Hi Gang…

Alden Jewell’s collection reveals yet another treasure – an original blueprint from Maverick Motors showing the parts used to complete the Maverick – or perhaps build your own.  I’ve seen a blueprint like this before in the 1954 Motor Trend Book titled “Manual of Building Plastic Cars.”  However, the one in the Trend Book was shown as an inset in the magazine and was hard to read.  Alden’s blueprint is the real deal – nearly 2 feet wide and half of that in height.

What a find!  And what detail is visible too!

Let’s have a look at the blueprint below, and be sure to use your mouse and click on the image to enlarge it on your screen:

Thoughts on the Maverick Blueprint: 

I love the phrase printed at the bottom right of the blueprint which says:

“An All-Western Long-Range Commuter For Western highways – Put Your Brand On A Maverick!”

In addition, some of the other notable features shown on the blueprint include:

• Wheelbase 123”
• Souped up Cadillac engine using Harman & Collins camshaft, Mallory ignition, and 1951 OHV Cadillac engine – optional
• Fiberglass body – one unit completely removable and hinged front & rear
• Fiberglass hardtop divides & stows windows in top
• Cadillac parts throughout unless otherwise noted

The reference to a 1951 Cadillac engine and the number “1051” at the bottom left point to a possible date of “1951” as the date of the blueprint.  The first known Maverick in print is a newspaper article from August 1952 showing one of the first fiberglass Maverick bodies being produced, so the blueprint “date” is certainly possible.  As usual, research continues…

And the concept of a “hinged body” sounded good but proved to be too unwieldy.  According to Fred Roth of American Sports Cars.com, this was only attempted on the first car and subsequent Maverick Sports Cars had a hinged hood to give proper access to the engine compartment – as we would all expect.

Summary:

Thanks again to Alden Jewell for making such a rare piece of American automotive history available for all of us to appreciate.

Hope you enjoyed the story, and until next time…

Glass on gang…

Geoff