Underground storage

[D2Cat]

In the early 1970s, Ford Motor Company was producing the Maverick, a compact car marketed as an affordable and efficient vehicle. However, the demand for the Maverick was not as high as Ford had anticipated, and they found themselves with a surplus of unsold cars.
To deal with this surplus, Ford decided to store thousands of unsold Mavericks in the Subtropolis caves located in Kansas City, Missouri. Subtropolis is a man-made underground complex of limestone mines, covering over 55 million square feet, and is home to many businesses that use the caves for storage and other purposes.
Ford leased about 25 acres of the cave complex, which was ideal for storing the cars as the caves are naturally climate-controlled with temperatures ranging between 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. The cars were kept in the caves until they could be sold, which reportedly took several years.
The storage of the Mavericks in the Subtropolis caves became somewhat of a legend in the automotive world, with many car enthusiasts and historians fascinated by the idea of thousands of unsold cars sitting underground for years. Today, the Subtropolis complex is still in use, and while the Mavericks are no longer stored there, the story of their time underground remains a unique piece of automotive history.

 

[GeoHorn]

Soo…. Instead of being stored outdoors where someday they might be subject to Hail…..

they were stored in Hell where someday they might be subject to out-the-door… ?

 

[dirtydeed]

Soo…. Instead of being stored outdoors where someday they might be subject to Hail…..

they were stored in Hell where someday they might be subject to out-the-door… ?

Hell was the perfect place to store them. I can remember working on the POS cars. Total junk.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

I'd rather have one of them than a new 'Mini' or ANY beemer !

 

[NorthwoodsLife]

I'd rather have one of them than a new 'Mini' or ANY beemer !

 

[jyoutz]

I had a Maverick. I’ll take a beemer any day.

 

[mikester]

Hell was the perfect place to store them. I can remember working on the POS cars. Total junk.

First on race day...

 

[will721]

Might as well get used to the idea of owning a "beemer". BMW has gotten their fingers into several automotive brands and many just don't realize it. Prime example, the new Toyota Supra is actually a BMW. Now that MOPAR is owned by the French, the hemi hit the chopping block and is being replaced by the "hurricane" six cylinder engine. Which is a BMW.

That said, in my small fleet there is also a 3 series. Good little car. Fun to drive, good mpg, and so far the only issues have been things the PO "fixed" aka botched.

 

[Outnumbered]

Man this brings back memories. My sister bought one of these new back in 77, the ugliest green color I have ever seen. She had good luck with it and gave it to one of my brothers around 90 and he drove it until it finally met its match with a guard rail after he dozed off on the interstate.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

The 70's (and much of the 80's) were certainly the "Dark Ages" for cars.

Detroit produced lots of ugly, under powered, crap.

Luckily there was good music and booze to keep us distracted.

Now they have great cars, but the music is so crappy it drives you back to the booze again.

Vicious circle I suppose.....

 

[GeoHorn]

Stellantis (merger of FIAT/Chrysler and French PSA) owns “mopar”…. … I.E. EveryBody we “helped” in WW2 is running the world these days…. Japan, Italy, Germany, Russia, France, China, Netherlands,….….and they All Depend on US to keep them in the running.

 

[RCW]

Man this brings back memories. My sister bought one of these new back in 77, the ugliest green color I have ever seen.

There were a lot of ugly cars in the '70's - - can you say AMC Pacer?!?!? (FYI - I think a Pacer right side door was 4-6 inches longer than left side, to let someone in back seat)

Still, I always said the worst of the bunch was one of those Mavericks in that Pea Soup/Avocado/Puke Green.

 

[Outnumbered]

There were a lot of ugly cars in the '70's - - can you say AMC Pacer?!?!? (FYI - I think a Pacer right side door was 4-6 inches longer than left side, to let someone in back seat)

Still, I always said the worst of the bunch was one of those Mavericks in that Pea Soup/Avocado/Puke Green.

On par with the Pacer AKA: Bubble Gum Machine my wife had the AMC Gremlin when we got married. Now that was a piece of junk..

 

[bbxlr8]

I spent a LOT of time in KC due to family and work and somehow never heard of this until now; Trust me it would have stuck out - VERY interesting!

Thanks for posting. I learn so much weird stuff from this group

 

[D2Cat]

I spent a LOT of time in KC due to family and work and somehow never heard of this until now; Trust me it would have stuck out - VERY interesting!

Thanks for posting. I learn so much weird stuff from this group

The Hunt family started it. It's like a city. I've been in there and as huge as it is, well light, high ceilings, being claustrophobic it's still a eerie feeling.

The World’s Largest Underground Business Complex, SubTropolis, Is Here In Missouri

Miles and miles of roads and businesses, all underground! Subtropolis Caves is a unique business complex in Missouri for sure!

www.onlyinyourstate.com

 

[Flintknapper]

Too bad they didn't squirrel away a bunch of Boss 429's. Would be worth a fortune these days.

 

[NorthwoodsLife]

In the video, "All Prices and Specifications are subject to change without notice".... Same today.

$2,500 for a new American car. I lived in the era, and still can't wrap my head around it. Of course, and new house was usually less than $20, 000.

Mopar and BMW bashers. And even MINI bashers.. Check it out.

Times change, so do cars. Got a Mini in my winter home driveway. It's a rental, the wife's wheels for a while. I drove it, and it corners like a go cart. Like on rails. It's the S model, and it's quite fast. It's no joke. Although it's not my style, it is fun. Not exactly a straight country man's projected impression, but it is fun to drive.

I love my current Mopars and Beemer, but if I had the time, and free money, I'd take a 70's Duster with the V8 or straight 6. Any day. rebuild it. Have fun.

I was watching the broad in the skirt more than the cars...

Love the ashtray on the desk!!! Oh, such memories... Dad and the salesman and everyone smoking. What a good time to be alive! Even despite the hippies and daily threat of nuclear war!

China was a third world derelict.

If we'd only known....

 

[WFM]

The maverick was ford's version of the Nova kinda.
What I remember about the maverick was the steering wheel had a piece of rubber piping going all the way around. That was the horn button. Right at your thumb tip...
Now that's engeering.

 

[ob1jeeper]

I had a '70 Maverick that we drove for well over 260K, before selling it for about half what we paid for it new. It was a GREAT little car that got good fuel economy, and handled like a dream, netting me multiple wins on slam courses over the likes of BMW's, etc. I even towed another car (a 66 VW Bug) from Toledo to Arizona when we moved to Yuma in '76.

 

[DaveFromMi]

I had a beater 1974 Mercury Comet, Merc version of the Maverick. It had an inline 6. It had great low end torque, but dogged out at 65 mph. Once it became expensive to keep fluids in it, I traded it in for another beater.