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First Year Model Find: 1959 Ford Galaxie

This 1959 Galaxie caught my attention for two reasons, one being it’s a first-year example and two, it’s a two-door sedan and not the usually found, and more stylish, two-door hardtop. Beyond that, it appears to be in pretty fair shape so let’s take a closer look. Northridge, California is where this Galaxie calls home and it is available, here on craigslist for $15,500.

The Galaxie was introduced after the start of the 1959 model year and occupied the top model slot above the Fairlane 500 and the Custom 300. A multitude of body styles were available including two-door sedans (Club Sedan in Fordese), hardtops, convertibles (Sunliner), retractable hardtops (Skyliner), and four-door sedans and hardtops. As for station wagons, the tried and true Country Squire moniker was the designated model name. Ford hit a major home run with its new Galaxie as production exceeded 450K units.

One of the first things noted about this Galaxie’s exterior is the “Fairlane 500” badge on the trunk lid and the Galaxie script on the quarter panel, this is as Ford intended. The body of this sedan is straight with no sign of rust but the finish, which appears to be April Green, has some fade and discoloration going on. The chrome and stainless trim still appear to be strong, however. Completing the ’50s vibe are the chrome reverse wheels, wearing baby moon hubcaps, and encircled in white stripe tires.

The listing states that power is provided by a 300 HP, 352 CI “FE” V8 engine, driving an automatic transmission. The seller adds, “It’s all original drives very good. Has many new parts like brakes, tires, radiator and much more“. The mileage is stated as being “117K miles original” so I would take that to mean that the engine is still in its original, not rebuilt or modified state.

Here’s something that I have not noticed before, a metal door badge telling everyone that this Ford is air-conditioned – we’re also told that it’s “cold“.

Beyond that, the interior appears to be in fair shape as it wears what looks like green terry cloth seat covers adorning both front and back seats, and those are, in turn, positioned on top of new looking carpet. The elaborate door panels are looking shaky but the dash and instrument panel check put pretty well. The steering tiller is showing what looks like a lot of white-knuckling-it from many years of use and the rim, as is often the case, has stress cracks. Is that a POTUS seal that I see stuck to the horn cap?

I think this is the first Galaxie two-door sedan that I have encountered. I knew Chevrolet offered the same on their ’61 Impala but didn’t know Ford went that route too and it looks as if that body style continued into ’60 as well. I’m not sure about that price, $15,500 seems a bit rich but everything automotive, regardless of make, condition, and body style has moved northward, price-wise these days, so I guess the ask is not surprising, right?

Comments

  1. Avatar Rixx56 Member

    I really like this. A bit of hands-on detailing
    would greatly enhance its appearance.
    I’m guessing not many with a/c.

    Like 8
  2. Avatar Todd

    Couple things. One, the steering wheel looks to be the standard Ford wheel, not the thicker on usually found on Galaxies and T-birds. Second, I was thinking the 332 was trimmed in gold, and the 352 had blue valve covers and air filter. I owned a ’59 Fairlane 500 2dr. sedan, and we had a Galaxie hardtop when I was a kid. Dad bought a convertible brand new, so I know a little about 59 s from years of research and personal experience.

    Like 4
    • Avatar Jim ODonnell Staff

      Look at the intake manifold, it’s blue. And the gold has been haphazardly applied with a rattle can, there’s overspray on things like the upper radiator hose.

      JO

      Like 4
      • Avatar Todd

        I didn’t notice that when I was reading on my phone. It’s loaded, for sure, with AC, PB, even electric wipers. An honest old car.
        Am I the only one that hates those smoothies? Get some real chrome reverse with the bullet centers and chrome lug nuts.

        Like 2
  3. Avatar Todd

    And, after looking at it on the big screen, the steering wheel is correct. it looks funny because the horn ring is missing. Looks like an Air Force logo in the center.

    Like 1
  4. Avatar JoeNYWF64

    Was a/c integrated into the dash on any 1950’s car, instead of hung under the dash? This is the first car with a/c i remember seeing without a fan shroud, let alone with no declutching fan.

    Like 3
    • Avatar Psychofish2

      AMC was the first in the ’50s IIRC

      Like 1
    • Avatar johnmloghry

      Packard was the first car to offer A/C in 1940. I’ve always had a thing for 59 Fords. I almost bought a fully optioned retractable a couple months ago but someone beat me out. If dollars were wishes, and garage space was mine. I’d own every 59 Ford car and pickup that was offered at the time.

      God Bless America

      Like 1
      • Avatar Bill McCoskey Member

        John, You are basically correct. While other pre-ww2 enclosed cars offered “cooling air” by using fans to blow air over large blocks of ice, Packard was indeed the first to offer refrigerant type cooling.

        The 1955-56 Packards had a fully-integrated A/C system inside the dash cavity, with 2 pop-up vents in the dash top to direct the cold air. The A/C control was a simple rotary switch that the further it was turned, the higher the fan speed, and the lower the air temperature.

        I’ve had 3 V8 Packards with A/C, a 1955 Four Hundred 2-door hardtop, and 2 Patrician sedans, one for each year. All 3 had nice cold air.

        As for the 1959 Ford Select-Aire A/C, I had a turquoise and white Galaxy retractable hardtop with Select-Aire, and I’ve only seen a few others that had the emblems on the front doors, like similar A/C badges on Nash cars with the Kelvinator A/C. As I’ve not seen any 1961 Fords with the A/C badges, I suspect Ford stopped putting them on the cars after 1959.

        Like 2
  5. Avatar Psychofish2

    This is identical to the one my parents bought back in 1969. A brute.

    Same color, same body style, same trim.

    4 BBL something that would make a great sound when opened up, as my older brother liked to do.

    The seat trim had a very interesting metallic thread running through it, quite nice.

    Glad you called it what it is: a two door sedan. Not every two door is a “coupe”.

    Like 2
  6. Avatar tiger66

    Always liked the ’59s (owned a ’57 long ago, a HS friend had a ’58 and the neighbors two doors down bought a ’59 Skyliner for their teen daughter in 1966). Factory A/C and the 352 is a great find. I’d rather have this than the $49k ’57 Imperial.

    Like 1
  7. Avatar Bamapoppy

    My first ‘real’ car was a 1959 that had Galaxie and Fairlane 500 trim pieces on it. Cost $300. That sucker had a 351 3-on-the-tree and 6 air conditioners, if you know what I mean. Never broke down.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Bob C.

      Bamapoppy, I think you might mean a 352, which was an FE engine. The 351 (Windsor and Cleveland) both made their debut in 1969.

      Like 0
      • Avatar Bamapoppy

        Bob, very well could be. That was back in 1969. Faded memories, as the song goes! LoL

        Like 0

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