For 1963, American manufacturers got serious about performance, and this 427 CI Galaxie was part of that revolution. A then-recent ACCUS/FIA ruling had brought racing displacement limits to 7 liters, and American companies responded quickly from 406, 409 and 413 CI to meet the new maximum. The car seen here is a true factory R-Code Galaxie 500XL with top-of- the-line trim. Amazingly, this car is also unrestored with its original Rangoon Red paint, interior, trunk, engine and driveline, and just a single owner from 1963 to 2015. Though sizeable, the Galaxie was Ford’s beast for TotalPerformance that year, and the mid-model-year introduction of the engine and a more fastback roofline was part of that, as was Tiny’s Lund’s stunning victory with one of these cars at the 1963 Daytona 500. This Ford was first purchased new on April 5, 1963 from Cranton Ford in Cumberland, Maryland, by Mr. Delbert McKenzie of nearby Frostburg. McKenzie then kept it until 2015, when Crossroads Ford of Wake County, North Carolina, bought it, and its current owner bought it from Crossroads Ford on June 23, 2018. Showing just 57,000 miles since its initial purchase, this car features its factory 427/425 HP big-block engine, which came with dual 4-barrel carburetors, engine dress-up pieces and 427 engine callouts that year. Backed by the 4-speed manual transmission, this 500XL is raw muscle in a red hot tuxedo. Inside is the original black interior with front bucket seats, center console, shifter, deluxe gauge package, in-dash clock and more. Outside is the original XL-grade chrome trim, the 427 emblems on the front fenders, the intricately stylish stamped stainless grille and tail panel, and bullseye tail lamps. The Galaxie rides on narrow whitewall tires with full-size tri-spinner hubcaps, the original spare tire is in the trunk, and the original build sheet is included. The era of this car’s construction remains a vital part of Ford’s 1960s competition legacy. This highly original and well-optioned car, carefully cared for by the very small number of owners it has had, will continue to carry the torch of Total Performance far into the future.
