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Identifying the First-Gen Ford MustangSecond Generation Buick LeSabre vs. Ford Galaxie
This classic comparison of the 2nd-gen Buick LeSabre vs. Ford Galaxie pits two Space Race-inspired Detroit legends against one another.
Cars of the Space Age
For car enthusiasts, the 1950s were a good time to be alive. Post-World War II optimism was through the roof, the Space Race was exciting to watch, and cars were getting in on the action with relatively wild new technology like automatic windows.
It was the 1960s, however, that ushered in perhaps some of the best cars of all time with automakers like Ford and General Motors going toe-to-toe in a constant game of one-upmanship – a culture that American Graffiti captured perfectly on film. This second-generation Buick LeSabre vs. Ford Galaxie comparison looks back on two very cool cars that came about as a result of this heated competition.
Buick and Ford Reach for the Stars
Buick, one of the many brands under the GM umbrella at the time, was early to this party with its 1951 LeSabre show car. French for, ahem, The Saber, this cutting-edge new ride brought Jet Age-inspired automobiles to the masses with design elements like a wrap-around windshield and sharp-edged tailfins. It wouldn’t arrive in production form until 1959, along with the Electra and Invicta, but the LeSabre would far outlast both as the nameplate was in production until 2005.
Ford also went the French route, initially, when it unveiled the 1958 La Galaxie concept car. Mercifully, “La” was dropped for the production model that arrived one year later and carried on for another three Galaxie generations. But like Buick the Ford was a dedicated effort to capitalize on Space Race excitement.
This first-gen Ford Galaxie lasted only a single year before the second-gen model showed up in 1960, while the second-gen Buick LeSabre debuted in 1961. But both vehicle generations ran until 1964 and put on an impressive competition in the process.
Turbine Drive Buicks
It was an automotive era marked by all manner of fancifully named car systems and Buick gets the nod for maxing out this effort by designing its entire 1961 lineup as the “Turbine Drive Buicks.” Related to the Dynaflow transmission, you can’t help but smile at how much fun automakers were having back then. One of those Turbine Drive rides, the second-generation LeSabre was riding on a 123-inch wheelbase, measured 213 inches in length, and sported a major facelift that saw the previous model’s tailfins go away, a reduction in chrome, and overall boxier sheet metal. Buick’s signature Ventiports remained, however.
As with the Galaxie, and so many cars at the time, the LeSabre was offered in a wide array of body styles throughout second gen production. That included a 2- and 4-door sedan, 2- and 4-door hardtop, a convertible, and a station wagon. The Buick also grew in length during this period, adding about one inch each year. For 1961, the LeSabre came standard with a 364 CID Wildcat V8 that made 250 horsepower on premium fuel.
It paired with a 2-speed automatic Turbine Drive Dynaflow transmission that routed power to the rear wheels. There was also a no-cost version of that motor that ran on regular fuel to make 235 hp and an extra-cost variant with 4-barrel (bbl) carburetion and a hearty 300 horses. However, the big 401 was reserved for the Electra and Invicta.
Second-Gen Galaxies
When Ford’s second-gen Galaxie went on sale in 1960, it was riding on a 119-inch wheelbase and 214-inch body, so stretched about the same distance as the LeSabre, but it was three inches wider. So wide in fact, at over 81 inches, that it occupied lanes with the type of presence normally reserved for trucks.
Like the Buick, the big Ford curtailed ornamentation for its second generation and was offered in all manner of body styles. Unlike Buick, Ford offered a nifty Starliner variant that featured a giant curved rear window on the hardtop body that enabled panoramic rear vistas for occupants.
The early Galaxie engines were smaller than what Buick was offering with a 292 and 352 CID V8, but Ford also sold a 223 cubic inch “Mileage Maker” straight-6 for efficiency-minded customers. This broader portfolio of powertrains would be a theme with the Galaxie going forward and one that helped differentiate it from the likes of the LeSabre. Ford mirrored Buick by trimming the tailfin look for 1961 but went full Jetson mode by replacing the old look with a pair of giant circular taillights at either corner that glowed like an afterburner. It was as cool then as it is now.
For 1962, both the LeSabre and Galaxie earned punched-up powertrains. Buick dropped the standard 364 in favor of the 401 CID Wildcat V8 out of the Electra and Invicta. On premium fuel, it was rated for 280 horses but with the optional 4-bbl carb setup, that number jumped to 325. Naturally, Ford responded with a new 390 CID V8 for the Galaxie featuring standard 4-bbl breathing or an optional triple 2-bbl setup good for just over 400 hp. Later that year, an even bigger Thunderbird 406 cubic inch V8 arrived with even more power.
This was also the year that Ford applied the Galaxie name to its entire full-size lineup and added a new top spec Galaxie 500 with “Thunderbird styling.” This also brought the “Station Wagon series” under one nameplate and meant there were three Ford Galaxie wagons to choose from including the 9-passenger Country Squire epic land barge that Buick couldn’t compete with.
Buick implemented a major facelift for the 1963 LeSabre that brought boxier styling, revised rooflines, and a discontinuation of the slick “Mirromagic” gauge cluster. There was also a host of nifty new options like a 7-position tilt steering column, AM/FM radio, Electro-Cruise control, and front fender lamps that illuminated when the turn signals were activated to assist in nighttime visibility.
The Galaxie arrived in 1963 looking largely the same, but mid-year, Ford debuted a swept fastback roofline known as the “sports hardtop” on certain models. It quickly outsold the standard “box top” models but was actually designed to assist in the Galaxies’ NASCAR performance.
On that performance note, Ford continued to develop potent powertrains for the Galaxie. The 406 V8 that arrived in mid-1962 offered High-Performance and Super High-Performance variants, the latter of which produced 405 hp with a 6-bbl carburetor setup. The automaker also developed a 427 cubic inch beast, specifically for racing, with a solid lifter camshaft, twin 4-bbl carbs, and a 425 hp rating.
The following year, 1964, marked the end of second-gen Galaxie production, but it went out with a bang. The exterior was more sculpted and now only available as a fastback and new thin-shell bucket seats arrived. But the 427 Cammer that debuted late that year was the star of the show. Only sold to racers and never factory installed, this brute made at least 600 horsepower and rumors pointed to a handful finding their way to the street.
Buick also wrapped up second-gen LeSabre production in 1964 with a minor facelift and a new Custom trim sporting a chrome strip running the length of the car. The standard 401 CID V8 was replaced by a 300 cubic inch eight-pot making 210 or 250 hp depending on fuel grade and carb configuration. Still optional, the 401 V8 pushed out 325 hp in base setup but offered up to 360 ponies in “Super Wildcat” form that ran dual 4-bbl carbs and could be fitted to the station wagon.
V8 Glory and Jet Age Fun
Regardless of where your brand loyalties lie, there’s no denying the second-generation Buick LeSabre and Ford Galaxie put on a display of epic V8 engines, killer Space Race-inspired design, and true out-of-the-box marketing efforts. That being said, the Ford Galaxie takes the podium over the Buick LeSabre in this comparison as it offered a more robust – and potent – series of engines, arguably applied the space-meets-science-fiction themes more effectively, had that extra-wide presence, saw serious racing success, and (a personal favorite) offered SO many cool station wagons. If you want to own one of these steel-bodied beauties, consult our vintage car part sourcing article to keep things running smoothly.
