We see the phrase “1-of-1” so frequently these days when someone is advertising a car that it’s easy to become jaded or cynical. Well according to the Marti Report, this 1968 Galaxie is just such a car. I don’t actually care that it is 1-of-1, I’m just glad that it exists. This beautiful example is for sale here on eBay. Located in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada it is offered for sale with a clear title by only its second owner. With 4 days remaining it has only attracted 1 bid of $15,000 and the reserve hasn’t been met. All I can say is that it’s a good thing that there are 10,000 miles between me and this mighty Ford.
I guess that firstly we need to establish that this GT is not 100% original. In 2008 the seller bought the car from its original owner. He then had it was resprayed in its original Highland Green, and also had new carpet installed. Apart from that the rest of the car is original. The photos do show a car that is really straight for a 50-year-old. Even allowing for the respray, it’s well to remember that the current paint is 10 years old. The fact that it has held up so well is an indication that it was a quality respray. Panel gaps look nice and even, and all exterior chrome and trim appear to be in good condition. In fact, the condition is good enough for the car to have accumulated some silverware from different car shows.
The interior of this car presents nearly as well as the exterior. It is a neat and tidy place, and I have a real soft spot for a black interior. I know that they can be a horrendous place to be in the warmer months, but I’d be willing to live with that. The one thing that does stand out as a potential negative for me is the lid to the glove compartment. I’m not sure whether it is a trick of the light, whether it’s badly aligned or whether there’s a bow in the lid. It doesn’t seem to fit properly on the left-hand side.
It really frustrates me that there are no engine shots for a car like this. To me, those are the money shots. We do get photos of the Marti Report verifying that this car really is a 1-of-1 example. The seller says that everything is original, which means that a 390ci V8 resides under the hood, backed by a 4-speed manual transmission and 3.25 rear axle. It was optioned with the GT Equipment Group, but not air con. To a certain extent I think that lack of air con could be an issue in the warmer states, but to me, it would probably detract from the purity of this being a GT car. The one thing that I will say is that if the owner is as meticulous about the drive-train as he is about the rest of the car, then it will be better than average (to say the least).
If you read the Marti Report in this ad, you will see that the 1968 Galaxie XL GT was not built in enormous numbers (only 141 of the 2-door fastbacks). Therefore, finding any for sale is not an easy task. Whether this would potentially be a good buy would really depend on where the seller has set the reserve for this auction. To me what I see is a 50-year-old car that has only had 2 owners. Both appear to have cared for the car really well, and if the photos are any indication then it’s in terrific condition. As I said, I’m glad that there are 10,000 miles between this and me….but not half as glad as my wife is!
I had a friend just out of HS,( ’72) with this exact car, only white. His dad worked for Ford in some capacity, who got it new in ’68. I knew the 4 speed was rare, but I didn’t think this rare. Personally, I didn’t care for the 4 speed, it’s not that kind of car, rowing through the gears at every stop light. Clearly, someone knew it’s rarity, and took care of this car.
I had a white 1968 fastback, one of 8000 with the 390 but bench seat and automatic. Great road manners but HOT HOT HOT with the big rear glass, black interior and no air. Also had a yellow 1968 Galaxie convertible (without the hidden headlights) which was much cooler as the whole top came down!
I’ll always have a soft spot for hidden headlight Fords
There are 3 engine shots on the Ebay ad. Nice car.
Thanks for that Michael. It looks like they have added a number of photos since I wrote the article. It’s not the first time that’s happened and it probably won’t be the last. Maybe they read Barn Finds!
The opening image should be an oil painting or at least show up on a 2019 calendar.
I’m guessing the reserve is well north of $25,000 USD.
I don’t know what the reserve is, but that is a clean looking car. I am not big on green, but this car is unique enough that I would love to own it.
Bob
Gt equipped and fout speed are the true rarities. But on the marti paper the am/fm makes it rare
If someone is going to claim their car is a true ” 1 of 1″ vehicle, it needs to be for a more substantial reason than an AM/FM radio. But that aside, I can’t really fault this beauty. Reserve is probably closer to $20K, and I have no idea what these book for. Whoever buys it will probably have the only one at any Ford show.
