The seller labels this 2WD wagon a Maverick, but this May of 1962 2WD wagon brochure does not identify it as such. Thanks to John for sharing this ad. This runs and drives.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1685785275244236
“If the ad is up the car is still available 2wd with the Tornado 230 straight 6. All kinds of work done, currently registered and driving. Floors need to be replaced and I bought new ones that are included. Would trade for a nice 50’s good driving Oldsmobile or similar car. New brakes, shocks and rear springs. Fuel tank is excellent along with new fuel lines”
Kaiser sponsored the Maverick TV show starring James Garner and Jack Kelly that began in Sept. 1957, by creating an economical but more stylish station wagon called the Maverick. It had special stainless steel trim around the windows and upper body, whitewall captive air tires(no spare), and normally equipped with a 4 cylinder F-head engine with 75 hp and overdrive transmission, special interior trim as well. They were advertised early as having a one piece windshield and rear tailgate glass, with a lower profile metal ribbed roof. Early 1958 Mavericks used what was left of former station wagon parts, ie: two piece windshield, two piece window for the tailgate, old style high profile roof line. By the end of the 1960 TV season, James Garner left over a salary dispute, with Roger Moore replacing him as a cousin. The show’s ratings dropped and by sometime in 1961, Kaiser dropped their sponsorship to concentrate on the new TV show Hong Kong. The Maverick show ended in July 1962. My guess is that after Kaiser dropped the sponsorship of Maverick, they also changed the advertising for what was the Maverick station wagon in favor of just “Jeep” Station Wagon, however, Kaiser was introducing a brand new Tornado OHC 6 cylinder engine, and they marketed it by using up all the old Maverick wagon bodies and trim, which this wagon has. Kaiser, following the Willys tradition of using everything they had in inventory, sold these wagons through 1964, well after the new 1963 Jeep Wagoneer was introduced. Our very close friend, Jim Sullivan owns a very early 1958 titled Maverick that he bought in Tucson about 10 years ago, and it has the two piece windshield, two piece tailgate glass, old style high profile non-ribbed roof, and original serial number plate that indicates it was one of the very last 1958 Maverick Station wagons built, with a 58147(Specific to Mavericks) model number, before the 1959 models came out. It has the Maverick window trim but had the earlier side trim, not the arrow style on the 59 and later models as well as the F-head 4 engine and overdrive transmission.
I can see why they wanted an updated, more car like wagon.
Compared to other late 50s wagons, the high roof, two piece windshield and back window and lack of stainless around windows would look pretty archaic.
In contrast to today, people wanted cars, not SUV looking things with design cues from a dozen years earlier.
Amazing to see one so complete.