A Long Time Ago in a 1963 Ford Galaxie X/L Far, Far Away
1963 Ford Galaxy Convertible side view – 2014 Route 66 Cruisin Reunion
This 1963 Ford Galaxie 500 X/L was one of our favorite cars at the 2014 Route 66 Cruisin’ Reunion. When Ford introduced the Galaxie name in 1959, it was intended to capitalize on the space race fever that was sweeping the country. What we love about the Galaxie nameplate is that with each passing year it subtly captured more of the essence of sleekness and futuristic space travel than the tallest tail fins could ever hope to achieve. Each year, the tail fins of the Ford Galaxie diminished a little more until they were completely gone in 1962. By 1963, the Ford Galaxie 500/XL didn’t need giant tail fins, or even a flux capacitor to take it into the future. All the new Galaxie needed to race it into the future was a Jedi, a farm boy and two droids, and then this “land speeder” would have been right at home on the set of Star Wars. It seems to rest on a cushion of air even while it is sitting still, so it’s not hard to imagine the 1963 Galaxie 500 X/L gliding full throttle across Tatooine to Mos Eisley Space Port. It’s impressive to this day that it had the styling to do so more than a decade before George Lucas imagined it. Hats off to Ford’s design team.
