Rivera Notario posted this shot taken just yesterday of Chile’s Presidential State Car, a 1966 Ford Galaxie 500XL convertible. It’s still used every May to carry the President to Congress. But it started out life for a different purpose: to carry Queen Elizabeth on her visit to Chile in 1966. Ford donated it for that purpose, and it stayed around. Gossip had it that Ford Chile’s top man was also working for the CIA.
There was an official horse-drawn Presidential carriage that had historically been used for state occasions, but after socialist President Salvador Allende was elected President in 1970, he decided that a Ford was more in keeping with his socialist views than a pompous carriage.
Visiting Fidel Castro got a ride in the black Ford.
In 1973, with some help from US President Nixon and the CIA, a military coup disposed Allende and put General Augusto Pinochet in power. Although he was a reactionary and was expected to go back to using the carriage, the Ford offered much more security in that it could escape quicker in case he encountered an attack or such.
The venerable Ford is still in use, here carrying recent President Michelle Bachelet.
What a story! Thanks for apiece of more than just automotive history!
Nice! Must be a 6 cyl due to lack of badges on the lower front fender. There is some history there.
“Must be a 6 cyl due to lack of badges on the lower front fender.”
I don’t think anything below the 352 got a callout emblem, so I would bet on a 289. There would have been no need for haste when transporting the queen. “Speed” and “Queen” only go together at the laundromat. 🙂
My giggle for the day – nice one! 🙂
According to the brochure I still have, the 289 was standard on the XL for 1966.
I am not as enthralled with the 66 Ford as I used to be, but that black XL convertible is certainly beautiful and comes with a great story besides.
Surely Castro enjoyed the ride in an American car built after 1959. 🙂
Ideologies come and ideologies go, but a Ford is forever.
Fend Off Rival Dictators
After 55 years they need an update. Perhaps Ford could donate a new Bronco in black.
And since its a warm climate they won’t need a hardtop and can probably won’t have to wait a year to get it. (Yeah I know, I bad)
Triple-black car looks good with blackwalls.
Ford: Supporting dictators since 1937.
Henry Ford was a noted anti-semite greatly admired by Hitler, who had a large photo of the carmaker in his office. Ford had substantial business interests in Germany during the thirties and in 1938 Henry was awarded the Grand Cross of the German Eagle by the Nazi regime. After Pearl Harbor and Germany’s declaration of war against the U.S., the government requested the auto industry cease domestic production and devote all of their operations to the manufacturing of tanks, trucks and other material for the war effort. Henry Ford initially balked, relenting only when FDR threatened to seize the company. Quite the legacy.
In contrast, HF II was an early and vocal supporter of Israel and donated generously to many Jewish causes throughout his life. He was embarrassed by much of his grandfather’s attitudes, not only because they were morally reprehensible, but bad for business.
Their mutual admiration had to do with Hitler being a car nut. He authorized the People’s Car and had the vision to create the Autobahn. Hitler toyed with the idea of developing Germany into an export juggernaut instead of expanding the countries borders through invasion. Adenauer carried out this policy to perfection. Germany exports $59 billion worth of automobiles every year.
Hitler may have liked cars, but it doesn’t seem unlikely that he was aware of Henry Ford’s antisemitism, given that Ford bought a newspaper and used it to disseminate his ideas on the subject.
Ford Family of Fine Cars at its best.
I have to give them props for maintaining a tradition by continuing to use a vintage car of state. I understand why this wouldn’t work in this country (security and technology), but wouldn’t it be cool if sometimes the President showed up riding in FDR’s 1938 V16 Cadillac, the 1939 Lincoln, or even LBJ’s late 60s Lincoln. (LBJ also had an Amphicar and a Fiat Jolly…so preserving some of his cars as cars of state would be particularly interesting.)
BTW, it’s a very very good bet that most American executives working in Chile in the mid-to-late 1960s were (also) working for the CIA.
Yep, Cold War intrigue. The Soviet KGB and the Cuban DGI had major presence in Chile before and during the Allende years. It reminds me of the old Mad Magazine comic strip Spy vs. Spy.
Surprising it did not have the styling updates that were applied to the Brazilian-production 1966 Ford body that was utilized into the 1980’s to keep it looking current.
It would be nice to see a story of the 1970s Lincoln Continentals that are used in North Korea for some “state” activities such as funerals.
We have such an article here, from a few years ago:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cc-global/cc-global-north-korea-land-of-lincolns/
The word ‘pretty’ often comes to my mind when I look at some Fords from the ’50s and ’60s, and this one is in that category. That may not seem like a compliment but I mean it as one. It was a necessary restyle of the more ‘handsome’ 1965, but skilfully handled, responding to the GM-dominated times while keeping its own identity.
I completely agree. Posted something earlier about my aunt’s 66 LTD coupe but it seems to have gotten lost. Similar to brochure cover car but with painted Raven Black roof over Vintage Burgundy. The LTDs were especially beautiful cars, inside and outside.
When new I was entranced by the 1965 & 1966 full size Fords.
I still like the slab sides and blocky looks .
-Nate
Beautiful Galaxie Vert!
A 66 Vert was My First Car! 390 Zcode with a TopLoader 4 Speed!