The 1960s were an era of space age automobile naming conventions, with the Comet, Starliner, Satellite, Meteor, and Nova being featured in dealership showrooms among several others with similar names. The obsession with space travel was building momentum as we approached the first landing on the moon in July 1969. Another popular car from that decade was the Ford Galaxie.
The Pick of the Day is a 1966 Ford Galaxie 500 coupe listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Toronto, Ontario. (Click the link to view the listing)
“Vehicle has 26,000 original miles and was found in a barn in Schomburg,” the listing states. Cosmetically, the condition of this coupe is consistent with what we might expect from a low-mileage barn find. The interior is reportedly free of rips or tears, but the exterior does show some wear in the form of corrosion around the rear wheel wells and faded paint.
The Galaxie nameplate was initially associated with a top trim level of the Fairlane 500 when it first launched in model year 1959. Over the next few years, the exterior styling and trim were modified, and in 1965, the car received vertically stacked headlights along with revised packaging. It was available in coupe, sedan, and convertible variations during that generation. Other engineering changes included replacement of the rear leaf spring rear suspension with a three-link system.
The base engine available for the Galaxie in 1966 was a 240cid inline-six. This coupe is powered by a larger 289cid Windsor V8, which reportedly runs well. “Mechanically, the car is extremely sound and has had regular service since we purchased it,” the seller states. “The car starts the first time, every time, regardless of how long it has sat.” Power steering has been added along with a dual-master brake system.
The Galaxie name was eventually phased out after the 1974 model year in the United States, when Ford’s full-size models were rebranded under the LTD name. In all, the car’s best-selling year was 1966, which was the only year it broke a million units (1,034,930 to be exact).
“This one is for those who love a true classic style,” the listing concludes. “You see it everywhere from the factory wheel covers to the wide chrome bumpers. The whole presentation on this coupe’s exterior is about staying as stock-style as possible.”
The seller is asking $22,750 for this Galaxie from the peak of the space race era.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
65 is much cooler, to me.
There was a Ford Galaxie LTD in 1966, (4-door) because my dad owned it – they are rare, however – at least on-line, but they were quite nice, more along the lines of the Chrysler Town Cars (at least in grey/black, with the vinyl top and LTD badging).