The Wild Factory Drag Racer That Rewrote Ford's Racing History

A factory-built drag racer known as Ford’s 1963 “fiberglass Galaxie” emerged from a turning point in early-1960s stock drag racing. The rivalry among the Detroit Three escalated as automakers produced stripped “special editions” for Nationals, pushing lightweight designs and aggressive V8s while racers complained they were losing to lighter competitors. Ford’s response was to drop the 427-cubic-inch FE V8—rated at 425 horsepower with twin Holley four-barrels—into a Galaxie 500. Only 212 were built. Ford used materials changes and deletions to reduce weight, including fiberglass hood and front fenders, aluminum bumpers and brackets, and the removal of heater, radio, armrests, and sound deadener, plus lightweight bucket seats. A driver named Gas Ronda reportedly covered the quarter-mile in 12.07 seconds at 118.04 mph.