Interestingly enough, I read somewhere that Ford Wants to apply the “Mach I” nameplate to some electric crossover in another year or two. Not MY choice of names, but neither was slapping the “Charger” moniker on a 4dr. sedan!
“Mock 1” makes more sense to me.
Absolutely beautiful.
I can’t say anything else.
Reminds me of my 69 LTD 429 4`speed, not a fast back but just a 2`door hard top. It would do 100 mph in third gear and not much more in forth. Often consider my self lucky to have survived all the shenanigans associated with it. Traded it to a friend for a pickup with the understanding I would get the first shot when he sold it. You guessed it, that didn’t happen,lesson learned. It’s still in town but the victim of a poor restoration,wouldn’t now give what I paid for it 40 years ago.
My neighbor had this same car parked in his barn. There were instructions printed on the inside of the glove box door for driving for long periods at over 90 mph. I was 15 and I told him I wanted to buy it when I was 16. I used to go and sit in it and imagine cruising at 90. But I made the mistake of showing my dad’s 17 year old farm hand. $500.00 later it was his. I hated him for that.
Air conditioning in a Canadian car of this vintage would make any car a 1 of 1. It was seldom, if ever, ordered, or wanted.
Except for the fact that this car came from hot, sticky Atlanta originally.
What a cool car! I love the big cars with 4 speeds in them.
We stopped in Sudbury in ’79,on the way back from Maine.It
was a mining town of some kind,& there wasn’t much vegitation
growing in/around it.
We did eat at a great Chinese resturaunt there (one of three good –
eating places in Canada.The other two were Dairy Queens).
Nickel mining center. How the heck did you miss this?
The Sudbury basin is an ancient meteorite strike area (the crater is about 200 kilometres in diameter) that left it rich in minerals, and for the record DQ is NOT a good eating place!
Hello Glen, do you live in Sudbury, I have some good friends there and we were up there for a Hot Rod run a few years ago, a neat little town in the summer anyway, I don’t think I could handle a winter there though. All the best, John
Hi John.
No I live south-east of Sudbury, near Carnarvon,Ontario. Winters aren’t for everyone, but I enjoy 4 seasons.
Hey guys – That was 1979,& it was hard to find
a decent place to eat along the highway.
Sudbury in the 70s was a tough place to eat and stay married. When Sears expanded into Sudbury getting sales managers transferred there was accompanied by threats of divorce. Those that did go anyway soon found themselves served with papers.
At that time Sudbury was recovering from being the acid rain capital of the western world. That’s where NASAs astronauts trained to acclimatize themselves to walking on the rocky surface of the moon. When we built Sears in 1975 the biggest trees were only 2” thick and were the very first trees to grow there in decades.
The best restaurant in Sudbury was in the Ambassador Hotel. They had a T bone steak dinner for $5.85. I ate a lot of them in the 7 weeks I was ther for my part of the project.
Given the aggressive nature of the acid rain the fact that this Ford still exists is practically miraculous but not unpredcedented. Three Rebel Machines at least survived as well. One was lost in a fire in the 90s and the other two are still there.
141 is the number of 390-4V, 4 speed Galaxie 500 XL’s that had the GT package on it; not the total number of GT’s that year.
This is a very nice car!
How many GT’s in 68 on the xl??
Hi My name is Denis & I own this beautiful car. Thank you for writing the article & as for the glove box it’s straight & will send you pics. As for the gentleman commenting about the smog equipment, it is in fact original to the car & the engine transmission & drive train is all 100% correct to the car.
These cars are rare & deserve the respect they should get. 68 was the first year that the galaxie xl was offered the GT option & there were 1855 GT’s produced that year which included convertibles. You had to order a 390 or 428 to get the GT option. Marti sent me a report that I requested about how many of the 390s were GT equipped cars. That turned to be only 141 390 with the 4spd option. If anyone would like additional info on my car please ask rather than assume.
