“Ford builds the most beautifully proportioned cars,” so opines their 1960 sales brochure. A subjective claim at best, though I’d say this 1960 Galaxie Town Victoria has pleasing lines. The Victoria part of it relates to its open hardtop body style, and it is well executed.  Beyond that, this Galaxie is in fair condition but is displaying some of the normal woes of 66 years of existence. T.J. gets the nod for this tip, and those with an interest will find this “Queen of the Hardtops” (Ford’s description, not mine) in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, where it’s available here on eBay for a BIN price of $8,220. There’s a “make an offer” option available, too.

Ford managed a number two finish in the great domestic automobile production race in ’60 with  1,439,000 automobiles. Ford full-sizers ran with three models in ’60, Galaxie on top, Fairlane 500 in the middle, and the standard Fairlane bringing up the markers. Galaxie body styles included four-door sedans, hardtops, and station wagons, as well as a two-door sedan, a hardtop (the Starliner), and a convertible known as the Sunliner.  Four-door hardtops were all the rage by ’60, having been introduced a few years earlier, and Ford moved about 39K Victoria hardtops that year. It’s a body style I miss; it’s not only the styling, but also the open, breezy feel and the unobstructed visibility that are such positives with this design. Unfortunately, the Fed. meanies at the NHTSA put the kabash on this body style in the mid-seventies – concerns about rollover protection. This car’s exterior is complete and appears to be straight, and the seller adds, “NICE AND STRAIGHT BODY WITH GOOD PANEL FIT AND DOOR GAPS,” but it has that typical New Jersey rust streaming thing going on. This Vicky, however, is wearing an Arizona tag, so maybe what we see here is the result of an unyielding sun blast out west. Overall, the exterior is not bad, mind you, it doesn’t look like a Liberian tanker, but its overall vibe invites one to dig deeper looking for more serious rot. Included in the listing are two images of the underside, though there is nothing obvious from a structural perspective. The five-spoke alloy wheels are a nice touch, but it’s a bit like putting lipstick on a pig.

A Y-block is on duty under the hood, in this case, in the form of a 185 gross HP, 292 CI V8 engine coupled up to a Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission. The mileage recording is 128K miles, and the seller states, “IT RUNS AND DRIVES WITH A NEW GAS-TANK, WHEELS AND TIRES, AND STOPS WITH POWER BRAKES.” Note the dual circuit master cylinder, a recent swap perhaps?

The red fabric and vinyl upholstery is in better shape than I would have thought. Sure, it’s worn and dull, but it is intact. I suggested earlier a concern for hidden rot, but as you can see, some of the carpet is missing, so that gives one an up close and personal view of the driver’s side foot well. Yes, it’s rusty, but I can’t tell from the image how invasive, if at all, the rust might be.

So, what’s the next stop for this old four-door hardtop? Hard to say in this case. I’d suggest that the hardtop aspect of this Galaxie may make it more desirable than a sedan, but still, there’s really nothing remarkable going on here. What’s your thought, does this Ford have two doors too many?