As America readied itself for its 200th birthday in 1976, the familiar red-white-blue paint scheme was applied liberally to everything from teapots to trains.
So it’s probably no surprise that Detroit got into the action too.
While we covered Chevrolet’s awesome 1974 Spirit of America cars a few years back, it’s totally worth pointing out that Ford’s Sprint editions actually beat them to the market by a few years.
Conspicuously (but not officially) released to coincide with the 1972 Olympic year, Ford’s Sprint package was available on the Mustang, Maverick, and Pinto.
Selecting the Sprint Décor Option got you that aforementioned red-white-blue paint scheme, along with a color-matching interior. And if that wasn’t patriotic enough, Sprint editions also received an American Flag-inspired crest on the rear quarter (or a Maple Leaf, which we’ll talk about in a sec).
As alluded to above, the Sprint option was little more than an appearance package on the Mustang, Maverick, and Pinto models.
But the Mustang did take things a little bit further, as you could get the Sprint package on either the SportsRoof, coupe, or convertible, with your choice of engines offered for the Ford Mustang in 1972. Mag wheels were optional. You could also opt for a modest Sprint Performance trim on top of that, which added a sport suspension and Ford’s Magnum 500 wheels.
Ford also applied the Sprint treatment to the Pinto and Maverick too, again it was basically an appearance package that included the signature paint scheme and matching interior.
And now’s a good time to mention that these Sprint editions weren’t exclusively made for the United States. Canadian buyers could tick the Sprint box too—and though the red/white/blue paint remained, the U.S.A. shield on the rear quarter was replaced with a unique Maple Leaf crest.
Sprint Editions also got color-keyed side mirrors, along with oh-so-subtle upholstery that carried the patriotic color palette inside, featuring white seats with blue inserts accented by red piping.
In addition to the blue accent on the hood, the Sprint Décor Package gave you a blue rocker treatment set apart with a red pinstripe.
As far as production totals, from what we found, Ford made about 10,000 Sprint Mustangs, 15,000 Sprint Mavericks, and 20,000 Sprint Pintos. But considering that, outside of the Goodguys show last year, we’ve never seen another one (of any model) in real life, it leads us to think that these Sprint editions are pretty darn rare nowadays.
…So fingers crossed Ford decides to make another run of Sprint models for the 45th Olympiad in 2072.
I have a 1972 Ford Pinto sprint looking for someone to steal the two front seats back to original
I had a 1972 Ford maverick with a straight 256 6 cylinder i sill got the motor and c4 I want to rebuild them both but I can’t find nothing on a 256 nowhere ????
Hey, cool car! We’re big fans of 1970s-era compacts like the Maverick, Comet, and Mustang II around here. Have you tried checking out Summit Racing for engine parts for your Ford 4.2L V6? Summit carries a ton of internal engine components, like pistons, rings, bearings, camshafts, cylinder heads, and more.
Do you still have the 1974 Chevelle Laguna S-3.