All cars were/are ordered. If a customer doesn't prompt the dealer to order a car a certain way, then the sales manager orders the car the way he thinks his sales staff can sell it in his market. None are built to a factory default, because none are built for factory inventory. Every car has been ordered before it is even slated to be built. The dealerships are customers, just like the buying public. None are owned by the factory.
I dont know for sure but back then you could sometimes get things that wasn't on the order sheet. I've seen that station wagon with the factory 4 speed and buckets that was in the magazines. I bought my Sprint new off the lot and often wished I would have checked in to it.
I would be willing to bet that SOMEBODY DID check into it. These cars are too sporty and I just feel like a lot of people, even in 1972, would have rather had buckets. I figure they were just told no...they are not available for this car and it would have probably been simply because of the special covers...not the seats. They would have had to make a special set of covers for one set of seats and would not have any extras made up for warranty purposes. I don't believe they can sell it if they can't back it up. I would imagine though that if a person had the right connections, he likely could have made it happen. Money usually talks.
If a Maverick Customer wanted Buckets ... I'm sure the dealer could order a set of Mustang Sprint Buckets for them ... probably pretty cheap too and they would bolt right in ...
True but the Mustang pattern was different than the Maverick one if I'm not mistaken so the front and back seats would not have matched. Correct me if I'm wrong someone. (Countangman)?
I always thought a Sprint with buckets and floor shift would be a sweet find. Years ago, I figured they were out there, but as time goes on, it is pretty clear there is no such animal. One might pop up one day, stranger things have happened at Ford in 1972... However at this point I would be suspicious of a bucket Sprint that was portrayed as original.
I wonder if Pinto Sprint buckets would have a pattern that matches the back seat? The buckets are different than 72 Maverick buckets in overall shape. However I believe they were the buckets used for a time in 73 Mavericks... ??? No matter what, they would bolt in with Maverick tracks.