On April 17, 1969, Ford introduced a new compact two-door sedan with sleek fastback styling, designed to counter the sales threat posed by the Volkswagen “Beetle” and other fuel-efficient imports. In its first (partial) year on the market, the Maverick sold 127,833 copies, besting the Mustang’s 126,538 unit sales from April-December 1964. Though the Mustang lives on today, the Maverick — which marks its 50th birthday in 2019 — left the U.S. market after the 1977 model year.

By the late 1960s, the threat from imports to domestic sales was growing too large to ignore. In 1968 alone, Volkswagen sold 563,522 vehicles to U.S buyers, while Toyota and Datsun (combined) accounted for another 109,000 sales. In total, Ford’s research showed the size of the 1968 import market (including all manufacturers) to be 985,767 units — large enough for the right car from a domestic automaker to make inroads and enjoy reasonable sales.

Looking back on the short lived but well-rounded Ford classic.