Ford Galaxie (1959 – 1974) Review

Detroit was in the throes of a major power war at the beginning of the 1960s, and Ford’s contributi0on to the main event was the Galaxie. Although it outpowered the similar Chevrolet Impala, it never sold as well, because of its dull styling, poor aerodynamics, and its sheer weight. However, the Galaxie did help usher in the muscle car era at the full-size end of the model spectrum. Despite slow sales, Ford continued with the Galaxie and fitted ever-larger engines to it. The pinnacle surely had to be the most powerful engine Detroit ever made – the Cammer 427, which produced a whopping 657bhp.

Galaxies were revamped for 1965, with sharper styling and stacked headlights as well as a redesigned front suspension. Ford soon understood that buyers who wanted pure performance would choose more compact models, so from 1967, the company shifted the focus of the Galaxie, and turned it into a luxury car, The GT package separated performance Galaxies from the XL series, which no longer came with standard bucket seats and V8 power. By the end of its life in 1974, the Galaxie had completely lost its individual status within the range.