Ford introduced the Starliner in 1960, a Galaxie fastback with thin roof pillars. While competing with Chevrolet was likely the goal, Ford thought the design would be helpful in NASCAR. It was a two-year package, replaced in 1962 by the Galaxie 500XL. The seller has a sweet 1960 Starliner with a 352 cubic inch V8 using a “Tri-Power” set-up, thought to be rare. Located in Roseville, California, this slick machine is available here on craigslist for $26,750 OBO. Once again, Rocco B. comes through with the tips!
In 1960, Ford created a one-year family of Galaxies called the Special Series, which comprised the Starliner hardtop and convertible. Sales were brisk at first, with more than 68,000 units in 1960 and another 29,000 in 1961. In 1962, the series was folded back under the Galaxie umbrella. The name was borrowed from the Lockheed L-1649A airplane, though Studebaker used the moniker in 1954, too. The hardtop’s thin roof pillars were carried over from the Chevy Impala and/or Bel Air through 1962.
The 352-cubic-inch “high performance” V8 was a 1961 option with a single 4-barrel carburetor. But in 1960, it was thought that a “Hi-Po” substitution was available through Ford dealers. So, if the engine in the seller’s car is original, that’s probably how it came about. And the Tri-Power swap came later.
We’re told the 352 engine in this car was rebuilt using NOS Holley carburetors. While the odometer reads 42,000 miles, the seller says it has turned over. The car once had overdrive with its “3-on-the-tree” manual transmission, but a prior owner changed it to a non-overdrive version. While the car rides on Ridler chrome wheels, the original steel wheels with poverty hub caps will also be sent along with some extra new tires.
A bunch of new parts have been installed, including a performance ignition, a tune-up, gas shocks fore and aft, a gauge package, a battery, and an aftermarket Bluetooth stereo. The 352’s original gold valve covers come along with a pair of rear fender skirts (the car looks great without them). The interior is good, but not perfect, and we’re told the Ford runs well. The seller will entertain trades but will not take on projects.
3 on the tree w tri power wow. Those steel wheels look nice also 👍
Lovely cars, very classy, stylish. I prefer them with wire wheels or dog dishes, but these wheels wouldn’t stop me from cruising it around town.
Very nice ’60. Looks like 1963 Galaxie 500 interior.
Well,if he got the tri-power from a Ford dealer..it was in 1961 as that’s when they were first offered over the counter.Still a rare dealer option..just a year off :P
Amazing. My kinda art. After 60 the 352 got left in the dust. I’d love to own this car
Had one of these with a 390 and 3 on the tree, it had the factory cast iron headers that had dumps that you could unscrew when racing someone.
They gotta lose that continental kit for the spare tire.
Eric, That is NOT a continental kit!!!! It is an example of the original steel wheels with dog dish hub cap standing IN the truck as an example of what comes with the car.
I read about these with great enthusiasm when I was a teenager. The power impressed me mightily, especially from the soon-to-be scorned 352. This is the first one I’ve ever actually seen. Too bad about the missing overdrive. It would make the car more practical, if that’s the right word.
The rear bumper with the reflectors would add to the cool of this one. Nice rig.
I had a 1960 Galaxy or starliner or something – no longer sure of the model, back in 1970 that I bought for like $75. It had a 6 cylinder three in the tree. I never cared about racing. It rode like the livingroom couch. It held 6 people easily with space between them. It floated. It never broke except once – the regulator. Though it would never be sell-able if I was rich, I would like to reawaken memories by resto-modding one with high mileage in mind. It would be slow, but nicer than any new car.
That’s pretty sweet. All around including the price.
That roof line missed the boat on the Thunderbird
The name “Bubbletop” is invoked on everything these days so it no longer means anything. The only Bubbletops were built by GM in 61 and 62. This old Ford is a Sport Coupe.
Ford beat them by a year. The tops on earlier cars were butt ugly.
Actually, GM beat Ford by a year – the sport coupes from Chevrolet to Cadillac had a sport roof design in 1959, which was probably why they created the Starliner (that, and the fact that the Skyliners were not continued in 1960). The true “bubble tops” were on the ’61 and ’62 GM cars.
Anyone else notice the dashboard mimicks the taillights?
Taillights are half moon in the upper and flipped upside down half moon in the bumper.
I have seen, but hardly ever, red lines in the bumper as well. Whether they were lights is debatable but I have seen that.
…I’ve seen that too, but rarely. Think there may have been a Reflector Kit available for the 60s, so that one could get that mirror-image Taillite look within the Bumper recesses.
This is a beautiful Ford. Thankfully Ford did not go hog wild on the fins as GM and Mopar did in this era. I believe this car may have been raced at one time with the fire extinguisher on the hump as well as swapping out the overdrive for a stronger 3 speed. I would change the wheels back to original and have a light to light sleeper as well as having a great show / Cruise In car.
The family 1960 Country Squire had a 352 but with a choking 2barrel. The gunsights on the front fenders were very useful for any attempts to park and not hit anything. I loved the interior: this was the car I learned to drive in and got to use in high school. I hauled stage flats and HS basketball players. And girlfriends.
Those half moons in the rear bumper did have reflector accessories available but I couldn’t persuade my dad to add them. this would be a nice addition if I had the parking space, and if it was not a Ford. We had “issues” with Ford corporate for support. Ask any Merkur owner…
nice
Wow.. I don’t remember ever seeing one of these but I love the lines. I’d go back to the original wheels, but beyond that I think it’s beautiful inside and out.
Pretty darn nice car for under $30K!
Being born in 54 and growing up with these, I always considered this car to be tied with the 59 Chevy and Edsels to be the ugliest car ever built. Now I think all of them are great looking machines. OK Edsels are still ugly.
Just a couple of observations: the convertible was called the Sunliner, second: the “washboards” are missing from the lower quarters under the chrome spears. When I was a teenager back in ’61, at a Boy Scout event, one of the stars of the show was a police-confiscated ’60 Starliner, black, tri-power, with cop lights behind the grille and a cop siren. Thing was, it belonged to a local bootlegger.
Why when I click on Craigslist does nothing show up??
The link works for me. Try it again and let me know if you still can’t access it.
I’m not a usually a fan of this generation big Ford. But, I like this one. A lot!
I owned one of these, same engine and drivetrain, same color, with the Overdrive. At 90 MPH it ran 2400 RPM and got 19MPG. The overdrive worked on all three gears, and after running up to about 20 MPH in low gear, it connected the overdrive when you lifted off the gas, and would run in Overdrive until you punched it, which dropped it back into low gear and would nearly lift the front wheels. Best car I ever owned. Hot Rod Magazine road tested one of these at 154 MPH.