The Unforgettable Ford Galaxie Once Lit Up Highways, Showrooms, and Racetracks
Coming of age during the Space Race, the Galaxie blended style, power, and versatility to become one of Ford’s most notable models.
While the mantra, “Race on Sunday, sell on Monday,” permeated the boardrooms and showrooms of domestic dealerships during the 1950s and 1960s, it was the Space Race that fueled the Ford Galaxie’s blastoff into a full-blown intergalactic battle royale for full-sized car supremacy. Thanks to its eclectic mix of layouts and configurations, Ford ensured a Galaxie variant for every kind of customer in the cosmos.
0:00 / 0:00
That level of versatility, combined with its stellar racing record, allowed the Galaxie to be one of Ford’s bestselling lines before it was discontinued due to a national shift toward smaller-sized vehicles and the success of the LTD as the Blue Oval’s next full-sized star. The following is a comprehensive exploration of the always elegant, often enchanting, and ever-expansive Ford Galaxie.
Ford Galaxie History
The Galaxie served an important role not only in the constellation of Ford’s Blue Oval offerings, but in the autoverse in general. Bridging the gap between the fin-tastic ’50s and the smog-powered, soul-sucking ’70s, the Galaxie lit up highways, racetracks, and the eyes of enthusiasts during its tenure as Ford’s full-sized fusion of “Enduring elegance ... with the power to please.”
Built to compete with the likes of the Chevrolet Impala and Plymouth Fury, among others, the Ford Galaxie had as many as 18 different configurations and eight engine choices in any given year, offering a wealth of options for potential customers looking to park a new Ford in their driveway.
The Galaxie entered the Ford solar system in 1959 as a top-tier trim of the Ford Fairlane. But beginning in 1960 and continuing until its production ended in 1974, the Galaxie was a standalone model in the Blue Oval lineup, with four distinct generations:
- First Generation: 1959
- Second Generation: 1960 to 1964
- Third Generation: 1965 to 1968
- Fourth Generation: 1969 to 1974
Where Did the Name “Galaxie” Come From?
With the dawn of the muscle car era still just beyond the horizon, the most awe-inspiring national interest was the Space Race. To commemorate (and capitalize on) the patriotism of a nation full of stargazers, Ford launched its La Galaxie concept car in 1958 and, in 1959, added the Galaxie trim as the top-tier offering for its full-sized Fairlane 500. Thankfully for Ford, the moon landing didn’t come to fruition for an entire decade after the Galaxie made its debut, allowing its space-age theme to stay relevant throughout the entirety of the 1960s and into the 1970s.
Ford Galaxie Generations
First Generation: 1959
When it arrived in 1959, the Galaxie served as the pinnacle model of the Fairlane lineup. Billed as a “six-passenger expression of Thunderbird luxury and classic simplicity—at a modest Ford price,” the Galaxie was available with two or four doors, as a hardtop, sedan, or convertible. In 1959, Ford also offered the unique Galaxie Skyliner, a unique, folding hardtop convertible. Although the Skyliner had been an option for the Fairlane since 1957, the 1959 model year was the only time the quirky hardtop convertible was made available for the Galaxie trim.
Second Generation: 1960-1964
The second-gen Galaxie began in 1960. Two years later, the 1950s-style fins were removed. Ford also introduced the 500 XL in 1962, with the XL denoting “Extra Lively,” as opposed to extra-large (it was that, too, of course). The XL injected a bit more sport into the Galaxie’s luxurious motif. The second-gen Galaxie was also the first to compete in the motorsports arena. Mid-1963 brought the mighty R-code 427 CID V-8 homologation model to the lineup, the Lightweight variant of this model serving as the base for the highly successful race car (more on that later). The more aerodynamic fastback body style debuted in 1963, as well, topping the sales charts for all Galaxie trims.
