Pontiac upped the ante still by drilling holes in the frame of its light weight A-Bodies creating the now infamous “Swiss Cheese” Catalina. The 427 was a strong contender in its high-riser form, but struggled shaking off the Mighty Mopars, although the ’64 Fairlane Thunderbolt evened the playing field a bit. Caliente trim level was used for A/FX coupes. When the Big Three couldn’t increase the power of their engines fast enough, they began to remove weight every which way (or, in the infinite words of Colin Chapman, “add lightness”). Their A/FX Comet was one of the hottest factory drag cars of the era, and goes unfairly forgotten in conversations.Ī/FX (factory experimental) racing traces its origins back to the glory years of factory-sponsored Super Stock racing.

Equipped with such, special editions of the Galaxie and Fairlane were created, namely the “Thunderbolt,” to rival entries from cross-town rivals Pontiac and Mopar.Īnd what about Mercury? While not under Ford’s Total Performance umbrella, sister brand Mercury also was active in racing. This usually meant – particularly in the early 1960s – the use of Ford’s venerable 427 side-oiler engine.

Though in very small quantities, “street legal” race cars were created by Ford, either due to demand or to meet homologation standards.

Images: Mecum Auctionsĭoing so meant a new-found emphasis on outright performance in all of Ford’s mainstream vehicles, specifically the Fairlane, Falcon, and Galaxie, which were heavily restyled to reflect this new performance image.īut Ford’s Total Performance program wasn’t all “talk” either. 1964 A/FX Comet Caliente was stuffed with the high-riser 427.

Mercury comet