Thanks
Denis
Hi Denis Lanteigne, Thank you so much for your feedback. I always enjoy hearing from the owners of the cars that I write about. I’m not surprised about the glove box, because it would seem that it matches the spotless condition of the rest of the car. I also have to congratulate you on owning such a wonderful classic. It was my pleasure and honor to write about it.
Nice rare car..would be a blast to run thru the gears. Good luck to the new owner!!!
Love these big old Fords. The two-door hardtops were cool enough, but a full-size fastback? That’s American as a VFW float in an Independence Day parade.
The lack of A/C wouldn’t bother me. In ‘68, how many people had air conditioning in their homes, even down south? Anyway, it has 4/70 air conditioning, plus vent windows. If you can’t do without air, you’re soft and don’t deserve this car.
After scoping his Ebay ad for the mentioned engine photos, sadly, it’s NOT the original motor.
The pictured engine has an early/mid ’70’s Thermactor emission system ( smog pump and exhaust injection tubes.)
Besides wearing 3 different shades of Ford Blue.
Most likely an old truck engine.
The canister in front of the air cleaner that is part of the smog system has a C8 part number which is for a 1968 model.
I was a Ford dealership shop foreman when this car was new. The glove box lids are molded plastic and often could not be perfectly aligned. The lower hinge is slotted where the mounting screws hold it on and the latch is movable, but that’s it. The corners end up sticking out on one end or the other. You just have to center it as best as you can. They are wonderful road cars.
Back when I was tearing up the streets there were a lot of 4 speed Chevy Impala and SS owners but never knew anyone who bought a full size Ford with a 4 speed. Reason’ the Chevy 327 cu would eat 390 cu Fords…This car is a rare beauty and I hope it lives a lot longer life.
@Harry Hodson….. I inquired with the owner, and this was his response…….
“Yes the engine transmission driveshaft rear axle all numbers matching. the exhaust is original with dealer installed glass pack mufflers. the 4300 autolite carb is original & was rebuilt 2 years ago. Everything works & runs smooth.”
I love this type of Ford. This car is just five hours away, maybe I could trade him for this 427, car. Hmmmm?
Nice rare Ford saddled with a Ford 4speed shifter, in my option the worst shifter ever made. That it still works has to say something about how carefully this car was driven. Those shifters didn’t stand up to any abuse and they were terrible to shift with. If there was a way to say something more vindictive about those shifters I’d be saying it. Buyer beware.
What are you trying to say, John?
As good as this car is – and it’s magnificent, its new owner, whoever that turns out to be should remain constantly aware that these shifters literally fall off the car at the most inopportune times. What falls off specifically are the nuts that hold the bottom yoke to the top yoke which fits owner a shaft. That’s when you find yourself in neutral idling down the freeway holding your gearshift handle in your lap and no way to get back in gear.
Nothing I did would keep that assembly tight. You can’t put locktite on them because you have to be able to remove them to get the transmission out to service it. As it gets loose, the looseness affects the tranny internals. The throw is never good even when brand new. The phrase rowing through the gears comes from this shifter because rowing a boat is exactly what it feels like you’re doing.
It doesn’t get loose all of sudden. It’s gradual. That’s how the slop does it’s damage. You notice when your hand hits the dash while shifting into 3rd.
Or having to sit on the shifter to keep it in 2nd. When you’re a kid knowing nothing about cars this is a big deal. That’s when you’re forced to learn the difference between a Hurst shifter and a Ford unit.
Not so about the shifter. Mine works great , even at 7 grand shifts. Perhaps it is the operator, not the equipment.
Had the same model but a 1967 , with the 428 and a C-6 ! It was a trade in on a Mercury Marauder , so I got it for the $700 they had allowed on trade in ! It was a great road car, with the black leather interior and Maroon paint ! My wife at the time drove it to work for a couple years and I finally sold it for$1500 !
I would have liked to seen a 428 in there personally, but this is a beautiful old full sized Ford that any Ford guy would be proud to own. Lots of Galaxies today, the ’64 is making me drool.
Looks great and sounds better on his youtube video!
I thought I’d seen this car before! Thanks Lee!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=K2ledlh385E
I found one of these sitting outside a local muffler shop earlier his year in my usual daily search for vintage iton—looked to be in Gulfstream Aqua. I wonder how many of those 50,000 XL fastbacks are still around today…1000? 5000?
