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Bolstering Maverick's appeal for '71 was a notchback four-door on a 109.9-inch wheelbase (almost the same as the original Falcon's), a sportier two-door called Grabber, and a newly optional 302 V-8 as an alternative to the 100-bhp 170 six. Ford's major 1971 announcement was the four-cylinder Pinto, a 2000-pound, 94.2-inch-wheelbase subcompact with fastback styling in two-door and Runabout three-door hatchback ­models.

Ford scored much higher 1970 sales with its new compact Maverick, a semifastback two-door on a 103-inch wheelbase. As a result, Ford greeted 1980 a critical two to three years behind GM in the fuel efficiency and "space" races -- and at a critical sales disadvantage next to its domestic foes and a horde of fast-rising Japanese makes. Never use more space than necessary unless the system is so efficient it warrants extra space or your closet is so spacious it can afford the luxury.

Ford stubbornly resisted the winds of change, promoting its aging big cars on the basis of greater passenger space and the presumed safety of their "road-hugging weight." But the public didn't buy this cynical line -- or as many of the cars. Though Pinto served Ford well in a difficult period, it will ­forever be remembered as what one wag called "the barbecue that seats four." That refers to the dangerously vulnerable fuel tank and hfactor water filler-neck design of 1971-76 sedan models implicated in a rash of highly publicized (and fatal) fires following rear-end collisions.

Three-door wagons arrived for 1972, including a woody-look Squire (some called it "Country Squirt").

A more substantial face-lift that year brought rather duller-looking front and m health fairview urgent care rear ends, and the Windsor convertible reappeared (actually, two had been built in 1958) in what was called the "Lion-Hearted" line. The following year brought new outer sheetmetal with more flowing lines and "faster" rooflines on hardtop coupes. It was a blistering performer and its new hardtop body with concave backlight was distinctive, but hot-car demand was fast-waning everywhere, and only 7675 were built for the model year.

Luxury was further emphasized with a new LTD Brougham hardtop coupe, hardtop sedan, and four-door sedan. LTD became a separate three-model series, louie m burger luster omaha adding four-door sedan but losing the slow-selling 7-Litre ­models. The 1965 platform got a minor touch up for '66, and LTDs gained "7-Litre" companions powered by the Thunderbird's big 345-bhp 428 engine. The narrow-block, short-stroke engine Stirrat's people created displaced 221 cubic inches. Wheelbase grew an inch; profiles were lower and five inches longer.

A new bodyshell arrived for '69 with a two-inch longer wheelbase, a "tunneled backlight" for newly named "SportsRoof" fastbacks, and ventless door glass on hardtops and convertibles.

With intermediates taking over in competition, the big Fords no longer needed any sort of "performance" image to support sales. Leading the 1970 line were modestly facelifted full-size Fords with "poke-through" center grille sections on LTDs and XLs, plus revamped rear ends on all models. The few differences involved grille treatments, medallions and other exterior trim. Broughams also featured in the 1970 Torino line, which shared new exterior panels "shaped by the wind" with a three-model Fairlane 500 series.

Four series were offered: Custom, Galaxie 500, XL, and LTD. Hidden-headlamp grilles marked the '68 LTDs and Galaxie XLs as part of a lower-body restyle for all models.