Third Generation: 1965-1968
The third-gen Ford Galaxie began in 1965. In this iteration, the Galaxie's body type morphed into a more muscular design, eliminating its predecessor’s soft curves. With harder edges, square taillights, and stacked headlights, the 1965 to 1968 Galaxie was as much a muscle car as its rivals from Chevy, Pontiac, or Dodge. Ford’s 428-cubic-inch V-8 made its way under the hood in 1966. While the 428 was the largest engine offered in the Galaxie to date, with 345 hp in civilian spec, it still paled in comparison to the Galaxie’s Ford 427 engine option, which put out 410 or 425 hp depending on spec. Arguably, the Gen 3 could be considered the brightest the Galaxie has ever shone. As MotorTrend noted in March 2014:
“If ever there was a car that epitomizes the ‘win on Sunday, sell on Monday’ mantra, this Galaxie may be it. FoMoCo dominated the 1965 NASCAR season like no other, while full-size Ford sales reached close to one million units—a better number than any of the 1960–64 model years. The Blue Oval piled up a staggering 48 NASCAR victories in 1965, with Holman Moody factory drivers, Ned Jarrett and Dick Hutcherson, placing 1-2 in the driver's championship—Jarrett with 13 wins and Hutcherson with 9. Admittedly, the overwhelming winning percentage was partly due to Chrysler boycotting the first half of the season due to rules affecting the 426 Hemi, but no matter. Utter domination was a great way to introduce a car that was brand new from the ground up—exactly the case for the 1965 Galaxie.”
Fourth Generation: 1969-1974
Like every other muscle car during the early 1970s, the Galaxie suffered emissions restrictions and the perceived atrophy of power from the changeover from SAE Gross to SAE Net ratings. As the Galaxie’s power diminished, its size expanded. Its new 121-inch wheelbase chassis saw a remodel in 1971 and the introduction of the 460 CID V-8 in 1973, the largest ever offered in a Galaxie. Dwindling from its height of 18 different configurations (1963) to just four offerings for its final year in 1974, the Galaxie saw its lowest production level before fading into retirement, replaced by the LTD line as Ford’s full-size model.
Ford Galaxie Configurations
Throughout its four generations, the Ford Galaxie was made in almost every imaginable configuration. From a two-door hardtop convertible to a four-door, 10-passenger station wagon, Ford made the Galaxie one of the most versatile car lines in automotive history. The following is a breakdown of each configuration and body code by year for Ford’s celestial Galaxie.
First Generation
Second Generation
Third Generation
Fourth Generation
Ford Galaxie Engine Options
The following is a table of each engine available during each generation of the Ford Galaxie, along with their respective configurations and horsepower levels.
First Generation
Second Generation
*Police package only, not available in showrooms
*Police package only, not available in showrooms
*Police package only, not available in showrooms
Third Generation
*Police package, not available in showrooms
*Police package, not available in showrooms
*Police package, not available in showrooms
**Manual transmission models made 265 hp while auto transmission cars made 275 hp which averaged out to the 270 hp Ford used for its marketing materials
*Police package, not available in showrooms
*** 289 CID available in early 1968 models
Fourth Generation
*Police package, not available in showrooms
*Police package, not available in showrooms
*Police package, not available in showrooms
*Police package, not available in showrooms
Galaxie Design and Features
Ford offered the Galaxie in a galactically vast array of body types, door counts, and engine options during its lifetime. Over its 15 years spanning four generations, the Galaxie could be ordered as a two-door hardtop convertible, soft top convertible, two- or four-door hardtop, sedan, or fastback, and even a six-, nine-, or even 10-passenger station wagon. Its engines made anywhere from 95 hp to a show-stopping, tire-roasting 425 hp, allowing the Galaxie to cater to almost any sized family, and any level of performance desired.
Galaxie in Motorsports
Embracing the “race on Sunday, sell on Monday” mantra, Henry Ford II decided in 1961 that it was time for his eponymous company to get back into motorsports after officially withdrawing in 1957. To compete in the NHRA’s Super Stock class, Ford had to build 200 of its stripped-down 1963 ½ R-Code homologation model to qualify. Storming onto the scene with a 427 CID V-8 rated at a conservative 425 hp and shedding a matching 425 pounds, each car was painted in Corinthian White with a red interior and proved to us just how out-of-this-world fast the Galaxie was:
“In 1963, two magazines put the Galaxie Lightweights under the stopwatch. Hot Rod's Ray Brock noted that the car belonging to Les Ritchey (John's uncle), an early car that lacked the fiberglass doors and inner liners and so weighed in at 3,510 pounds, reeled off a 12.29 run at a speed of 117.30 mph. Its sister car, driven by Gas Ronda, with fiberglass doors and inner liners and weighing 3,425 pounds, ran the quarter in 12.07 at 118 mph, illustrating what shaving just 85 pounds could yield.”
