1959 Ford Galaxie Sunliner Convertible
Posted by David Kinney
Ford introduced the Galaxie in late 1958 as a 1959 model, with the intention of moving some of its bread-and-butter Fairlane production up-market. The Galaxies were basically Fairlane 500s with Thunderbird-style roofs, though the two Galaxie convertibles were identical to their Ford counterparts.
The Sunliner, a conventional soft-top convertible, and the famous Skyliner retractable hardtop, were initially badged as Fairlanes for 1959, but only a few saw the light of day before Ford made the Sunliner and Skyliner Galaxie-only body styles. The 3,628-pound Sunliner was available with either a six-cylinder or a V8 engine, while the top-of-the-line Skyliner, a hefty 4,064 pounds due to the weight of the retractable hardtop, was available only with V8 power.
Ford lowered compression ratios for its 1959 cars, enabling them to run on less expensive gas, a result of the recession of 1958. The 223-c.i. six-cylinder made 135 hp, while a 292-c.i. V8 offered 175 hp and a two-barrel 332-c.i. V8 only managed 225 hp. Buyers could also choose a 352-c.i. V8 that was still rated at a respectable 300 hp. Just 12,915 Skyliners were produced, while production totals for the more popular Sunliner hit 45,868 units.
The coolness factor between the two models leans well in favor of the retractable hardtop. There’s nothing like the ballet of hydraulic and electric switches and motors in their none-too-delicate dance to raise or lower the top. It’s a wonderful 1950s version of high tech that’s guaranteed to draw attention, but the downside is that it will likely leave you stranded just when it starts to rain, or when you are trying to impress someone with your toy. As a conventional convertible, the Sunliner may not be as sexy, but it is less likely to leave its owner in the lurch.
While Ford Motor Company’s Mercury division took care of building Buck Rogers-inspired spaceships for the road, in 1959 Ford kept its Blue Oval models relatively devoid of chrome, mile-high fins, and many of the other excesses that were common to the era. Although the Galaxie styling would hardly be called bland or conformist today, it was refined and perhaps even delicate for the time. Built in an era when redesigns from year to year were common, the 1959 Galaxies were acknowledged by many to be particularly handsome cars. A total top-to-bottom redesign for 1960 introduced not only a new decade, but a new look for Ford, with the Galaxie diverging further from the Fairlane.
(From the January 2005 issue of Sports Car Market magazine.)