I have a very warm memory of my youth that still strikes me as an odd thing to be sentimental about. It was Christmas night, probably 1992 or 1993, which would have made me 15 or 16 years old. It was quiet and dark in the house, late in the evening. Everyone but me had gone to bed, and the Christmas lights were still plugged in so the tree was aglow. I was spending the evening with my Christmas gifts, some of which were VHS compilations of Ford commercials from the 1960s, and because of this reminiscence (which may be flawed by a night or a year), I get a little wispy at the sight of a ’65 LTD. It was nice of Hyperpack to post it in the Cohort so I could relive that cold, silent, lovely evening.
I still have all of my commercial compilation tapes, and my copy of 1964-65 Mustangs on TV tempts viewers with the following invitation: “This and other Ford videos are available by writing to: SILVERADO PRODUCTIONS, P.O. Box 393, St. Helena, CA 94575 for a free price list.” How quaint was the world of not that long ago. Unfortunately for Silverado Productions and the like, YouTube (that big bully) horned in on all their business and made it available for free, and nobody even has to wait for a price list. While I waste more than too much time watching old advertisements and filmstrips online, it has taken away much of the patience that such pursuits once required. One more virtue lost.
It was my Mustang videos that introduced me to the LTD. New for 1965, it was sometimes paired with the Mustang in television ads, as both cars were Ford’s inarguable hits of that wildly profitable model year. While not as obvious a success as the Mustang, which sold over 680,000 units, the LTD found over 105,000 new buyers. The LTD of my commercial memory was always a beautiful dark blue, most likely Caspian Blue. It was a handsome car in a square-jawed way, the ’65 LTD. It would never be my first choice of full-size 1965 model cars, but I would happily drive it forever if that’s how things worked out.
By the way, the car pictured above appears to be Twilight Turquoise, another gorgeous color.
The 1965 Ford is often bashed as being derivative of the immensely influential 1963 Pontiac, and there is some merit to that. But somehow, it looks like a Ford all the same, even if the stacked headlights weren’t used on any Ford before it. Little things can define a brand’s styling image; sometimes it’s as inconsequential as the placement of the door lock in relation to the door handle. Something almost indefinable about the ’65 Ford still says “Ford” to me.
The LTD itself was such a success because it was the first of the low-priced three to offer a near-luxury car; therefore, by undermining Mercury, Ford created a segment. This plush vinyl top was an option that was available in five colors, and somehow, I can’t imagine an LTD without it. Despite its upscale appearance, the car’s owner might very well wish that the original owner had foregone the top; those nefarious bubbles foreshadow an expensive repair that would certainly not be financially wise. Vinyl tops are car killers.
The LTD four-door hardtop cost a not-insignificant $430 more than a similar Galaxie 500, but one must remember that the 200-horsepower 289 and Cruise-O-Matic were standard on the LTD, and those would have cost a Galaxie buyer $109 and $189 respectively. On top of that, the interior was clearly more luxurious than a standard Galaxie 500’s, with “simulated wood-grained paneling” and “richly foam padded” seats that were “upholstered in the finest fabrics.” It’s no wonder the LTD sold so well; it’s downright posh for a Ford.
I would imagine that few, however, were sold at their base list price. Many LTD owners stepped up to one of Ford’s more powerful FE variants, such as the 250-horsepower 352 or the 300-horsepower 390. This one has the 352, which got an Autolite four barrel in 1964 after a couple years of being demoted to two-barrel status. The cars that were proven to be “quieter than a Rolls-Royce” used the standard 289; maybe the little small block didn’t produce the same thrum as a 352, or maybe less power means less noise. By the way, I love the wheel covers on ’65 Fords; they’re not sporty, but they’re intricate and interesting and simply go well with the car.
What doesn’t go so well with the car are the polished fender skirts. Most of us have said it a thousand times: If a car didn’t come with fender skirts, it shouldn’t have fender skirts. Fortunately, they are easily removed. Unlike the Caspian Blue LTDs of my ads, this car appears to be painted a rich shade of Vintage Burgundy, the same color as my ’65 Mustang. I’d rather have the blue in the case of the LTD (and perhaps even the Mustang), but burgundy is the kind of stately color that befits such a vehicle. This one appears to have had some touch-ups that didn’t quite match, and we’ve all been there.
Hyperpack posted that this car was at a foreign car shop, so whether it’s for sale or a car in for repairs, I’m not sure. If it is for sale, the bubbles under the top will hurt the value, but not all cars have to be restored. If you kept this one in the garage and out of the elements, you could probably drive it for another 60 years. Whether or not you’ll be able to find a VHS player for all those old compilation tapes is another story.
Related CC Reading:
Vintage Review: Car And Driver’s 1965 Ford LTD – Possibly The Best Ford Ever Built
Curbside Classic: 1965 Ford LTD – It Launched The Great Brougham Epoch
Nice car, Those Skirts. Those Polished shiny silvery skirts! No accounting for taste, I think is the saying.
