The 1960 Ford Galaxie and its Four Facelifts

One of Ford's most attractive designs, in my judgment, was the 1960 standard-size car noted in the publicity material shown above.  I wrote about it and the designs for adjoining model years here.

During the early 1960s as well as model years before and after, American cars received sometimes-expensive annual facelifts as a marketing tool.  The success of the Volkswagen Beetle at that time (which was seldom facelifted), was probably a factor that eventually helped lead to American car makers downplaying or abandoning annual appearance changes after a new design was launched.

The 1960 Ford's basic body remained in production for five model years.  That was a comparatively long time, because in the 1950s three or four years was the typical lifetime for a design.  But back then, car makers only built standard-size cars, whereas by the 1960s Ford and others were introducing compact and intermediate size bodies.  That expensive effort was probably why Ford economized by keeping the 1960 design in production an extra model year or two.

The images below trace Ford facelifts on Galaxy models.  Featured are hardtop convertibles, both two-door and four-door.  Unless otherwise noted, images are publicity photos or pictures of cars advertised for sale on the Internet.

Gallery

First, grille designs are presented.  This is the 1960 grille seen on a Mecum auction photo.

The grille and hood were drastically redesigned for 1961.  The theme is simpler, but less distinctive: I prefer the '60 version.

The main change for 1962 was the grid pattern, though a medallion was also added.

1963 saw a mild reshaping of the hood, grille opening and bumper.  Tidier-looking than the '62 version.

The 1964 grille was widened slightly, returning somewhat to 1962.  The simple horizontal bars undulate in plan view, adding interest.

Now for two-door hardtops, starting with this 1960 model.

The 1961 facelift was fairly drastic, most front-end sheet metal being replaced.  The result was that the front and rear sections of the design were not as well integrated as on the 1960 models.

A major facelift was made for 1962.  The passenger compartment greenhouse was given a Thunderbird-like wide C-pillar and squared-off backlight.  The windshield was also reshaped and the rear fender redesigned, losing its small tail fin.

Early 1963 Galaxies received revised chrome trim on the sides.

But partway through the model year the roofline was drastically changed.  Gone was the Thunderbird look, replaced by a narrower, sharply slanted C-pillar.  Mecum photo.

Galaxies for 1964 got revised side sculpting and other detail changes in order to freshen appearance in the year before the redesigned 1965 Fords appeared.  Barrett-Jackson auction photo.

Now for four-door hardtops.  This 1960 example has a Thunderbird-like C-pillar, unlike the two-door version.

The same can be said for the four-door 1961 Galaxy as was mentioned above for the two-door model.

The 1962 Galaxy four-door hardtop.

And the 1963 model.  Unlike the two-door hardtops, four-door models retained essentially the same greenhouse design through all facelifts.

But 1964 models had the aft part of the greenhouse reshaped gracefully, the Thunderbird style being abandoned.  I think the 1960 and 1964 four-door hardtops were the most attractive of their set.