More than an old car #215: Ford Galaxie

As part of my clearing the archives, I finally found some momentum to dig some pictures from the archives..this 1964 Ford Galaxie 500/XL Club Victoria was something that i wanted to write about for a while!

First introduced in 1959, the Galaxie name denoted the highest trim level on the Ford Fairlane and was a mrketing attmept to appeal to the excitement surrounding the 'Space Race'. As such, 1959 Fords had the long name of Fairlane 500 Galaxie. Ford advertised safety features, with an optional seatbelt, padded dashboard and a deep-dished steering wheel. Bodywork changed over the years, with 1960 models having backward-facing A pillars and reduced tail fins for 1961. It also marked the return of the square-roof hardtop coupe known as the Galaxie Club Victoria.

In 1962, the Galaxie name was applied to all of Ford's full size models, with the Fairlane name shifted to an intermediate model. In an effort to stimulate midseason sales, Ford introduced a group of sporty cars along with a "Lively Ones" marketing campaign, which included the Galaxie 500/XL; Ford stated in the sales literature that XL stood for 'Xtra Lively'. 1962 models did not have any more tail fins, and the taillights were set lower in the rear panel. 1963 saw the reshaping of windshields and improved aerodynamics. In 1964, lap-style seatbelts became compulsory and XL models received new thin-shell bucket seats with chrome trim.

A few engine options were available, but this unit was powered by a 5766 cc (352 cu in) FE V8 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 184 km/h with an acceleration of 10.2 seconds [0-100 km/h]. It had dimensions of 5329 x 2032 x 1410 mm and weighed in at 1808 kg, with a fuel consumption of 21 litres / 100 km.

Production of the Galaxie line ended in 1974, with 58,306 Galaxie 500/XL Club Victoria coupes made in 1964. Ford of Australia did source Galaxies in late 1964 from Ford of Canada, and these units featured a different dashboard style compared to the US version like this unit. 1964 Galaxies were sold here previously with a retail price of 13,890 Malayan and British Borneo dollars (S$48,641 today), but only for the 6-cylinder 4-door sedan.This particular unit was assembled in Dallas, before it ended up in Australia at some point in time and likely converted to RHD before being imported here. It does not appear much however, but if you're lucky to catch this around, at least you will know a little more about this American oddity!

More than an old car #198: Ford Capri SC

Have you ever wondered how some cars continue to eke out their existence here despite being unpopular or even hated? It is interesting in fact, to see what exactly compels the owner to hold on to these unconventional classics such as this 1992 Ford Capri (SC) XR2!

Back in the 1980s, Ford was a major shareholder in Mazda and had known that the revolutionary MX-5 was coming. In Ford's attempt to reduce the impact of the MX-5, it independently developed a rival model using Mazda mechanicals based off a mundane Mazda 323/Ford Laser. First released as a concept in 1988, the exterior was designed by Ghia and the interior by Giugario. On the face of it, the Capri combined sexy Italian design, reliable Japanese powertrains and Australian engineering in a convertible package. 

Assembled by Ford Australia, the Capri was primarily designed for export to the US where it was sold as the Mercury Capri. It was a 2+2 seater and not a pure 2-seater like the MX-5, making it possible to carry friends or kids. Ford was desperate to release the Capri before the MX-5, but various issues in production led to the launch date being postponed till the end of 1989, by which time the MX-5 had already appeared in Australia. The Capri had a massive price advantage over the MX-5 however, and it targeted people who did not care about its overall performance.

Upon release, the car received favourable reviews in the US: at one point in time demand outstripped expectations and dealers were over-pricing it. At this point, complaints arose from its leaking roof and cheap interior and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation essentially declared the Capri as a lemon. Furthermore, Ford was struggling to meet production targets and the future of Ford Australia as a manufacturer was cast into doubt by warnings from the head office.

Throughout its existence, the Capri was inevitably compared to the MX-5, somewhat unfairly. Whereas the Mazda was developed as a pure sports car, the Capri had more emphasis on cruise comfort and safety. In 1992, the Capri was updated and given the codename SC; the 'XR2' trim was first applied to both turbo and non-turbo versions though later on, the non-turbo was renamed as 'Barchetta' and the turbo 'Clubsprint'. The Clubsprint turbo had a restyled front and rear along with a body kit. In 1993, the Capri was facelifted and given the codename SE, with a restyled front and rear end along with different lights.

This 5-speed manual Capri SC was powered by a 1597 cc Mazda B6-2E inline-4 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 182 km/h with and acceleration of 12.4 seconds [0-100 km/h]. It had dimensions of 4219 x 1640 x 1280 mm, weighed in at 1055 kg and had a fuel consumption of 8.5 litres / 100 km. 

