1963 Ford Galaxie 500

It's already hard not to love a 1963 Ford Galaxie customized to look like one of Andy Griffith's Mayberry police cars. But when this has everything right, from V8 power to working lights & sirens, then your mind starts to wonder all the cool things you can do with this affordable and distinct classic. A '63 Galaxie 500 is already a pretty desirable car even before it was turned into a nostalgia machine. It's true '60s styling with large chrome bumper, an extra wide grille, and stylish full-length trim line. And of course, the rear end was one of the best of the jet-inspired age with afterburner taillights integrated into the fender design. Only heightening this vintage appeal is the livery of Mayberry's finest. The glossy black & white paint, gumball light, old-school siren, and sheriff badges on the door remind you of a time when solving a crime meant returning a homemade pie. The upper-level Galaxie 500 appeal can be seen inside with a factory-correct interior and plenty of bright trim. The artful factory steering wheel, extra-long speedometer, and AM radio on display all deliver a time warp kind of feeling. There wasn't much serious crime in Mayberry, and so the interior gets to be better than the average police car. Both rows of seats have insignia trim seats with comfy cloth inserts. It's this high degree of originality in the presentation is just another part that makes this classic so memorable. So family and friends won't complain about riding in the back of this police car. Under the hood is Ford's 352 cubic-inch interceptor motor. It came from the Interceptor line of V8s, so it seems quite fitting in this police car. This big engine has the honest look as if Andy has been wrenching on it every weekend for the last half-century (or at least that's what you can tell people.) It delivers the kind of power you want in a classic American. And the ride delivers that comfortable feeling you want thanks to power steering, a three-speed automatic transmission, and the plush big sedan ride.