Cool thing about the Maverick, at least my year model, is there is no FORD anywhere on it! I think the only FORD is on the chrome panel under the door, but when you look on the outside, just MAVERICK and the bullhead. Most responses I get are "That was my first car!" or similar. One guy said his parents had matching mavs when he was growing up. Stuff like that... My favorite is "DAMN!!! There is a LOT of engine under there!" Also, "Hey, aren't you the guy that drives THE Maverick?"
I remember when we first started getting my 77' Maverick restored. The usual comments were: " A Maverick?! Are you kidding? " , or " That's a waste of time ", or simply " Why? ". Ten years later the comments have changed to: " Look! A Maverick. ", or " Wow! You don't see too many of these anymore ", or " My reletive, girlfriend, boyfriend, whatever, used to have one of these ", and my all time favorite, " Is that the factory engine? That thing must really fly! ". So many people at car shows have walked up to us and said how happy they were to see something that was not a Mustang or a Camero that I can't begin to count them all. These cars are so common at car shows that people expect to see them and, therefore, unless one of them is really exceptional there really is no surprise. People like surprises, so when a Maverick shows up it tends to catch folks off guard and as a result, the Maverick gets a boatload of attention. Nothing wrong with. You got be be a Maverick to own a Maverick.
The only person in my life who ever was a little leery of my Comet was my parents, who grudgingly admitted it "wasn't much of a car." Everyone else I've seen though has either said they've had one before, haven't seen those in years, or a kid who was at Autozone told his little brother that my (then Comet) was a Maverick and those make awesome hotrods. Times are changing. Can't wait to eventually take her to a show. Hate putting her up in storage for the interim *sigh*
I'm not brand-loyal either, although I have spent more time with Fords than anything else. I have just two requirements for classic cars. If it's American, and if it's nice, then I like it...