Production of the Capri ended in 1994 with 66,279 made: interestingly, only 10,347 were in RHD and the rest were exported to the US. It is estimated that just 120 were exported to Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand: this unit is understood to be the only one remaining here ever since it was brought in some time in 1992! Despite its reputation as a lemon, many Capris still remain because of the reliable Mazda mechanical package.

It is impressive that this Capri still remains, especially when parts for it are relatively scarce in this part of the world compared to the MX-5. Despite failing to stand against its Japanese cousin, it is still a part of our motoring heritage and I hope that you can see it for yourself (especially since its lifespan is up to 2030 currently)!

More than an old car #159: Ford Cortina

 

It never fails to amaze me at how some cars have managed to survive the test of time and remain, even when most of their siblings have been consigned into the depths of history. These Ford Cortina Mk 1s are a living testament to a bygone era of motoring!

The genesis of the Cortina began under the project name of 'Archbishop', where the management at Ford of Britain wanted to create a family-sized car that was economical, cheap to maintain and inexpensive to produce. Initially it was supposed to be called the Ford Consul 325, but was later inspired by the name of the Italian ski resort Cortina d'Ampezzo, site of the 1956 Winter Olympics. Initially available in 2 and 4-door sedan form with a 1.2 litre engine (Standard, Deluxe), various trims appeared later on with larger 1.5 litre engines (Super, GT). A wagon version was introduced in 1963 as well.

The Cortina Lotus was also conceived back in 1961, when Colin Chapman desired to build his own engines for Lotus. He recruited Harry Mundy, a close friend and Keith Duckworth from the Cosworth company to develop a larger, high-performance engine. Walter Hayes, the public relations executive from Ford, requested for these engines to be fitted to 1000 Ford saloons for Group 2 homologation. Ford supplied the body shells while Lotus handled the mechanical and cosmetic changes. Main differences between the Lotus version and the regular ones were a drastically altered rear suspension that made the car stiffer to drive, use of lightweight alloy panels for the doors, bonnet and boot and Lotus badges on the rear wings of the car. All of the Lotus versions were painted white with a green stripe, although as it can be seen (on the regular sedan) it does not necessarily mean that a Cortina in this style is a Lotus one. In 1964, Cortinas underwent a facelift, most notably a full-width grille, disc fron brakes and Aeroflow ventilation indicated by air vents on the C-pillars.

This December 1963 Cortina Lotus was powered by a 1558 cc Lotus-Ford Twin-Cam i4 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 176 km/h with an acceleration of 9.5 seconds [0-100 km/h]. It was 4275 mm long and weighed only 842 kg, with a fuel consumption of 12 litres/100 km. The regular 1962 Cortina sedan was powered by a 1198 cc Ford Kent i4 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of only 124 km/h with an acceleration of 22 seconds [0-100 km/h]. It was 4270 mm long and weighed 814 kg, with a fuel consumption of 9.3 litres/100 km. 

Production of the Cortina Mk 1 ended in 1966 with a total of 933,143 made. Among them, there were 3,306 Mk 1 Lotus units, with around 2,600 in RHD. Both Cortinas are undergoing restoration and have not seen the road much, although both are owned by different owners. Cortinas of both kinds were sold back in 1963 by Ford of Malaya, where some were also assembled there. The regular 4-door Cortina Deluxe cost $5,995 while the Cortina Lotus was almost twice that at $10,920. One unit was also raced in a local hill climb event in 1963 too. Reviews praised its large seats and boot space with decent performance, although some had a gripe with the front right pillar that obstructed one's view momentarily when the car made a sharp turn. On the other hand, the Cortina Lotus was even lauded as 'one of the world's fastest family saloons'. 

Cortinas used to be the most common car in the UK and it was also prevalent in Singapore. It is therefore somewhat surprising that they are the only ones left here. However, having these survivors around is already a big deal and I hipe you can see them some day!

More than an old car #148: Ford Mustang

Today's feature was a request by one of my followers who wanted to see/read about Ford Mustangs. I realised that it was high time to feature this legend after covering about other less well-known cars. Incidentally, this 1966 Ford Mustang is the only picture that I have so far...

The Mustang was conceived over a period of 18 months from September 1962 to March 1964, under the direction of renowned automobile executive Lee Iacocca. Ford's three design studios (Ford, Lincoln-Mercury and Advanced Design) were tasked to create proposals for the new vehicle, with these goals in mind: it would seat four, have bucket seats and a floor mounted shifter, weigh no more than 2,500 pounds (1,100 kg) and be no more than 5 m long, sell for less than US$2,500, and have multiple power, comfort, and luxury options.