Ford went half way there a few years back, renaming the Taurus the “500”. Worst marketing strategy since New Coke.
The car featured above was the car assigned to the detective backing up Frank Bullett.
From what I remember, the Five Hundred was a much bigger car than the Taurus.
Please correct me if I am wrong.
Ford has a Galaxy van in the U.K. Not sure if it’s sold on the Continent.
https://www.ford.co.uk/cars/galaxy
I’m sure your comment about fastbacks was tongue in cheek, so here are a couple of my favorites:
From England: Granada GT fastback
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/28/73/c6/2873c6766df8b579f60d1a3c80154316.jpg
From Germany: Taunus GT fastback
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT0-ahoL7p06KXsPxCtB6wBwHGWod-2WITbJajQeuuN6Mx3If8pCg
It’s a giant Torino!
Hi Adan Clark
My name is Denis & I own this car. Thank you for the write up & the glove box is fine, just the lighting & angle I guess. I’ll send you a pic shortly. As for the gentleman ‘s comment about the smog equipment & it being a replacement engine, he’s wrong, it’s original to the car.
Thanks Denis
Hi My name is Denis & I own this beautiful car. Thank you for writing the article & as for the glove box it’s straight & will send you pics. As for the gentleman commenting about the smog equipment, it is in fact original to the car & the engine transmission & drive train is all 100% correct to the car.
These cars are rare & deserve the respect they should get. 68 was the first year that the galaxie xl was offered the GT option & there were 1855 GT’s produced that year which included convertibles. You had to order a 390 or 428 to get the GT option. Marti sent me a report that I requested about how many of the 390s were GT equipped cars. That turned to be only 141 390 with the 4spd option. If anyone would like additional info on my car please ask rather than assume.
Thanks
Denis
Denis, my apologies. I stand corrected.
I worked as a Reconditioning Center Manager for a Ford dealer in LA (Leduc Alberta) and a ’68 2dr Htp came off the delivery truck Red with a Black Vinyl roof and a bench seat. Climbed in to move it and there was no gearshift on the column. Tucked neatly beside the front seat was a four speed. So I get out to check the engine displacement (428). The owner of a hotshot trucking company had ordered it. Such a nice car. Since I’ve owned a ’64 Galaxie 500XL which I painted to match that car Rangoon Red bottom Raven Black upper and a white ’67 Galaxie XL convertible, both excellent cars.
Hi everyone thanks for your comments & interest in my car. It has been sold
Thank you
Did anyone notice what it sold for?
Hi it was mine & a gentleman gave my reserve which 25K US thanks you Denis
I called the reserve figure on Aug 2. $25,000 should make both buyer and seller happy. Beautiful car.
Thank you, Denis. That was the figure I had in mind, for that nice looking car!
Denis you made a good investment when you bought that car. In LA these cars brand new sold for about $4800. The quality in those days was Job number one, and with reasonable care which few got they would still be around today. The condition of this car speaks volumes about the owners. I have had to part with several of my cars lately and miss just touching them but one thing you can be sure of that if someone pays 25K, they are going to look after it. We only had one red fastback at the dealership and it was a Demo driven by the owners brother and it was a hellva job to clean the inside of that back window.
Yes your right, I took it for one last ride yesterday to a u wash it place & gave one last cleaning & I sure enjoyed the ride. It’s like driving a land yacht. I’m sure going to miss that car but knowing that it’s going to a good home & this guy is a Ford collector. So I’m sure that it will be well cared for.
Thanks
Denis
i live in mississippi and i own a 1968 ford xl fastback that is very simular to this green car in canada except mine has an automatic transmission and a horse shoe shift leaver and 390 v-8 engine it also has gt package . anyone interested can go to mississippi marketplace for pictures.
Very nice to see there are other XL GT’s that exist. I have a black XL GT with the 428 engine, less than 70K miles. Nothing finer than the sound of a big block, and honestly as much of a land yacht as the car is, it certainly does move when you put the pedal down.