The big sporty Ford XL burst on the scene in the spring of 1962, having seen the success Chevrolet was having with its bucket-seated Super Sport. Bucket seats, sportiness and floor shifters were the sizzle of the times, although it didn’t last long on the full size cars once the GTO, Mustang and other hot compact and mid-size cars appeared. 1970 was the end of the road for the Ford XL; luxury and broughams were the new sizzle, one that Ford pioneered in the low price segment with the LTD in 1965.
Taos, NM has long attracted artists for its light and brilliant colors; this ’70 XL’s patina fits right in.
The XL version of the Galaxie 500 was a mid-year introduction as part of Ford’s new “The Lively Ones” campaign initiated by Lee Iacocca and some other Ford execs rightfully concerned about Ford’s severely lagging image with younger performance minded consumers. The answer was…bucket seats for all! That included the Fairlane Sports Coupe and a new Thunderbird-style roof for the Falcon Futura, which had already been bestowed with bucket seats in mid-year 1961 as a response to the surprise success of the Corvair Monza.
It’s not that Ford didn’t have some serious performance engines; it did, in the form of very low-volume high-performance versions of the FE V8, intended to keep Ford competitive at NASCAR and the drag strips. But what Ford lacked was the everyman’s affordable performance machine, as in the the form of the Chevy V8. Frankly, adding bucket seats to the rather oversize, heavy and not very attractive 1962 big Ford was not going to solve that problem, at least not in the short term.
That issue would be improved with the new semi-fastback roofs that appeared in mid-year 1963. And presumably with a new slogan: “Super Torque”. Well yes, Ford’s V8s (except for the hi-po 427) were more about the torque than high hp output. It and the new roof must have resonated with buyers, as the ’63 was by far the best selling XL ever, with over 134k hardtop coupes sold. In every other year, the XL hardtop would be lucky to break 50k units.
The big ambitious surprise came in 1964, when Ford offered its new semi-fastback four-door hardtop in XL trim.
It included “bucket seats” in the rear even. Take that, Chevy SS!
That turned out to be a one-year only model, as by 1965, Ford was all about…the LTD and affordable luxury, even if the brochure cover trumpeted “Total Performance”. The XL reverted to the 2-door hardtop and convertible.
The XL had been a variant of the Galaxie 500 series through 1967, but in 1968 it was changed to a series of its own, just Ford XL. And the new fastback roof perked up sales, increasing from 18k to 50k units for the coupe. That’s probably mostly due to and a lower price due to a bench seat now being standard, with buckets and the console optional. So what exactly was the point of the XL over the very similar Galaxie 500 Sports Roof? The hidden headlight grille shared with the LTD. That and standard V8 and full wheel covers, mostly. Which mostly Galaxie 500 buyers bought anyway.
The new 1969 Fords featured a distinctive tunnel-back roof for the XL and Galaxie 500 Sports Roof. And again, the main difference between it and the Galaxie 500 were the hidden headlight front end and a standard V8 instead of the 240 six and wheel covers. And a few XL badges. Well, the ’69 and ’70 Galaxie 500 front end was pretty plain…
Thus we hit the end of the road in 1970, but not without the optional “Spectacular Dual Paint” job available, with a black hood and upper sides.
It’s something of a variation of the even more spectacular Mercury Marauder, which of course had been something of an analogue to the XL going back to the 1963 semi-fastbacks.
Time to take a closer look at this XL, which I found in a courtyard parking lot just behind the Taos Inn. Not surprisingly, the hidden headlights are un-hidden, a common malady with these. But that sculpted front end really does look a lot more upscale if not exactly sporty than the Galaxie’s dull face. That was clearly the draw here; something of a “fastback” LTD, in other words. because it certainly wasn’t any more sporty in any other way.
Ford went in big on the fastback Sport Roofs in this era, and often with good results. The tunnel back roof, first made popular in the US on the ’66 GM A-Body coupes, wasn’t exactly the newest or most original concept by 1969, but it did work quite well with the rest of the car, and offering a bigger trunk lid than the ’68 fastback. I see a “Propane” sticker here; thta was a something of a semi-common conversion during the energy crisis days, but who knows if it’s still huffing gas.
The other side sports something a bit different.
The brochure says that the XL came with all-vinyl upholstery, so this must be a redo. It sure is a comedown from that 1963-1964 interior…ugh. Taxi!
The back seat is still sporting its original vinyl upholstery. Still not exactly inviting.
The XL badge is floating on a sea of copper and turquoise, two very Southwest colors.
The door, painted separately, clearly didn’t get as much paint as the rest of the body. The mag wheels and the tires add a bit of burly vibe to this big old hunk of a Ford, which has found a suitable setting for its fall colors.
Related CC reading:
Curbside Classic: 1969 Ford XL SportsRoof – Expanded Width, Length, Sales and Consciousness by PN
Curbside Classic: 1970 Ford XL Convertible – Going From XL To XX by J.P. Cavanaugh
Curbside Classic: 1963 1/2 Ford Galaxie 500 XL – Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Nothing Blue byJason Shafer
Vintage Car Life Road Test: 1962 Ford Galaxie 500 XL 406 – “Total Performance” Started Here by PN
I love the “Adios” =8-) .
This one doesn’t look too far gone to me, I see no serious rust, chase out Mickey & friends and set to work .
I like the two tone Marauder, maybe work up a two tone here with the original base color .
-Nate
Pretty good looking car (in original condition, I mean). Well, for a Ford. 😉
That 63 though… Chef’s Kiss.
These “fastback/Sportsback/Sexy Back/Whatever Back definitely helped the look, especially in the later years. Like the Marauder too, though not sure how well the skirts fit the “vibe” (whatever the vibe may be).
