Everyday Fords Of The 1960s, Seen In Vintage Photos

Text by Patrick Bell.

Fords are the feature today and we have a fine gallery of what you would see everywhere if you went back in the day.  I owned four of these in the past, and experienced many more, as I am sure most anybody did who was around during this decade.  So let’s take a look.

The lead image today was a 1963 Galaxie 500/XL 2 door hardtop from New Jersey.  The XL was first introduced in 1962 and was also available in convertible and 4 door hardtop models, the latter being exclusive to the 1963 and 1964 model years.  Standard equipment at the beginning of the model year included a 260 cubic inch Galaxie V8 paired with the Fordomatic Drive, a bucket seat interior with console, full wheel covers with spinners, along with other trim.  The one above also had two tone paint and the 352 Thunderbird V8, as can be seen in an earlier feature HERE.

This image had a Florida vibe, and it actually featured two Fords.  Up front was a 1960 Galaxie Town Victoria, the “Queen of the Hardtops” per the sales brochure.  It was an all new style that year, and followed Chevrolet’s “bat wing” fin lead except they were more conservative.  The 223 Mileage Maker 6 was the standard motor with 3 V8’s optional up to the 352 Thunderbird Special with 300 horsepower.  The second Ford came from their English line; a Prefect, either a 100E or 107E.  It was used for delivery service and was parked across the street with a man standing next to it.  The two closely related models were in production from 1953-1961.

Up front and looking good was a 1961 Galaxie Starliner with later model “Magnum 500” style wheels and white letter tires.  The Starliner was a two year name that had a special roof style and was the only 2 door hardtop in its introductory year of 1960.  The 1961 models sported a new reskin but retained the roof style.  They also brought back the Club Victoria, another 2 door hardtop model with a formal roof style.  It outsold the Starliner by over a 2.5 to 1 margin, so this was the last year for the Starliner.
In the background was a 1968 Torino GT Fastback, a new entry to the Fairlane line up.  The GT was also available in Convertible and Hardtop body styles, and standard equipment included a 302 V8, Styled Steel Wheels with Wide-Oval Tires, unique stripes and a bucket seat interior.

Here was a 1961 Falcon Deluxe Fordor Sedan that stood out in a sea of Chevrolets.  It was at least two years old and had aftermarket dual fender mounted mirrors and front mud flaps.  The wheel covers came from a Falcon Sports Futura model that was introduced in mid 1962.
The Chevrolets were a six cylinder 1957 Two-Ten Handyman wagon on the left, and on the right a 1960 Biscayne or Bel Air 4 door sedan that also appeared to be a six cylinder model and had a 1962 New York license plate.  In the background was a 1963 Impala Sport Sedan.

Someone took a picture of their brand new 1962 Fairlane 500 Club Sedan that had the buyer’s tag on the rear bumper.  The Fairlane as its own line was introduced in this year as a mid sized entry.  Ford claimed they were “The Only Cars of Their Kind … In a Class by Themselves”.  That was debatable going by size, but they (and Mercury) were the first with three different sizes of standard cars, though Dodge was there shortly afterwards. This one was equipped with the new 221 Challenger V8, which was between the standard 170 Fairlane Six and the optional 260 Challenger V8.

The Falcon Futura was a sporty model first introduced in mid 1961 as their answer to the Corvair Monza from Chevrolet.  It carried over into 1962, and then mid year an improved model hit the market now with the Thunderbird style roof, and a new 4 speed transmission was now available across the board.  It was named the Sports Futura, and you could even get a vinyl top on your new roof.  The featured car was a 1962 1/2 Sports Futura, although this angle does not do justice to the new roof line.  This one did not have the vinyl roof (I doubt many did), nor the 4-speed as I can see the column shifter, but you can see the new wheel covers and the California license plate.  For an excellent previous CC article on Futura history, see HERE.

1963 brought another mid year update as shown above in a 1963 1/2 Galaxie 500 Sports Hardtop, along with hardtop models for the Falcon and Fairlane lines.  Competition was stiff at the race track as well as the showroom floor in that era, and Ford was doing poorly in the former.  They found the fastback style roof improved aerodynamics by about 25% over the formal style roof (as in the first image).  So the change was made and results improved in both areas.  The featured car had a white roof and the standard hub caps.  In the background was another Ford; a 1952-1954 Customline Club Coupe.

