tom picked one to start with and away we went.
Down The Yellow Brick Road
In the summer of 2013, we packed up for another adventure and headed out of “Dodge” (our headquarters in Tampa, Florida). It’s always fun to travel with one of our cars behind us. Lots of questions at every stop makes it even more fun. Check out some of the photos below of our trip with the Maverick to Tom’s home in Elkader, Iowa.
Left: Tom Chandler. Right: Geoff Hacker
Tom lost no time in beginning the restoration, and since late 2013 he’s continued to push forward and make progress.
Restoration Video
Midway through the restoration (about 3 years ago) Tom put together a video on his progress on the Maverick as well as some of the obstacles and challenges that he had to be overcome. For those of you who like detail – you’ll really appreciate the full 18 minute video that you can watch below. So check it out and have some fun 🙂
The Final Countdown: Restoration Nears Completion
Let’s check out a few of the photos Tom has sent in showing restoration progress thru October, 2020. The body is now fully restored and ready to be mated to the chassis. The chassis is complete and restored too. What will Tom be doing this fall and winter? Final fitting, sorting and interior work and he’s good to go. Let’s check out some photos gang.
The Finished Look
Dan Palatnik has been part of our restoration team since we began in 2013, and he set the standard for the finish look and feel of our Maverick with the renderings below. Check ’em out gang and thanks again to Dan Palatnik for a great job.
Summary:
I talked to Tom Chandler earlier today and he assured me that he and his team would be finished well in advance of March 7, 2021. And why, might you ask, is that date significant? Well we’re proud to announce that the Maverick has been accepted to makes its debut at the 2021 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. What an exciting event that will be for Tom, his team and for us at Undiscovered Classics. We eagerly await the next photos as Tom and his team rounds the final bend on the restoration with just five months to go. Go get ’em Tom!
For those of you wanting more information about parts in this story click on the following links:
Click Here to Learn More About Our Maverick and its Restoration
Click Here to Learn More History on the Maverick Sportster sports cars
Click Here To View Undiscovered Classic Cars That Are Available For Partnership
Hope you enjoyed the story, and remember…
The adventure continues here at Undiscovered Classics.
Geoff
What is the blue “tank” sitting in the floorboard area? This is one beautiful automobile. Just wish they still made them.
I’ve been a long time fan of the Roth’s green Maverick , but Wow ,this version with the design tweaks given to it by Dan Palatnik is fabulous ! Tom is obviously doing a spectacular build with excellent attention to detail ,though I will miss the ’34 Cadillac inspired bumper bullets . No big deal.
Not sure I’ll make Amelia this year ,but the thought of seeing everyone involved’s finished work will sure add weight to that side of the scale .
Geoff , This is one of the most beautiful cars you’ve ever featured , thanks for sharing !
Can’t wait to see this fabulous Maverick finished. We had communicated several years ago about a friend of my brother’s in San Mateo, CA that had owned a Maverick in the late 50’s and what a beautiful car it was.
I am thrilled to see this vehicle finally getting the restoration it deserves. The color choice is stunning.
I wish I had more history on the car between the time it left Washington State (when I knew it) and when you took possession, but the important part is the next chapter.
Well done!