A neighbor had a new 1962 XL, which had one of the most beautiful interiors of its day. The bucket seats, console, tasteful stainless steel and high quality touches everywhere. A friend bought a 1969 XL, and it was basically just a Galaxie with hidden headlights. Taxicab like interior. The decontenting was on full display. Seems like when the LTD appeared in 1965, Ford just lost interest in the XL.
Being a Ford man it is hard to choose but in the end the 69 was my favorite because of the tunnel back roof.
Needs an edit:
“… the ’63 was by far the best selling XL ever, with over 134 hardtop coupes sold.”
I don’t think you meant “135” or even “136.”
Delete when appropriate.
Yes, a certain “k” was missing. Fixed now. Thanks.
I’m really not a patina guy but that’s a great combination of coloring nature created.
Where I tend to consider Chevy’s last hurrah in youthful looking full sizers to be 1968, it’s surprising Ford of all brands took it to 1970 with these. Big heavy and slow relative to the intermediates and ponycars as they were, the 69-70 wears its size well, the tunneled roofline is styled very similar to how it was on the 71-73 Mustang and Cougar but unlike those where thee roofline seemed to add to the massive look they had, it’s the opposite here on this full size body it makes it look more athletic and muscular, especially coming off the 67-68 fastbacks(which I think look ponderous). This segment was basically dead but it was a nice effort… on the outside.
I never realized the galaxie 500 moniker was dropped for these, I thought they were Galaxie 500XLs to the end, which is a much cooler name in its excessiveness.
Ford wasn’t the only one who keep its sporty full-size car to 1970, Plymouth did the same and menaged to extend it to 1971 with the Sport Fury who inheritied for the 1970 model year, the 4-door sedan of the former VIP and the more sportier versions was known as Sport Fury GT and S-23.
https://www.oldcarbrochures.org/United%20States/Plymouth/1970%20Plymouth/1970-Plymouth-Fury-Brochure-Rev/slides/1970_Plymouth_Fury_Rev-06-07.html
https://www.oldcarbrochures.org/United%20States/Plymouth/1971%20Plymouth/1971_Plymouth_Fury_Brochure/slides/1971_Plymouth_Fury-08-09.html
Besides the XL and Marauder, in Canada, there was an other variant known as Meteor Montcalm S33 for 1970, finding a survivor is like finding a needle in a haystack.
https://www.oldcarbrochures.org/Canada/Ford-Canada/Mercury/1970%20Mercury%20Meteor%20-%20Canada/slides/1970%20Mercury%20Meteor%20Brochure%20Canada-10-11.html
Here’s a ’70 XL that I spotted a few years back when my Dad and I went to the Ford event at Carlisle.
What first caught out eye was the ’73 LTD (we had a gold one with the same brown vinyl top), but then spotted the XL parked next to it. The same owner owned both cars.
A buddy of mine in high school had a ’69 XL in the very same color. As tbm3fan says above, I concur… the ’69 and ’70 were my favorites of the XL series because of that tunnel back backlight. The same reason that the ’69 Charger is my favorite MOPAR.
It’s hard to argue though that the earlier model with the red interior (at least from the inside) is the better looking car.
Oops! Forgot the pic…
4-door XL’s were offered in 1963 as well as 1964.
The XL became a stand-alone model in 1967.
This was the same year the standard interior was downgraded, going to
Galaxie 500 style door panels and losing the carpeting and courtesy lights. In 1967 only, there was a Luxury Trim option that
offered an LTD styled bucket seat interior, with carpeted and lighted door cards and a rear seat armrest.
While 1962-67 XL’s did have a standard V8 and automatic, 1968-69 reverted to a standard 240 six and 3-on-the-tree. The standard V8 was restored in 1970, a 351, but still with 3-speed manual.
The XL’s bucket and console was offered as an option on 2-door LTDs and Galaxies for one more year in 1971 i before being dropped for good. The console itself did live on in Mexican LTDs for a few more years, however the seats appear Mexico-specific, lacking head restraints. Also, note the primitive seat belt setup, with no shoulder belt.
I thought the ’63 XL was a good looking car for what it was, much more so than either it’s predessor or those that followed, which were kind of, yawn.
I don’t know why Ford kind of turned the 390 into a dog after it’s hi pro early days, the low compression 2 barrel just didn’t do much, not nearly as much as even a Chevy 327 with a 4 barrel, let alone the 396. At least in the ones I’ve driven.
One footnote is the XL was the last full-size car to be available with a big-block/four-speed manual combo. The early press releases indicated the four-speed would be available on the 1970 XL but apparently none were built. For high performance in a full-size package in 1970, Plymouth would install the triple 2-barrel 440 in the Sport Fury but not with a four-speed.
I always thought these were cool. Ford was very uneven in the differences between these and the “regular” Galaxie 500, and after 1964 it was easy to see that their attention was focused elsewhere. That 64 XL 4 door is sublime!
If ever there was a paint color that was out of step with The Great Earthtone Explosion of 1969-70, it would be this vivid metallic turquoise. A family friend bought a new 69 non-XL convertible in this color and it looked great.
I wasn’t a fan at all of the 69 Ford, but I have to admit, the fastback looks good.
Love these! Brings back memories of my grandfather’s 1970 Ford XL in Medium Avocado Metallic with the black vinyl roof and the “Panty Cloth” bench seat up front… sister just interjected “and it smelled like him, Chesterfield’s and Old Spice…” those were different times… as a side note, 1969 Ford colors included one called “Anti-Establish Mint”… apparently discontinued for the Brave New World of 1970.