Tan Top: 1961 Ford Galaxie Sunliner Convertible – STILL $25,000

February 21, 2023 Update – After a one-week pause following the expiration of their original listing, the seller posted a fresh Craigslist ad for their cream Galaxie 500 convertible.  The description, pictures, and $25,000 asking price all remain the same.

February 17, 2023, Update – We confirmed the listing for this “Classifind” expired, so with no replacement found, we’re assuming this ride is “Sold?” unless we come across a replacement listing.

When Ford launched the second-generation full-size Galaxie line for the 1960 model year, the company’s stylists successfully toned down the wild tailfin look of the late 1950s while still capturing the futuristic look of the advancing space age. Further tweaks to the styling for 1961 earned Ford stylists an award for their “functional expression of classic beauty” by the recognized international design authority Centro per L’Alta Moda Italiana.

Tan over red and white 1961 Ford Galaxie Sunliner, currently listed on Craigslist in Northwest Houston, Texas, is a nice example in a pretty color combination. Not clear from the seller’s description is whether the car is a survivor quality example or if it benefits from an older restoration.

Listed for $25,000, Classic.com, the analytics and search engine for the collector car market, confirms the ask is slightly below the one-year rolling average of this guide’s summary for second-generation Ford Galaxies of all trims, powertrains, and body styles pickups produced between 1960 and 1964.  By clicking on the green dots in the graph below, you can navigate to each comparable car sold as a way to help you evaluate the price of the Sunliner featured here:

As a second data point, the  Collector Car Market Review Online Tool reveals the seller’s ask falls between this guide’s #2 Very Good” estimate of $33,400 and its #1 “Excellent” appraisal of $50,700.

Ford produced its full-size Galaxie line from 1959 through 1974 across four generations. Ford used the Galaxie name for the top models in Ford’s full-size range from 1958 until 1961 in a marketing attempt to appeal to the excitement surrounding the Space Race.

After launching the Galaxie brand as the top trim Fairlane model for 1959, Ford expanded the use of the name on the completely redesigned 1960 full-size models that featured much all-new design with less ornamentation. A new body style was the Starliner, featuring a huge, curving rear observation window on a pillarless, hardtop bodyshell. The thin, sloping rear roof pillar featured three “star” emblems that served as the Galaxie signature badge for all 1960 – 62 models. The formal roofed 2-door hardtop was unavailable this year, but the roofline was used for the Galaxie 2-door pillared sedan, complete with chromed window frames. It was the most popular body style in the line for 1959, and sales dropped sharply. Contrary to Ford’s tradition of pie-plate round taillights, 1960 featured “half-moon” lenses turned downward. The “A” pillar now swept forward instead of backward, making entering and exiting the car more convenient.

For 1961, Ford stylists reworked the design again, although the underpinnings were the same as in 1960. This time, the tailfins were almost gone; the small blade-like fins capped smaller versions of 1959’s “pie-plate” round taillamps once again. Performance was beginning to be a selling point, and the 1961 Galaxie offered a new 390 cubic inch version of Ford’s FE series pushrod V8, which was available with a four-barrel carburetor or, for higher performance, three two-barrel carburetors. The latter was rated at 401 horsepower. The 352 was downgraded in favor of the 390; it was equipped with a 2-barrel carburetor and single exhaust. The Starliner was again offered this year, and Ford promoted this model with luxury and power equipment, but it was dropped at the end of the year as the re-introduced square-roof hardtop coupe, the Galaxie Club Victoria, took the bulk of sales.

The Cars & Stripes YouTube Channel features this 1961 Ford Galaxie commercial in Rome where the car won a design award that year:

What’s not clear from the seller’s description of this 1961 Ford Galaxie Sunliner for sale is whether the excellent paint and interior are nicely preserved originals or whether the car has been restored at some point. The lack of silver foil trim on the interior door cards, an item Ford stylists used in the 1960s, hints that the interior has been reupholstered at some point. You’ll need to confirm with the seller whether the car benefits from a repaint.  Additionally, we would like to see a picture of the car with its tan top raised to ensure the condition to ensure it matches the seller’s description.

Here’s the seller’s decapitalized description:

Show or go: What would you do with this 1961 Ford Galaxie Sunliner Convertible for sale?  Please comment below and let us know!