The late 1950’s was a time of great conflict. The United States vs. the USSR and Ford vs. Chevy. Maybe that line is just for a quick laugh, but the tension of both conflicts would forever shape history. As the US raced to demonstrate its superiority over the Soviet Union, Chevrolet and Ford were in a similar rivalry. The Cold War was forged on many battles, capitalism vs. communism, the nuclear arms race, and the space race, but it would be the latter that changed marketing campaigns all across the US. With many marketing campaigns taking hold of the epic battle to be the first country to space, cosmic nameplates were being birthed every day, and the auto industry was no exception. Everyday items began getting space styling, from upswept rooflines on buildings, motel signs with wings and starbursts, grocery product packaging with parallelograms, and even American automobiles with ornamental tailfins. America was obsessed with all things outside of earth, and carmakers were happy to win their own race with marketing strategies surrounding that obsession. Chevrolet had discovered pronounced success with its Impala and Ford was under great pressure to secure their piece of the large car market. With some auspicious design work and a space race that was making marketing effortless, the Ford Galaxie was born in 1959. The Galaxie would become the fierce competitor that Ford was looking for and strengthen the Ford vs. Chevy competition for world dominance. The first few years Chevrolet continued to control the vast majority of the large car market, but that began to change in 1963 with the introduction of the Galaxie 500. A play on words related to the 500-mile Nascar races that were growing in popularity, Ford added the “500” moniker to the nameplate in hopes of attracting race fans of names like Dan Gurney, Ned Jarrett, Fireball Roberts, and Fred Lorenzen. The new car, new style, and 500 badging worked as sales began an upward trend. The Win on Sunday, sell on Monday frame of thought was paying dividends. While the Galaxie was Ford’s most successful car ever and was built until 1974, this 1966 Ford Galaxie 500 was the most popular in terms of production. Hitting the production line in the middle of the third generation, the 1966 Galaxie 500 was well received by Americans as the newly envisioned styling proved successful. This car embodies all of that history and is still in near showroom quality. This vehicle was restored in 1993 and is still full of luster. The outside is swathed in a very appealing black finish that remains in great condition. The wheels have been upgraded with Dunlop GT Qualifier rubber mounted on Crager aluminum slotted wheels, adding to the overall exterior appeal. Inside is a gleaming red vinyl covering, an under-dash Kenwood AM/FM/Cassette radio and under-dash aftermarket gauges. The powerplant is a smooth and well-running 289 showing 1,892 miles on the odometer. It includes a 2-barrel carburetor, dual exhaust, and a column shift 3-speed transmission. Over and over the Galaxie nameplate has been a proven winner on and off the track. Used by police forces in the 1960’s for dependability, driven by Nascar’s leading drivers for its superiority, and a major player in the war that is Ford vs. Chevy, this car is a true collectible, and a piece of American nastalgia.