Another update made for the 1963 1/2 models was a change to clear front park/signal lamp lens, shown here on a white Galaxie 500 4 door sedan, which was the best seller of the year.  It also had a remote control outside mirror, and Maryland license plates.  To the left was a 1964 Galaxie 500 2 door hardtop.  By then it was the only full size 2 door hardtop, so they dropped the “Sports” from the name.  It had aftermarket fender mounted mirrors, deluxe wheel covers, and Maryland plates.  Across the road was a 1965 Chevrolet Impala Sports Coupe.

And here we have a convertible version of the 1964 Galaxie 500.  This one had deluxe wheel covers and was from New Jersey.  There were six engine choices that year, from the 223 Mileage Maker 6 to a 427 High-Performance Thunderbird V8 with dual four barrel carburetors and 425 horsepower. Along with that, you could choose from four transmissions.

The Fairlane received updates in 1963 and 1964 maintaining a strong family resemblance to the full size models.  The one above was a 1964 2 door hardtop, either a Fairlane 500 or Fairlane 500 Sports Coupe, the latter being the bucket seat model, and was obviously from Ohio.  Two six cylinders and three V8s were available for power, up to a 289 V8 with 271 horsepower.

The Mustang was another mid year introduction in 1964, but since it was a new model they called it a 1965.  Its instant popularity has been well documented, and it has been a part of Ford’s stable ever since.  In fact, since 2021, it has been the only traditional car in the stable.
The one above was a 1966 Hardtop, with one of the three 289 V8’s offered, most likely the Challenger 200 horsepower.  The standard engine was a 200 cubic inch 6 cylinder with 120 horsepower.  There were right at a half a million of the hardtops sold that year. Parked behind it was a 1971-1973 Chevrolet Vega Hatchback Coupe.

The full size platform received a major restyle for the 1965 model year.  The 1966 upgrade was shown above on a Galaxie 500 2 door hardtop, the second most popular body style of the year after the Mustang Hardtop.  The upper part of the badge on the lower part of the fender was blue, which indicated the optional 352 V8 with 250 horsepower was under the hood, one of eight powerplants available.  The list began with the 240 Ford Big Six, and the Thunderbird 428 V8 with 345 horsepower was the largest displacement offered.  But if you were really serious about going fast, two versions of the Cobra 427 V8 (410 & 425 hp) were there to choose from.

Ford’s LTD was introduced in the 1965 model year and was another one of Ford’s trend setting success stories.  The featured car was a 1966 LTD 2 door hardtop with a vinyl top.  The full wheel covers were standard on the LTD, and the red fender badge indicates a 390, 427 or 428 V8, although this one appears to read 390.  It was also offered in a 4 door hardtop model, which in this case was the better seller.

An all new restyle for the Fairlane came out in 1966, and they still maintained a family resemblance to the full size line, plus offered a wider range of engines.  Standard was a 200 Fairlane 6, and optional were the 289 Challenger V8 and two versions of the 390 Thunderbird V8.  The car above was a 1966 Fairlane GTA Hardtop, and new addition to the line up.  They were exclusively equipped with a higher performance 390 Thunderbird Special V8 with 335 horsepower.  The “A” in GTA indicated an automatic transmission, while the manual transmission models were GT’s.  It also had the optional Styled Steel Wheels that were missing their center caps.

1967 brought the fifth generation of the Thunderbird with a return to body on frame construction and a new 4 door Landau to go along with the base Hardtop and the 2 door Landau, while the convertible was retired.  The car above was a 1968 Hardtop or 2 door Landau judging from the size of the back window, and it was from New Jersey.  New for 1968 was the 429 Thunder Jet engine which was an option over the standard 390 Thunderbird Special.

The full size line was restyled for the 1969 model year and was offered in seven different body styles and five trim series.  The one above was a 1969 Galaxie 500 2 door hardtop with a vinyl roof and full wheel covers, and apparently belonged to a member of the fire department.  A 240 Big 6 was still standard in the lower series, while the LTD and Country Squire got a 302 V8.  Options included a 351, 390, and two versions of the 429 Thunder Jet V8.

The closing image is a 1969 LTD 2 door hardtop parked out by the flower bed.  The LTD series (including the Country Squire) was the most popular of the full sizers, with the 4 door hardtop slightly edging out the 2 door hardtop for the top seller award.  Disappearing headlamps and full wheel covers were standard on the LTD, XL and Country Squires, but the vinyl roof and body side molding were optional, and the front bumper guards were aftermarket.  In the background were two Buicks; a 1965 or 1966 LeSabre or Wildcat 4 door sedan, and a 1971 or 1972 Estate Wagon.

Thanks for joining us and have a great day!

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