FORD GALAXIE 1963-73
A BIG AMERICAN FORD WITH V8 POWER, BULK INTERIOR SPACE, GREAT MILE MUNCHING ABILITY AND JUST A TOUCH OF GLAMOUR – SAY NO MORE
Australia had a long history of importing big cars from North America and trying to market very ordinary models as prestige vehicles.
The Galaxies that came here in the 1960s fitted the formula exactly. They came with four-doors, bench seats, power steering but wind-them-yourself windows and the smallest engine the company thought it could provide in such a substantial car.
Pre-1965 offerings included some pillarless Hardtops and massive Squire station wagons but the full range included fastback coupes and convertibles and we never saw those except as private imports.
Two-door Galaxies performed strongly in a variety of motor sporting categories including Nascar and by winning the British Saloon Car Championship.
After 1965, when Ford’s Homebush plant in New South Wales began local assembly of the cars, Galaxies became a common sight here. Governments at all levels were big customers.
The base engine was Ford’s 4.7-litre ‘289’ V8 which developed 168kW and struggled to haul the ’65 Gal’s 1700kg. Better suited was the 6.4-litre ‘390’ with 208kW to play with. The Galaxie then became a match for Chrysler’s 6.3-litre Dodge Phoenix and easily outpaced GM-H-built Chevrolets and Pontiacs.
Big bench seats and plentiful legroom ensured abundant space for families and business buyers who were able to spend $5570 (or $2200 more than a V8-engined XR Fairmont).
Performance from the 6.4-litre engine feels stronger than the stopwatch might indicate. Road tests of early ‘390’ engined cars recorded 0-60mph (0-96km/h) times in 9.7 seconds, while the 4.7 litre models were around three seconds slower.
In an age of vinyl floor covering and single-speed windscreen wipers, early Galaxies with carpet on the floors, courtesy lights in the foot wells and variable-speed wipers were considered ‘luxury’ cars. A radio and air-conditioning were options – the a/c unit tailored to suit the cars but still fitted intrusively under the dash.
Australia followed North American styling changes throughout the Galaxie’s local history and in 1969 adopted LTD badging. By then weight had climbed to 1835kg, again affecting performance. Despite a compression ratio increase to 9.5:1, the 0-96km/h time had blown out from 9.6 in 1965 to almost 11 seconds.
The final Australian-assembled LTD from 1971 had ‘pillared Hardtop’ styling and a 6.6-litre engine that was an enlarged version of the 5.8-litre unit fitted to Falcons and Fairlanes.
Galaxies with their all-coil suspension are highly regarded for their blend of decent ride quality and acceptable handling. Country users were especially fond of these cars and their ability to maintain high average speeds over second-rate roads without falling to bits or spearing off into the shrubbery.
Cars that suffer deterioration of the underpinnings, however, will wallow their way through bends and bottom out on bumps. The power steering initially feels way too light in a car with four turns lock to lock but improves with familiarity.
Pre-1965 imported Fords are relatively scarce and generally cost more than locally-assembled models. An excellent four-door pillarless Hardtop will cost $20-25,000 and a 1963-64 two-door with a ‘390’ engine can exceed $50,000.