The Ford design team produced the winning prototype under the guidance of Joe Oros, L. David Ash, Gale Halderman, and John Foster. Oros desired that the car should appeal to both women and men, have a Ferrari-like front end with the motif centered on the front and a sporty, European-like design. Its name was derived from an early prototype, which was inspired by the North American P-51 Mustang fighter plane. To decrease developmental costs, the Mustang used components from the Ford Falcon and Fairlane, although the body was entirely different. Although the hardtops accounted for the highest sales, a convertible and a fastback version was also designed.

The Mustang was first made available 4 months before the start of the 1965 production year, and although they were marketed as 1965 models, enthusiasts still refer to them as the 1964½ model year. The 1966 Mustang differed from the previous year by a new front grille (slotted pattern instead of 'honeycomb' styling), the lack of 4 bars extending from the 'corral' (horse logo), and the presence of 3 horizontal bars on the emblem in front of the rear tyre.

It was powered by a 4727 cc (289 cubic inch) Ford Windsor HiPo V8, allowing it to reach a top speed of 209 km/h with an acceleration of 6.6 seconds [0-100 km/h]. The HiPo engine was a more powerful version of the standard 289 block, with modifications done to the components that allowed it to produce a power output of 271 hp. It was 4613 mm long and weighed 1333 kg, with a hefty fuel consumption of 17.8 litres/100 km.

Production of the 1st-generation Mustang ended in 1973, with nearly 500,000 hardtops made between 1964 to 1966 alone. I believe that this unit is one of about 209 units converted to RHD by Ford Australia, and was imported here some time in 2017. I am aware of another unit in red which rarely appears. No Mustangs were ever sold in Singapore until in 2016, where the S550 (6th-gen model) was officially produced in RHD and sold by our authorised Ford dealer.

The 1st-gen Mustang has always been a mainstay in popular culture and is well-recognised by many. Although it is unfortunate that we never had them previously, it is nice to see that people have appreciated its value well enough to bring it to our shores. The Mustang also heralded the rise of the 'pony car' and the subsequent fascination by adolescents worldwide. Hopefully, you will be able to see this legend for yourself one day!

Miscellaneous classics #4: Ford Econovan/Mazda Bongo E2500

It has been a while since I wrote about old trucks here, and after finding out that Ford Econovans/Mazda E2500 trucks are getting rarer, it compelled me to at least acknowledge their existence in Singapore!

The Ford Econovan, primarily known as the Mazda Bongo/E2500, was first introduced in 1966 with van and truck versions available. Its name is derived from the bongo, a species of antelope living in Central Africa. From 1977, it was exported to other countries such as South Korea and known by a variety of names. The 3rd generation of the Bongo appeared in 1983, and over its lifespan, it was subjected to facelifts and engine upgrades.

This particular unit is a 1999 model and it featured a 2499 cc Mazda WL i4 engine, but as with commercial vehicles here, its speed is restricted to 60 km/h. It was 4475 mm long and weighed 1490 kg while unladen, but could accommodate almost twice its weight with an overall laden weight of 2860 kg. Curiously, it sports a relatively new registration number: it could have changed hands recently to be used till its lifespan was up. The Mazda truck is a 1997 model and while it had the same specifications, it has a different front-end design since it was made under Mazda licensing. It had also been deregistered when I saw it, but somehow it still ended up on the road.

Production of the Econovan/Bongo ended in 1999, where it was replaced by a newer generation. I may be sentimental, but personally it looks better than the current lorries these days due to its simplistic, angular looks. Whatever units that are left here are certainly very minuscule and are due for scrapping in the next 2 years. Certainly, it is a vehicle that many would not bother with since it is so dispensable, but at least I have captured its flickering existence in its 20-year lifespan here. Maybe this will allow you to take a closer look at our commercial vehicles here and see them before they are gone!

More than an old car #78: Ford Escort RS Cosworth

In Singapore, Ford is surprisingly less of a household name to car buyers as it has been losing market ground to the more conventional Japanese brands. However, it wasn't as boring as it looked due to the huge success it experienced in the field of rallying, and this 1994 Ford Escort RS Cosworth is a prime specimen of its success at that time.

The Ford Escort was a small family car that was made way back in 1955 by Ford of Europe, a subsidiary of the Ford that we know [based in the US]. In this case, the cars made by them and the ones made in the US are very different as they catered to different markets--very rarely do you see a cross-exchange of the vehicles across the Atlantic. The fifth-generation Escort, which this was based on, was introduced in 1990 but received a bad reception due to its handling and styling. At the same time, Ford was looking to compete in the World Rally Championship (WRC): the styling was designed in 1989 and was based off its predecessor, the Ford Sierra Cosworth.

