The Ford Galaxie was a full-size car sold in North America from the 1959 to 1974 model years, its name taken from the excitement surrounding the Space Race. It was always offered as a sedan within the full-size Ford range and competed with the Chevrolet Impala and Plymouth Fury.
Ford Galaxie at a glance
| Maker | Ford Motor Company |
|---|---|
| Model years | 1959–1974 |
| Generations | four |
| Name from | the Space Race, after the 1958 “la Galaxie” concept |
| Rivals | Chevrolet Impala, Plymouth Fury |
| 1959 | added as the top trim, above the Fairlane 500 |
| 1962 | all full-size Fords wore the Galaxie badge |
| 1965 | Galaxie 500 LTD introduced as flagship |
| 1966 | 500 LTD became the Ford LTD; 500 7-Litre arrived |
| 1974 | last model year, then consolidated into the LTD |
| Also built | in Australia and Brazil from the 1965 design |
This page is based on English Wikipedia only.
History of the Ford Galaxie
A name from space
The Galaxie took its nameplate from a marketing tie-in with the Space Race, after a 1958 concept car called “la Galaxie” that had its headlights in pods in line with the grille and a lower front profile. The model line was built at several Ford plants across the United States in four generations, and it was also produced locally by Ford Australia and Ford Brasil, using the third-generation 1965 design.
Top trim to mid-range
The 1959 Ford range arrived in late 1958 with the Fairlane 500 at the top, and during the model year the Galaxie was added as a further trim, taking the top position. It came as a sedan and hardtop with the Sunliner and Skyliner convertibles moved across from the Fairlane 500, and it wore a Thunderbird-style C-pillar on all but the Sunliner; 1959 Galaxies carried both Fairlane 500 and Galaxie badging. The Skyliner’s retractable hardtop folded into the boot, and the mechanism was so bulky that a retractable roof with a rear seat did not appear again until the Peugeot 206 CC of 2000. For 1962 every full-size Ford wore the Galaxie badge, with Galaxie 500 and 500XL for higher trims, and for 1965 came the Galaxie 500 LTD as the flagship.
Settling in the middle
For 1966 the Galaxie 500 LTD became the Ford LTD and a Galaxie 500 7-Litre was added, the latter replaced the following year by the Ford XL, which sat with the LTD above the Galaxie. The Galaxie then stayed the mid-range full-size Ford between the Custom and the LTD through the 1970s, with the XL dropped after 1970. After the 1974 model year Ford dropped both the Galaxie and the Custom and consolidated its full-size sedans under the LTD name, keeping only the Custom 500 for fleet sales.
Design and features
- Space Race name: a tie-in with the excitement of the late 1950s.
- Top trim in 1959: the Galaxie took the place of the Fairlane 500.
- Skyliner roof: the retractable hardtop that folded into the boot.
- Galaxie 500 and 500XL: the better-equipped versions of the range.
Ford Galaxie versions
- Galaxie (1959): the new top trim, with Sunliner and Skyliner.
- Galaxie 500 and 500XL (from 1962): the higher trims of the full-size range.
- Galaxie 500 LTD (1965): the flagship that became the LTD.
- Galaxie 500 7-Litre (1966): the performance model, replaced by the XL.
- Australian and Brazilian Galaxies: local production based on the 1965 car.
The Galaxie grew out of the Fairlane range and was eventually absorbed by the LTD. More Ford vehicles are in the Ford collection.
Sources
- Ford Galaxie, English Wikipedia: name, trims, generations, end of production
