1973 · Ford · United States
1973 Ford Maverick Grabber
The 200 six became standard as the 170 was dropped; Classic Industries counts 32,350 Grabbers.
United States · researched through 2026-09-23
For 1973 Ford dropped the 170 six entirely, making the 200 six the Maverick's new standard engine. Classic Industries counts 32,350 Grabbers alongside 148,943 plain two-door sedans and 110,382 four-door sedans for the year, though the source does not state whether those three figures together account for every 1973 Maverick built.1,2
Factory prices for the Grabber two-door, catalogued as body 62D, ran $2,419 for the six and $2,541 for the V8. The plain two-door sedan listed at $2,240 (six) and $2,362 (V8), and the four-door sedan at $2,297 (six) and $2,419 (V8); notably, the six-cylinder four-door sedan and the six-cylinder Grabber landed at the identical $2,419 figure, a coincidence of the pricing structure rather than a data error, since the two rows come from the same catalogue table read independently and each carries its own body code and passenger rating. No engine ratings for the standard 200 six or any optional V8 were found in the sources consulted for 1973, and the engines section of this record is accordingly empty apart from the fact of the 170's discontinuation carried in the overview itself; the transmissions section is likewise empty, though the Grabber's own standard-content list independently confirms a three-speed manual as standard equipment on that package.3,4
Standard Grabber content for the year ran to the 200 six, a three-speed manual, D70x14 Wide Oval raised-white-letter tires, new federally mandated energy-absorbing bumpers, lower body side and back panel paint-and-tape treatments, hood tape with a Grabber decal, a black grille, dual racing mirrors, a deck-lid spoiler, trim rings, sound and handling packages, and vinyl seats. Options extended to forged aluminum wheels, high-back bucket seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a floor-shifted three-speed manual as a separate line item, a 55-amp heavy-duty battery, and a heavy-duty suspension, though no prices for any of these were found in the sources consulted. The Grabber's own tape and paint treatments covered the lower body side and back panel specifically, distinct from the hood tape carrying the Grabber decal, so the package's visual identity was built from at least three separately described graphic elements rather than a single stripe kit.5
Curb weight ran to 2,812 lb for the Grabber against 2,757 lb for the plain two-door sedan, weights that reflect the new energy-absorbing bumpers the Grabber's own standard-content list credits to 1973 specifically. Three optional metallic "Glow" finishes were charted for the year: Gold Glow, Ivy Glow, and Blue Glow, though no source states whether these three exhaust the full 1973 palette or whether additional standard, non-metallic colors were also offered alongside them without being captured here. No interior trim, performance data, or identification codes beyond the Grabber's own body code of 62D survive in the sources consulted for the year.5,3
Taken together, the Grabber's 1973 equipment list leaned toward safety and drivability over outright performance additions: energy-absorbing bumpers were a federally driven change rather than a styling choice, and the sound and handling packages named in the standard-content list suggest attention to ride quality and cabin refinement alongside the visual package of tape, spoiler, and trim rings. The heavy-duty suspension and heavy-duty battery offered as separate options point to buyers who wanted more robust running gear than the base car provided, even without a performance-rated engine option recorded for the year in any source consulted.5
Fact sheet · 1973 · United States
The numbers
1973 Ford Maverick Grabber — The 200 six became standard as the 170 was dropped; Classic Industries counts 32,350 Grabbers.
Coverage: Partial — researched sections are shown; missing ones are not yet sourced. Researched through 2026-09-23.
Every figure is labeled with how sure we are. Reported means a manufacturer, registry, or reference figure we cite but have not reconciled against factory records ourselves. Disputed means credible sources disagree and both are shown. Rows are separately scoped; don't add them together unless the note says they make up a total.
Production
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| All 1973 Mavericks (conceptcarz total)6 as published A total stated by the page. It equals the sum of the body rows below (110,382 + 148,943 + 32,350 Grabber), which repeat the Classic Industries rows, so it is the same lineage with a stated whole-year figure, not an independent count. | 291,675 | built, model-year | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grabber1 Grabber · 2-door · as published | 32,350 | built, model-year | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-door sedan1 Maverick · 2-door sedan · as published | 148,943 | built, model-year | Reported |
| 4-door sedan1 Maverick · 4-door sedan · as published | 110,382 | built, model-year | Reported |
Body and Grabber rows as published by Classic Industries; conceptcarz states a 1973 whole-year total (291,675) equal to their sum, so the rows partition the year on that page (same lineage, not an independent count).
Searched 2026-09-29: conceptcarz (series modelID 543), Wikipedia, the Classic Industries and Standard Catalog lineages already cited.
Prices when new
| Model | Price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Factory price, Maverick Grabber two-door (six)3,4 | $2,419 | factory price, base car before options, 1973 model year |
| Factory price, Maverick Grabber two-door (V-8)3 | $2,541 | factory price, base car before options, 1973 model year |
| Factory price, Maverick two-door sedan (six)3 | $2,240 | factory price, base car before options, 1973 model year |
| Factory price, Maverick two-door sedan (V-8)3 | $2,362 | factory price, base car before options, 1973 model year |
| Factory price, Maverick four-door sedan (six)3 | $2,297 | factory price, base car before options, 1973 model year |
| Factory price, Maverick four-door sedan (V-8)3 | $2,419 | factory price, base car before options, 1973 model year |
Prices are the nominal dollars of the day, not adjusted for inflation.
