Their top speed was lower than the 1961s because of the inferior aerodynamics. The slow-selling Starliner semi-hardtop coupe was cancelled, leaving Ford no choice than to compete in stock car racing with the Club Victoria, which had a formal roofline. Bucket seats were everywhere in 1962 – sold as "The Lively Ones", the XL series added buckets to the Sunliner convertible and hardtop coupe. Also new was a 406 CID (6.7 L) version of Ford's FE mid-sized V8 rated at 405 hp (302 kW). With the Fairlane and Fairlane 500 names shifted to a new intermediate-sized model range for 1962, the full-size Ford lineup consisted of the Galaxie, new Galaxie 500 and Galaxie 500XL models and the Station Wagon Series. A new 390 CID (6.4 L) FE V8 was added with a claimed 401 hp (298 kW) gross output in triple-two-barrel carburetor form. Ford was definitely going with the space and science-fiction theme, and with successful results this style of Galaxie is widely regarded as a classic. This time, the tailfins were almost gone replacing them, two giant circular taillights at each rear corner, glowing like an afterburner. The scalloped hood was gone for 1961, as the sheetmetal was revised for a cleaner look. Ford’s chief body engineer Henry Grebe created a new layout for the car, making it low profile and light, making it attractive to both performance enthusiasts and people with families. This version had four seats instead of two, making it marketable to families who needed to get around. However, the 1960 Thunderbird incorporated different features that previous versions did not have. This car did not live up to the hype of being marketed on performance which turned off many potential buyers. Previous models of the Thunderbird failed in the late 1950s due to the price and being marketed as a sports car. Īnother famous car from 1960 is the Ford Thunderbird. With the change in dimensions from 1959, the New York Times described the 1960 full-size Ford as the "longest, lowest, and widest in the fifty-six year history of the Ford Motor Company." The car ran afoul of regulations in many states, where vehicles wider than eighty inches were typically trucks, which had lighting requirements not mandated for passenger cars. Engines offered for 1960 were the 223 cubic inch six and 292 & 352 V8s. Ford also introduced the center rear fuel door lid. Windshield wipers were extended to cover more of the windshield. The Galaxie name was particularly appealing to this trend, it seems. There were tailfins still, but smaller ones – the focus of Ford's stylists abandoning, as did the rest of the industry, the aviation influences of the previous decade and instead capturing the new obsession – the Space Race. Round taillights were replaced by half-moon shaped taillights for 1960 only. The 1960 fullsize Fords abandoned the ostentatious ornamentation of the 1950s for a futuristic, sleek look. The elegant Starliner 2-door hardtop was Ford's choice for NASCAR racing. The Station Wagon Series continued with Ranch Wagon, Country Sedan and Country Squire models. The Fairlane was now the base model in the full-sized lineup, along with the Fairlane 500, Galaxie and range-topping Starliner. The 1960 Ford looked all-new with twin headlights riding in a scalloped-square front clip. The retracting Skyliner hardtop was gone, though the Sunliner convertible remained, and the Fairlane name would last only two years before migrating to a new midsize model. The engines were carried over from the 1959 Ford, as was the basic chassis design, but the sheetmetal was modern. So the mainline car grew even more, now riding on a 119 in (3023 mm) wheelbase. The mainstream full-sized Ford line of cars from 1960 to 1964 was now complemented by a variety of other Fords, including the Thunderbird and compact Falcon, and from 1962 the midsized Fairlane. The 1960s were one of the best eras for the production of cars, as the war between Ford and Chevrolet heated up and produced some of the most classic and recognizable cars in America still to this day. The automatic window, for example, was a new feature that made Americans see their current cars as outdated and technologically behind. Many new advancements in technology and products were being developed during this time that allowed for cars going into the future to have features never seen before or features that were not normal until now. Leading into the 1950s, Ford, along with many other top of the market car manufacturers were capitalizing on the post war boom.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |