Ford’s launch of the new compact Maverick pickup this week reminded us of a few other vehicles that carried the Maverick name.

As Ford rolled out its latest compact pickup for North America this week, which proudly bears a Maverick nameplate, many Ford fans were immediately reminded of the compact sedan called the Maverick that was sold in the USA from 1970 to 1977. Meanwhile, observers Down Under no doubt recalled the rebadged version of the Nissan Patrol sport-utility vehicle that was sold as the Ford Maverick in Australia between 1988 and 1994. (There were other compact Ford SUVs for China and Europe that were called Maverick as well.) Oddballs that we are, we remembered an even older and more obscure use of the Maverick name on a vehicle: The Jeep Maverick Special station wagon produced by Willys Motors 1958-60.

The Maverick Special came about when Jeep signed on as the presenting sponsor of the ABC television western Maverick starring James Garner as a professional gambler roaming the Old West. In this 1957-62 series, Garner played Bret Maverick, a grifter  with a heart of gold, a character not totally unlike his familiar role years later in The Rockford Files.

As a cross-promotion with the series, Willys put together a Maverick Special edition for the Jeep two-wheel-drive station wagon.  The package included a few bright trim pieces, whitewall tires, a gussied-up cabin with vinyl-coated upholstery fabrics and “Pompano Black” carpeting, and a choice of several two-tone exterior paint schemes. It may not sound like much, but for a Jeep station wagon of the period, it was downright flashy.

The Maverick’s standard engine was the trusty Hurricane F-head four with 134.2 cubic inches and 75 hp, though the Super Hurricane was listed as available at extra cost (and the serial numbers indicate there were some takers). We’re not Jeep experts by any stretch and the company’s record-keeping was less than robust, but it appears that several thousand Maverick Specials were produced, maybe more.