When it came time to re-enter the NASCAR circuit, calling up Holman & Moody race shop based in Charlotte, North Carolina, turned out to be one of the most fortuitous in the company’s history. As we noted in February 2014 in a close-up look at the Galaxie Stock Car:
“Ford ordered 20 Grand National NASCAR Galaxies from Holman & Moody for the 1965 season. Fifteen dedicated '65s and three dedicated 1966 Galaxies were ultimately built in response to that directive. Those cars represented a high-water mark for Galaxies in stock car competition. Dan Gurney won the season opener at Riverside, California, in a Wood Brothers–prepared, Holman & Moody–built 427 Galaxie. Fred Lorenzen roared up in Victory Lane in his white No. 28 factory team Galaxie at Daytona less than a month later at the 500 and went on to score four more Grand National wins at Charlotte, North Carolina, and Martinsville, Virginia. Ned Jarrett dominated the field at the Southern 500 with his Holman & Moody–built No. 11 Galaxie in August and finished a full 15 laps ahead of the second-place finisher. Legendary Junior Johnson, then rookie Dick Hutcherson, grizzled NASCAR veteran Curtis Turner, and other Ford pilots went on to win a phenomenal 49 out of 55 races in 1965. Faithful Ford followers remember 1965 as a banner year in stock car racing. At the season wrap-up, Ned Jarrett was the 1965 Grand National champion, and Ford held the NASCAR crown in one of Ford's most incredible seasons ever.”
Beyond the American shorelines, Jack Sears won the 1963 British Saloon Car Championship piloting an R-Code Ford Galaxie 500, and Bob Olthoff won the 1965 South African Touring Car Championship in yet another 1963 R-Code and took a final overall win at East London before retiring, making the Ford Galaxie a true world champion.
Current Values
According to Classic.com as of this publishing, the most sought-after Ford Galaxie models are the second and third generations. Discounting the high-end customized variants, the most valuable cars are the 1963 and 1964 model years. The limited R-Code 427-equipped cars are a fan favorite as they epitomize the pinnacle of Ford’s racing supremacy, as well as the supply-and-demand nature of car collecting.
Ford Galaxie Production Numbers by Generation
According to the Ford Motor Company Archives Division, a total of 6,505,958 Galaxie models were produced from 1959 to 1974. Things get a little tricky from year to year, as only in certain years did the station wagon models get the Galaxie trim designation. In contrast, others simply fell under the Ford Wagon marketing category, thus excluding them from the Galaxie production figures. The high point in production for the Galaxie was easily 1963, thanks in part to the six wagon configurations being available in Galaxie trim. Conversely, the low mark was set in the Galaxie’s final year of 1974 just before it was discontinued, and the surging LTD was taking its place in Ford’s full-size lineup. The following is an exhaustive breakdown of each year’s body type, body code, and individual production.
Ford Galaxie Total Production (1959-1974): 6,505,958
First Generation
Second Generation
Third Generation
Fourth Generation
Ford Galaxie Quick Identification
- 1959: Retractable hardtop only offered for 1959, both Fairlane and Galaxie badges used
- 1960: 2nd gen begins, bigger 119-inch wheelbase; taillights were changed to half-circle lenses
- 1961: Tail fins shrink, taillights return to full-circle lenses
- 1962: Rear bumper redesigned to incorporate the lowered taillights, rear quarter panel now slanted, XL trim introduced
- 1963: Taillights raised back up, straight rear bumper once again, straight rear deck returns, Fastback introduced, 427 CID V-8 introduced
- 1964: Rear deck slanted once again, straight rear bumper remains, new trim moldings, 240 CID I-6 replaces the 223
- 1965: 3rd gen begins, new more angular design, two sets of two vertically arranged headlights, square taillights
- 1966: More streamlined rear, horizontally split front grille, first eight-track player introduced, side centerline stops at C-pillar
- 1967: Fairlane-inspired Coke bottle design, full-length side centerline, more rounded roofline
- 1968: New front fascia featuring horizontally aligned headlights, vertically split front grille, 302 CID V-8 now base engine
- 1969: 4th gen begins, new 121-inch wheelbase, 429 replaces 427 and 428 CID V-8s
- 1970: Convertible dropped, ignition lock mandated to right side of the steering column
- 1971: Redesigned front bumper and grille, more angular roofline
- 1972: 351 CID V-8 becomes base engine replacing 302, 390 CID V-8 dropped
- 1973: 460 CID V-8 introduced, 5-mph bumpers added
- 1974: 429 CID V-8 dropped, production of the Galaxie ends
