Jeep's 1958 Maverick Special Was The Well-Equipped SUV The World Wasn't Ready For Yet

For years, the Jeep name was associated with military vehicles like the World War II-era Jeep MB. Afterwards, that legendary vehicle was replaced by the Jeep MC. The MC was in turn superseded by the MD that, in civilian form, became the CJ-5. Willys-Overland – renamed Willys Motor Company when it purchased by Kaiser in 1953 – produced thousands of military Jeeps during the Korean War and for a short time thereafter. Then, the military took a pause, and Willys didn’t build any military Jeeps for the U.S. during 1956.

This worried Willys management since military contracts were lucrative and, prior to 1956, military Jeeps were a big seller. Civilian Jeep sales, as well as passenger car sales, were not growing, which squeezed profit margins. New sales vice president Cruse Moss was ordered to get things righted. He put the spurs to Jeep’s retail network while also ordering Jeep product planners and stylists to come up with new ideas that could be developed quickly and cheaply as tooling money was scarce.

Under Styling Director Jim Angers, Jeep designers created several vehicles, including a new version of the prosaic two-wheel drive Jeep Station Wagon. Nicely trimmed and aimed at suburban families, the marketing staff decided to call it the Maverick Special. It was an easy choice; one of the most popular television shows at the time was “Maverick,” a tongue-in-cheek western starring James Garner that debuted in September 1957.

The new Jeep debuted as a 1958 model with an advertised price of $1,895. Basically, it was the existing Jeep Station Wagon that boasted striking two-tone paint (as seen in the included illustration), the bulk of which was separated by bright trim moldings. The paint scheme was said to be optional, but most – if not all – Mavericks were built this way. Chrome bumpers and left-side mirror added sparkle to the exterior, and a one-piece windshield replaced a two-pane unit.

Interiors featured contoured seats covered in a handsome vinyl-coated fabric claimed to be as durable and washable as pure vinyl, yet was completely breathable, allowing cooling air to reach driver and passenger backs. Stylish carpeting covered the passenger floor, while the cargo floor was covered in black Pompano carpet with jute padding for extra quietness. One source claims an AM radio was standard equipment, but sales flyers do not mention it, and I have a hard time believing Willys would be that generous.

Maverick’s base engine was the ‘High Torque Hurricane,’ a 134.2-cu.in. F-head four-cylinder based on Willys’ prewar passenger car engine. Rated at 75 hp, the engine was cheap to build and economical to drive but was under-powered for the era. Thankfully, Jeep’s Super Hurricane flathead six, boasting 226-cu.in. and 105 hp, was soon available. Overdrive was optional, and the only transmission offered to buyers was a column-shifted three-speed manual.

While a four-wheel drum brake system was retained, a coil spring front suspension was new and said to add durability. Also, standard equipment was four new ‘Captive Air’ wide whitewall tires. They allowed Willys to exclude a spare tire and increase cargo space since the tires could be driven up to 100 miles with a blow-out. A specially designed “inner spare” inside each tire – a forerunner of racing’s inner liner – meant the outer tire never went completely flat.

Offering the upgraded six-passenger wagon was a smart move by Willys, because station wagons were becoming hot sellers, the equivalent of today’s SUVs. Station wagons appealed to families needing more passenger and cargo room. Rambler and Ford wagons were tremendously popular because they seemed smart, and affordable. A stripped Ford two-door Ranch wagon cost $2,397, while a basic Rambler four-door Deluxe wagon was $2,370. Willys’s Jeep Maverick Special had a substantial price advantage. But alas, it proved a slow seller.

The Maverick Special was produced for 1958 and 1959, though a very similar model with unique “missile” side moldings continued through 1964. These later two-wheel drive wagons were simply called the Jeep Station Wagon.