The Galaxie was a nicely trimmed, full-sized auto in the 1961 Ford lineup, making the sedan an excellent choice if you happened to be a detective. The seller says that’s how this one spent its early years, and sadly, lots of vehicles that served in this sort of capacity didn’t always receive a high level of care or upkeep. Thankfully, that’s not the case at all here, as this 1961 Ford Galaxie still presents exceptionally well both inside and out. I’m envisioning a fun cruiser here, especially for fans of early-sixties Ford offerings, or just about anyone who appreciates vehicles with a law enforcement background. This 1961 Ford Galaxie is in Johnson City, Tennessee, way up in the NE corner of the state, and can be spotted here on eBay. So far, the current bid of $2,850 isn’t enough yet to lift the reserve not met status.
The seller doesn’t say how long he’s owned this one, nor does he tell us how many other caretakers this Ford had before it fell into his hands. However, he does state that the exterior is still wearing its original black paint, which still looks a lot better than I’d expect, especially considering the age here and the duties this detective vehicle must have performed. There’s little on the exterior anywhere to criticize, and I certainly agree with the seller’s statement that the level of care this car has received over the years shows. Those hubcaps and black wheels enhance the car’s demeanor on the outside, working well to warn bystanders back in the day that this was no ordinary family sedan!
Things inside appear comparable to the exterior condition, although it’s not mentioned whether the seats have ever been recovered. With only 79,000 miles, maybe the interior is also mostly original, and it’s great that the spotlight and Motorola radio are still present. These were disconnected when the Galaxie was decommissioned, as was the siren under the hood, but the fact that they all remain certainly adds to the cool factor here. It’s also nice to see the three pedals below, so let’s check out the drivetrain next.
Perhaps the reason this one survived so well is that it didn’t come with one of the larger engines. In the bay is the smallest V8 that could be had in ‘61, a 292 cubic-inch powerplant rated at 175 HP, so maybe others in the fleet were the cars used more often to chase down bad guys. The manual transmission is controlled by a three-on-the-tree shifter, with the seller confirming that the drivetrain is original and that the motor runs like a champ. The price will likely continue to climb before this auction ends, but I’m curious about where the owner may have set his reserve. What are your thoughts on this 1961 Ford Galaxie detective car, and how much would you be willing to spend here?
Cruisin’ to Mayberry…
( whistling spritely tune) Mayberry indeed. I think the bulk of most Andy Griffith episodes, involved the ’61, but was not the 1st on the series, nor the 2nd. Pilot, and 1st season show the 1960 Ford, but,,,there was another. On the early episode, “The runaway kid”, Andy is on his porch with the 1960 parked in front, when Barney shows up in a shoebox Ford with a light, I say predating the 1960. Not sure about a detective, and most trooper cars were sticks, Mayberry, and most city jurisdictions went with automatics. Outside trim too, police cars were always pretty spartan, even Joe Fridays Fairlane. Golly, that dash looks hard,,,
61 ford was my first car. it had a 352 Cu. V-8 with a Cruise Matic Transmission
If the cosmetics are indeed all original, for being sixty five years old, this Galaxie is in pretty amazing shape. Especially for being a black car. With the condition, and all of the cop components still intact, I’d imagine this ol’ gumshoe-mobile is quite the conversation starter at the local cars-n-coffee. Cool old Ford.
Perfect undercover car just like starskys gran Torino!
I highly doubt this was an original police car… I’d need some solid documentation. This old wives tale has been told a thousand times.
I am sorry, but that Spotlight is very suspect? For 1961 the Unity spotlight mounting for Fords was through the top of the door below the vent window. The trim level is too high as well, cop cars of the era would be a Fairlane without all the gingerbread Ford trim.
This looks very hokey.
The brass sometimes got a higher trim line. The dealers also sometimes took other cars off their lots to fulfill a fleet order. When Mass dumped their St. Regis fleet I remember looking at several, some with plain blue vinyl and AM radios, and some with cloth elec seats and AM/FM radios as well as other toys. I don’t know enough about these Fords to comment on this car, but what is written and what is in the real world often vary.
I still want to know just how the town of
Mayberry could afford a new Ford police car
every year?
The local Ford dealer in Mayberry contributed greatly to Andy’s re-election campaign!