As is always the case, color combinations matter. A cousin of my father owned multiple dealerships, including a Ford. He provided his mother with a ’65 LTD 4 dr hardtop- silver blue with a dark blue vinyl top- not black. This seemingly rare color combo really gave the car an upscale look.
Vinyl tops are convertible makers. Their victime are convertibles about to happen. It would be best to flay it off and patch the Swiss cheese, before the body’s structure gets weaked. If the owner absolutely needs a vinyl top look, it could always get painted on
VCRs are still available.Love that blue one.
In matters of taste, everyone else is wrong .
This is a beautiful car, you had to have been there when they came out (I was) to grasp what a game changer these were .
Those chromed skirts are Foxcraft brand .
-Nate
I agree it was a game changer for its looks. My friend’s dad bought himself one as his daily driver, 6 cyl, 3 on the tree. It would scratch when popping the clutch! Pretty heady stuff for my (new driver) friend, That is, until a neighbor lady ratted him out. Cost him the use for a month, 6 months for a repeat offense (he was never got caught again).
I have spent decades going back and forth about whether I prefer the 65 or the 66. As a kid, I was on team 66 all the way because there were 2 of them in my family. But these days I can appreciate the more angular charms of the 65.
Ha ha. Our family had a ’65 500XL 2 door hardtop, so I was somewhat biased against the ’66 and its aping of GM’s bulging hips. But now I see the ’66 as a skilled, more ‘dynamic’, and probably unavoidable, refresh. 🙂
I’ve always been a ’65 guy (look at my screen name!), but there’s a ’66 LTD two-door hardtop in the period brochures that makes me take a second look. Those ’66s look great too, and there’s nothing wrong with a little GM influence. Everyone was doing it.
Those fender skirts are visually assaulting and detract from a very nice time capsule. I agree that the wheel covers go well with the car. I always thought those of the 65’s and 66’s were eye-catching and still look good today.
Co worker of my mother had the the “Galaxie”, 4dor sdn in this color. No vinyl top. Think they had it till about “71”.
Wealthy Australians through Ford Australia could purchase a Ford Australia assembled (from imported CKD packs) Right Hand Drive 1965 Ford Galaxie 500 4 door sedan with either a 289 V8 or 390 V8. This RHD ‘65 Ford Galaxie 500 4 door sedan was sold as an expensive top of the Ford Australia passenger car line up, as a luxury car in every respect.
Four door pillarless hardtop versions in either LTD or 500 trim, were few and far between in Australia and considered seriously exotic cars. Ford Australia’s Managing Director in 1965 was one Bill Bourke. A 1965 Galaxie LTD 4 door pillarless hardtop was delivered to Australia and converted to right hand drive for Bill Bourke’s personal use. I often wonder what became of this car?
Bill Bourke, while Managing Director of Ford Australia, was the force behind the legendary XR Falcon XR G.T. That eventually became the fastest 4 door sedan in world as the Phase III Ford Falcon G.T.
But the standout car for me, remains the 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 4 door pillarless hardtop. Much better looking than the common place 2 door hardtops.
A true survivor.
I’ve always wondered what the curved chrome sweep on the vinyl roof was meant to convey.
It does look a little superfluous, doesn’t it.
In part because a favorite aunt got a new 66 LTD coupe, I’ve always considered that year the best. The concave rear window and curvy side treatment really work for me. Her car did not have a vinyl top. The body was Vintage Burgundy and the top Raven Black. Just like the brochure cover car but with contrasting painted top. BTW it had the 289. It certainly was not fast but performance was smooth, quiet, and adequate. I used to wash and clean it for her for a chance to get behind the wheel. The burgundy “panty cloth” upholstery was treated with Scotchguard and did seem resistant to dirt and staining. BTW, the wheel covers on the 66 were, IMHO, gorgeous. A bonus: in 1966 the LTD was made a separate model and therefore no Galaxie 500 badge needed.
A guy in my neighborhood when I was young had a ’66 Galaxie two-door hardtop in turquoise, in addition to a yellow ’72 Mach 1. This would have been in the late 1980s, and both were in really nice shape. At some point, he sold both, and I remember seeing the Galaxie being driven year-round. Within a year or two it was already rusty; it was truly heartbreaking.
I moved to SoCal to go to graduate school in 1972 and never left. One of the great joys was/is leaving car rusting behind. I remember losing the exhaust system on my three-year old VW Beetle to rust on the 465 bypass around Indianapolis on my way home from IU to northern Indiana for Christmas.
I have always been taken with the 65 and 66 models. My father had a 64 Galaxie 500 that five of us rode cross country from Maryland to Los Angeles in June 66. Then the car disappeared. If I found a decent one out my way I’d be likely to buy it. Of course it has to compete against another heavy favorite, the 66 New Yorker 2 door.
I prefer the ’71 Galaxie 500; my father’s car after his n;’66 polara which was my favorite. The ’65 G500 is nice, but it reminds me too much of a Pontiac.