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Ford Galaxie 500 - the Goliath that showed the Davids how it's done

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Created on July 15, 2017

Reading time 6min

Written by:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Bruno von Rotz

Bonhams

Balz Schreier

FabPetersson Fotografie

Adam Beresford - Courtesy Goodwood Festival of Speed

Jochen Frozenspeed

Michael Steele im Ford Galaxie 500 beim zweiten Rennen

Ford Motor Company

Antoine Dellenbach

Archiv

Bruno von Rotz

Bonhams

Balz Schreier

FabPetersson Fotografie

Adam Beresford - Courtesy Goodwood Festival of Speed

Jochen Frozenspeed

Michael Steele im Ford Galaxie 500 beim zweiten Rennen

Ford Motor Company

Antoine Dellenbach

Archiv

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Ford Galaxie 500 (1963) - Tourenwagen mit üppig Leistung

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Ford Galaxie 500 (1963) - man beachte - kein Überrollbügel

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Ford Galaxie 500 (1963) - baute auf dem flacheren Hardtop-Modell auf

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Ford Galaxie 500 (1963) - langer Überhang hinten

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Ford Galaxie 500 (1963) - optisch weitgehend serienmässig

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Ford Galaxie 500 (1963) - Blick ins Cockpit

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Ford Galaxie 500 (1963) - Rot war die typische Farbe für den weissen Wagen

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Ford Galaxie 500 (1963) - weitgehend serienmässiges Interieur

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Ford Galaxie 500 (1963) - Beschriftung auf dem Armaturenbrett

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Ford Galaxie 500 (1963) - üppig Hubraum und Leistung - rund 400 PS wurden dem 427er zugesprochen

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Ford Galaxie 500 X/L (1962) - mit vielen Motor-Varianten und dem Ganghebel auf der Mittelkonsole

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Ford Galaxie 500 (1962) - ohne Heckflossen und mit neuem Kühlergrill ins Baujahr 1962

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Ford Galaxie 500 XL (1963) - als Cabrio hätte der Wagen natürlich kaum für die Rennstrecke getaugt

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Ford Galaxie 500 XL (1963) - Basis für die Rennwagen

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Ford Galaxie Cabriolet XL (1962) - herrlich grosszügiges Cabriolet

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Ford Galaxie 500 X/L (1962) - "Lively Luxury" dichteten die Ford-Werber zum Baujahr 1962, viele Motoroptionen und Hand- oder Automatikschaltung

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Ford Galaxie 500 (1961) - auf der IAA in Frankfurt im Jahr 1961 zu bewundern

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Ford Galaxie 500 Hardtop (1964) - die viertürige Version für das Baujahr 1965

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Jack Sears in seinem Ford Galaxie 500 in der Britischen Tourenwagenmeisterschaft des Jahres 1963 - Premierensieg in Silverstone (aufgenommen im Becketts Corner)

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Goodwood Festival of Speed 2014 - Ford Galaxie 500 (1964) - Jack Sears im Ford

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Marino Franchitti fuhr einen Ford Galaxie 500 - St. Mary's Trophy - Goodwood Revival 2015

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Ford Galaxie 500 (1963) - Teilnehmer im Rennen um die St. Mary's Trophy am Goodwood Revival 2013

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Jochen Mass im Ford Galaxie 500 (1963) - Teilnehmer im Rennen um die St. Mary's Trophy am Goodwood Revival 2013

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Ford Galaxie (1963) - im Rennen 11 - 23. AvD-Historic-Marathon - AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix 2013

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Ford Galaxie (1963) - am 22. AvD Historic Marathon 2012

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Ford Galaxie (1963) - AvD-Tourenwagen-Trophäe für Tourenwagen und GT bis 1965 am AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix 2012

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Ford Galaxie (1963) - im Rennen R10 um die AvD-Tourenwagen-Trophäe am AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix 2013

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Ford Galaxie 500 Werksrennwagen (1963) mit Startnummer 207 am Bergrennen Arosa ClassicCar 2011

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Ford Galaxie 500 (1963) am Jochpass Memorial 2011 (Start-Nr. 100)

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Ford Galaxie 500 (1963) - passt nur knapp auf den Stellplatz - Arosa ClassicCar 2012

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Ford Galaxie 500 (1963) - am Bergrennen Arosa ClassicCar 2012

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Ford Galaxie 500 (1963) an der Arosa ClassicCar 2014

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Ford Galaxie 500 (1963) - Arosa ClassicCar Bergrennen 2015

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- St. Mary's Trophy - Goodwood Revival 2015

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Ford Galaxie 500 (1963) - Bergrennen Bernina Gran Turismo 2016

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Stig Blomqvist im Ford Galaxie (1963) - 25. Historic Marathon und Nürburgring Trophy - AvD Oldtimer-Grand-Prix 2015

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Ford Galaxie (1963) - 25. Historic Marathon und Nürburgring Trophy - AvD Oldtimer-Grand-Prix 2015

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Ford Galaxie XL 500 R-Code (1964) - am Gaisbergrennen 2012 - Sportwagenklasse

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Ford Galaxie 500 XL 427 R-Code (1964) - am GP Brugger Schachen 2013

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Ford Galaxie 500 XL 427 R-Core (1964) - Teilnehmer an der Lignières Historique 2013

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Ford Galaxie 500 XL 427 R-Code (1964) - Teilnehmer an der Lignières Historique 2013

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Ford Galaxie (1963) - Tour Auto 2017 - Regularité (020)

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Summary

This article contains the following chapters

With an eye on racing
More power and less weight
Hardly any deviations from the series
An adaptable racing driver
Three different cars for the touring championship title
Survived
Further information

Estimated reading time: 6min

Preview (beginning of the article)

5.33 meters long, 2.02 meters wide and weighing over 1.7 tons, the Ford Galaxie 500 was not really predestined to win touring car races, but thanks to its more than 400 hp, Jack Sears crushed the competition in the 1963 British Touring Car Championship. The Ford Galaxie had been in production since 1959 and, as usual, was adapted to changing public tastes year after year. The car was available as a two- or four-door coupé, as a convertible and as a so-called hardtop version with two doors and a fixed roof. The latter also formed the basis for use in touring car races. However, Ford soon realized that the car was too heavy, too weak in terms of performance and not optimal in terms of aerodynamics.

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