1952 Maverick Sportster
Measuring 16 feet long and 6 feet wide, this fiberglass-bodied roadster dwarfed most sports cars of its time. California aeronautical engineer H. Sterling “Smoke” Gladwin Jr. designed the imposing two-seater as a retirement project, creating one of the 1950s’ most unusual American sports cars.
The massive body featured fadeaway fenders and a dramatic boat-shaped tail that prompted comparisons to an oversized Jaguar XK 120.
Production examples rode on modified Cadillac chassis with wheelbases in the 126 to 128 inch range, depending on source. Most Mavericks intentionally lacked driver-side doors, a safety feature Gladwin designed to force occupants to exit passenger-side away from traffic.
The lightweight fiberglass body (reported at roughly 210 to 220 pounds) combined with a 331 cubic inch Cadillac V-8 producing about 210 horsepower gave the approximately 3,100-pound roadster very good performance through its Dual Range Hydra-Matic transmission.
Maverick Motors offered the car from $3,850 to $5,440 depending on specification, with lower prices for flathead Ford–powered versions and the top figure for Cadillac-based De Luxe models. An optional fiberglass hardtop was available.
Production ran from 1952 into the mid-to-late 1960s, with most accounts agreeing that approximately seven completed cars were built before the company folded.
Source
