When Ford introduced the 7 Litre for the 1966 model year, it seemed like a good idea. People were buying performance cars but still wanted creature comforts like power steering and air conditioning. Ford's high performance 427 engine was not available with these conveniences. So Ford introduced the 428 which was more like the 390 than the 427. With things like hydraulic lifters it had better street manners making it more suitable to go after groceries. Ford's success in promoting its quiet cars had been very successful and there was no reason to end a good thing.
The 7 Litre, available as a 2 door hardtop or convertible only, offered performance with comfort items such as air conditioning. The interior was identical to the XL series except for the 7 Litre badge located on the glove box door. (Some 7 Litre models got the Galaxie 500 nameplate on the glove box door.) The exterior was clean of chrome adding to the fresh look of the car. 7 Litre nameplates were found on the front fenders, grill, and trunk lid. The 428 nameplate was not put on the front fenders behind the wheels. Apparently putting both 7 Litre and 428 insignias on the front fenders was viewed as redundant by Ford.
Standard features on 7 Litres included the 428 engine, either a 4 speed manual or the C6 automatic transmission, and power assisted front disc brakes. The only engine option on the 7 Litre was the 427. For some reason Ford priced the 7 Litre $500 higher than a comparably equipped XL which did not help 7 Litre sales.
The year of 1966 was also the time Pontiac's hot-selling GTO had heavily influenced the market. Intermediate sized cars with big block power were the hot item. Ford also introduced the 390 powered Fairlane GT and GTA (automatic transmission) in 1966. If you wanted a fast Ford the Fairlane GT was the way to go. The performance market was leaving big block powered full-sized cars behind in favor of the intermediates and at year's end sales of the 7 Litre totalled a disappointing 11,073 (8705 hardtops and 2368 convertibles). For 1967 the 7 Litre was reduced to an option package (instead of having a separate model series) and even fewer were sold. The 7 Litre name disappeared completely in 1968.
Sales of Galaxie hardtops and convertibles for 1966
| model | hardtop | convertible | total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galaxie 500 | 198,532 | 27,454 | 225,986 |
| Galaxie 500 XL | 25,715 | 6,360 | 32,075 |
| Galaxie 500 7 Litre | 8,705 | 2,368 | 11,073 |
From here go to
Identifying a 7 Litre
Restoring a 7 Litre
The 7 Litre in miniature
The 7 Litre in print
7 Litre references and resources
Online registration form for your 7 Litre
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This page last updated April 10, 1997.