Options and packages
| Code | Option | Price | Installed |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Grabber standard content: 200 six, 3-speed manual, D70x14 Wide Oval raised-white-letter tires, new energy-absorbing bumpers, lower bodyside and back panel paint/tape, hood tape with Grabber decal, black grille, dual racing mirrors, deck-lid spoiler, trim rings, sound and handling packages, vinyl seats5 | — | Not yet sourced |
|
Forged aluminum wheels5 | — | Not yet sourced |
|
High-back bucket seats5 | — | Not yet sourced |
|
Leather-wrapped steering wheel5 | — | Not yet sourced |
|
3-speed manual floor shift5 | — | Not yet sourced |
|
Heavy-duty battery, 55 ampere5 | — | Not yet sourced |
|
Heavy-duty suspension5 | — | Not yet sourced |
Paint
| Code | Color | Built |
|---|---|---|
|
Gold Glow (optional metallic glow)5 | Not yet sourced |
|
Ivy Glow (optional metallic glow)5 | Not yet sourced |
|
Blue Glow (optional metallic glow)5 | Not yet sourced |
Color names are the factory's. We don't show color swatches, because a screen color is no guide for a restoration.
Specifications
| Measure | Value | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Curb weight, Grabber5 | 2,812 lb | Grabber 2-door |
| Curb weight, 2-door5 | 2,757 lb | 2-door |
Identification
Read a 1973 Ford VIN
The VIN decoder runs in your browser and never sends the VIN anywhere. How the factory numbered this year's cars:
Same model year
Also in 1973
- AMC AMX The Javelin AMX's best year. 5,707 were built, a quarter of them with the 401, alongside the Trans Am Victory decal and the Pierre Cardin interior.
- AMC Gremlin X and Spirit AMX The V8 Gremlin X continued, with new stripes and an available Levi's denim-look interior. No production split has been found.
- AMC Javelin The SST name dropped away and new twin 'TV-screen' taillights arrived. Javelin production reached 25,195, alongside the Trans Am Victory decal package.
- Buick Riviera Stage One (260 hp net) joined a separate GS handling package; 1,234 Stage Ones and 3,933 GS cars of 34,080.
- Buick Skylark Gran Sport, GS and GSX On the new Colonnade A-body the GS became a Century Gran Sport package; 6,637 were built, 728 with the 455 Stage 1.
- Chevrolet Chevelle and Malibu SS The Colonnade Chevelle's only SS year: RPO Z15 on the Malibu coupe and, for the first and only time, the station wagon, with a 245 net hp 454 available.
- Chevrolet Chevy II and Nova Hatchback appears in the source body table; SS offered with any engine per the source. Enthusiast-compiled production: 369,509 cars; Super Sport 35,542.
- Chevrolet El Camino SS The new Colonnade El Camino could still be ordered with RPO Z15 SS equipment; no El Camino SS count was found.
- Dodge Challenger The six was gone: every 1973 Challenger hardtop had a V8, the 318 standard and the 340 optional, with the Rallye now sold as a package.
- Dodge Charger The Charger's best-selling year of the original era, 119,318 cars, came as the 440 lost its Magnum name and the car moved toward personal luxury.
- Dodge Dart GTS, Swinger and Demon Renamed Dart Sport, the fastback's 340 model sold 11,315 in the 340's final year.
- Ford Ranchero GT The Ranchero GT continued on the 1972-76 Ranchero; 15,320 GTs were built, per reference-site counts in the Standard Catalog lineage.
- Ford Thunderbird The 429 4V was standard and the 460 4V optional in the sixth generation's best-selling year.
- Ford Torino The 1973 Torino kept the 1972 body behind a heavier bumper; the Gran Torino Sport fell to 51,853 SportsRoofs and 17,090 hardtops while the 351 Cobra Jet remained the performance engine.
- Mercury Cougar The last Cougar convertible and the last 351 Cobra Jet year, with production up to 60,629 as buyers shifted to the XR-7.
- Mercury Montego GT The Montego GT fastback's second and last year; a vehicle profile reports 4,464 built.
- Oldsmobile Cutlass, 4-4-2 and Hurst/Olds On the new Colonnade Cutlass the 4-4-2 was a W-29 appearance and handling option, and the Hurst/Olds came in white or, for the first time, black: 1,097 built.
- Plymouth Barracuda and 'Cuda V8 only: the 318 became standard on both Barracuda and 'Cuda, the 340 moved to the option list, and production rose for the only time after 1970.
- Plymouth Duster 340 and 360 The 340's last year in the Duster produced 15,731 cars with power front disc brakes now standard, and the Spacemaker Pak fold-down rear seat joined the line.
- Plymouth GTX, Belvedere and Satellite For 1973 the GTX name survived only through the Road Runner's optional 440 four-barrel, which came with TorqueFlite only; Mueller's Muscle Car Source Book counts 749 of them.
- Plymouth Road Runner A secondary count puts production back up to 19,056, the highest of the 1971-1974 Satellite-based years.
- Pontiac Firebird and Trans Am The Super Duty year: 4,802 Trans Ams, 252 of them SD-455s.
- Pontiac GTO A GTO option on the new Colonnade LeMans, with the 400 standard and a 455 optional; 4,806 built.
- Pontiac Grand Am Pontiac's Colonnade GT with an Endura nose and a 400 or 455; 43,137 built, the Grand Am's best year, with 1,058 four-speeds.
- Pontiac Grand Prix The Colonnade-body Grand Prix arrives, with the 400 standard and the 455 in the SJ.
- Pontiac Tempest and LeMans The Colonnade LeMans arrives, with GTO and GT options for the two-door models and a Super Duty 455 listed for the LeMans in Pontiac's dealer book.