Cosworth is an automotive engineering company, founded by Mike Costin and Keith Duckworth in 1958. Both of them had just left Lotus Engineering and brought with them a wealth of engine tuning knowledge. It was supported by Ford after they signed a developmental contract in 1968, although Ford sold Cosworth in 2004. Currently, it has diversified to provide engineering consultancy and high performance electronics.

As part of the cooperation between Ford and Cosworth, its engine was worked on to include a better turbocharger. Its distinctive styling was designed by Karmann in Germany and the huge "whale-tail" spoiler was added by Frank Stephenson, a famed American automobile designer. At first glance, it looks like a regular hatchback that people might use to drive to the market, and this was one issue that caught many people by surprise when it entered the WRC. However, it performed better than expected and people started to take notice.
It was powered by a 1993 cc Cosworth turbocharged i4 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 225 km/h with an acceleration of 6.1 seconds [0-100 km/h]. It was 4211 mm long and weighed 1275 kg.

Production ended in 1996 with only 7145 made. This is believed to be the last one here as the others have already been deregistered. Previously, it was in silver but was repainted to its current blue. According to the chassis number, this unit was built in Cologne in 1994. Escort Cosworths were never officially sold here--whatever units that were here could have been parallel-imported. I didn't expect to see this unicorn in front of my previous company--apparently the owner had some business to do at that time. It feels really amazing to realise that I have seen the last of its kind on our roads: that is why if you start to observe the cars around you, who knows what you may see?

More than an old car #37: Ford Cortina Mark 4

Take a look at any photo from the 1980s and you would see quite a number of box-shaped cars. Such a shape was very common back then but you would be hard-pressed to find one on our streets today, including this 1979 Ford Cortina Mark 4 1.6GL.

The Ford Cortina was first introduced in 1962, with a total of 4+1 generations. Its name was derived from the Italian ski resort Cortina d'Ampezzo, the site of the 1956 Winter Olympics. The 4th-gen Cortina was based off the previous-gen model, except that it had wider windows, giving the cabin a brighter feel. It was available in various trims, namely base, L, GL, S and Ghia. The Cortina was powered by a 1593cc 4-cylinder engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 151km/h with an acceleration of 14.8 seconds [0-100km/h]. It was 4.38m long and weighed 1035kg.

When production ended in 1980, more than 1.1 million had been made. Despite the Mark 4 being the most popular car in the UK back then, it has become the rarest model due to poor rustproofing. This specimen is 1 of 2 cars that still exist in Singapore, and both are remarkably on normal plates. The Cortina was sold in Singapore previously but these are the lone survivors of the COE scourge. I am pretty sure that you will be able to recognize them from far, so please keep a lookout!

More than an old car #35: Ford Anglia

Ford is a well-known name here, especially with the family-friendly Mondeo or the sporty Focus. That being said, older Ford models are rather scarce, such as the 1967 Ford Anglia 105E here.

The 'Anglia' name has different meanings: it is the old Latin name for England and it refers to the eastern part of England known as East Anglia. It has been suggested that this name was first applied in 1939 due to patriotic reasons. Different cars made by Ford UK have the Anglia naming, but the one in the picture is the 105E, made between 1959-1968.

The Anglia had a backward-slanting window that was supposed to keep rain off and muted tailfins compared to its American counterparts. American influences could still be seen such as the full-width grille in between 'eye' headlamps. It was powered by a 997cc 4-cylinder engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 119km/h and a rather slow acceleration of 26.9 seconds [0-100km/h]. It was 3.9m long and weighed 754kg.

Throughout its production life, it remained very popular among consumers: it set a production record of more than 190,000 cars in 1962. Other than the saloon version, a 3-door estate car and a van version were also offered. Production ended in 1968 with around 955,000 saloons made. This Anglia is 1 of 2 that still exist in Singapore, where the other car is blue in colour. This specimen here has not seen much action on the road given the thick layer of dust on the car boot.

Actually, I believe many of you have seen a similar one in the Harry Potter series, when Harry and Ron Weasley drove it to Hogwarts after missing their train in The Chamber of Secrets. Having just finished the entire series lately, I was pleasantly surprised to see one in the flesh. It made me wonder why JK Rowling chose this particular car for the series. I guess by spotting one, you could be on your way to Hogwarts, provided it doesn't crash into the Whomping Willow!