302 Powered! 1963 Ford Falcon Futura
The Falcon was important for two reasons: First, was it was Ford’s first entry into the compact car market and did it quite successfully. Second, its platform would launch several other successful cars, especially the Mustang which was an even bigger hit and created a whole new market sector. As a sneak preview of sorts for the Mustang in 1964, Ford rolled out the Futura Sprint with a small-block V8, dubbed a 1963 ½ model. It checked off almost all the boxes that the early Mustangs would, except that it wore more conservative styling. This Futura is located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and being offered for $24,500 here on Facebook Marketplace. Hats off to Larry D for bringing this tip our way!
Ford’s Falcon would stick around for three generations from 1960-70. Except for its last year, it was Ford’s leading compact. But the Maverick came along in 1969 and took its place, so the last model year was spent as a dressed-down Torino in mid-size garb. Besides a variety of car body styles, the Falcon platform also hosted the Ranchero, which was downsized when it moved over in 1960. The “Father of the Falcon” within Ford was none other than Robert McNamara, who left the company shortly thereafter to go into politics, namely U.S. Defense Secretary, first under JFK and then LBJ.
The sportier, fancier version of the Ford Falcon was the Futura, like the seller’s car. Midway through 1963, Ford rolled out the Futura Sprint, which brought a V8 engine to the Falcon for the first time. What we’re unsure about is if the seller’s car is a Sprint as the seller mentions the 1963 ½ roll-out, but doesn’t actually refer to it as a Sprint in his ad. As a Sprint, it would fetch higher dollars on today’s collector market, largely because of the 164 hp motor.
Finished in shiny black paint with a red interior, the seller’s Futura is quite sharp. The aftermarket mag wheels are a nice addition and even wear a good set of tires. This garage-kept machine is said to be 90 percent original, which likely means the other 10 percent is in the motor. Instead of a 260 V8, a later model 302 sits its place and looks to have been tricked out a bit, although an aftermarket distributor is about all we can see under the hood.
This Falcon, at 89,00 miles, comes with an automatic transmission which – if true to the model year – would be Ford’s 2-speed edition. Factory air conditioning is part of the package (under-dash units were used prior to in-dash) and a set of traction bars are said to be underneath the car. The car is said to run great, which we hardly doubt since the seller seems to be a car guy (check out the sweet ’55 and ’57 Chevies in his garage).
Futura 2-door hardtops built-in 1963 added up to 28,500 units. Factoring in the mid-year Sprint, another 10,500 cars would have to be merged into the tally. Extra nice Futura’s seem to top out at $20,000, according to Hagerty, and a Futura Sprint is likely $5,000 higher. This car looks sweet enough regardless of which bucket you drop it into.
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Comments
Quote: “Midway through 1963, Ford rolled out the Futura Sprint, which brought a V8 engine to the Falcon for the first time.”
Nope. You did not have to order the Sprint to get the V8. The 260 V8 was optional in any 1963 1/2 Falcon across the entire line.
I had the exact same car about 30 yrs ago, even the 302 swap. I was always pissed that a mustang of the same era was worth 3 times as much.
I had a 1963 1/2 Futura 2DR hardtop with the 260 V8..so, almost a Sprint. My fave car ever, and I loved that it was not a Mustang, but a proto-Mustang. Everyone has seen a Mustang, but few have seen this body style – it is a real head-turner, and to my mind will always look more early 60s than mid 60s. Guess which period of cars I prefer.
Futura and Sprint were two different badges there is no futura sprint!!
Correct. I compiled the FCA Sprint registry many years ago, and have owned 8 cyl Futura HT, 6 Cyl Futura HT with 4 speed, and Sprint HT 8 cyl 4 speed cars. Nothing in the VIN to differentiate, so you are looking for small clues otherwise to verify what a car was born with.
Falcon Sprints are highly underappreciated cars relative to their offspring.
To complete the performance chain here – it is the lowly 221 in 1962 Fairlanes, then 260 in Falcons and etc, then 260 in early Mustangs, then 289, then 302.
This is true…but its funny…my 63 Sprint when I removed the gold sprint logo on the dash, it says Futura under it. It is the original chrome piece. Ha Ha. I guess this is the only place you will see Futura on a Sprint. Leave it to Ford save money on parts.
A friend of mine had a Futura Sprint. Light blue with v-8, 4 speed blue interior. Very nice car. I was with him one day.When he was road racing his cousin. Who had a 59 Ford with a police car motor in it. The Futura over took him in this straight. If I,m not mistaken.The Futura Sprint scrip was on the back side –in place of the Falcon script . I like these alot more then the mustangs. You see so many of the mustagns and very seldom see a Falcon Futura,. I wonder what one of these would look like with the 2plus2 fastback? Bet it would look sharp. This is a nice looking car.
Nice car….would have picked one off these body styles than my two 1964 convertible’s but nice 1963 1/2’s are hard to find.
What ever model it is it makes any 63 nova look like a after thought.It would look good slammed.Tubed or stock..Just me
Have always liked the Sprints, for me this one checks all the boxes, I have never owned an early Mustang, and I never would ,if I could have this car.
This is quite a nice car and was brand new however I bet the the original owner felt like an idiot for not waiting another 6-8 months before buying a new car. He could have had a Mustang. With the new for 64 Falcon and the new Mustang this was in short order an old car. But back then people bought new cars every one to three years anyway. In regards to the Sprint above wonder why all V8 examples loose their 260 V8. Seems all have 289’s and 302’s now.
Why is it that all V8 examples lose their 260 V8s and have 289s and 302s now?
There’s no replacement for displacement.
Rick that 260 was a dawg as you couldnt get any speed stuff for it back when these were popular. That 2 speed auto wasnt great either. 289 was a great move. Stay safe and good luck.
Cheers
GPC
There actually was a good 260 back then, but you could only get it in the first Cobras or the factory rally Falcons and Comets. 260 hp, solid lifters, upgraded internals, Ford only made 100 of them. I wonder what an original numbers matching 260 Cobra would be worth. If there are any, most were converted to 289s, in my mind a mistake.
Very nice car, but with just a 2 speed automatic, I think under $18k would be a fair price. JMHO.
A few years ago I bought a $5000 package deal with 2 genuine ’63 1/2 Sprints. Both black with red interior and 4 speeds, consoles, buckets, factory dash tachometers, etc. California cars with great bodies. I kept the nicer one (still have it) and sold the other one for more than the pair cost me. I’ve got a great car for less than $0!
“We know car is not a Mustang but Falcon was not an option to select. Thanks.” FB MP is the worst place to list/buy. They dictate how much you can list your car for and don’t even have names of cars like this one. Furthermore I have never dealt with this many scammers and people wanting to sell your car for you ever. They SUCK. Craigslist it a million times better. ASK ME HOW A KNOW
This isn’t quite a 1964. My favorite year for most vintage iron, but it is close enough. I like this one too!
Didn’t sprints have a sprint emblem on the fender next to the V8 emblem, and the V8 emblem was different than the one on this car? Did they really stick a Fordomatic 2 speed in these things? Sad.
“…its platform would launch several other successful cars, especially…”
launch the muscle car era and the SUV era which we seem to still B in (after all my ’68 bronk is justa 4WD falcon).
Fordomatics are three-speeds, not two….The 63 1/2 model changes made for some of the best roof lines ever for Ford (except maybe the 60-61 Galaxie hardtops), in particular, the 63 1/2 Ford convertibles really stood out..
Fordomatics are 2 speeds, Cruiseomatics are 3 speeds. Look it up.
Cruisomatics go through three gears if starting from D. Fordomatics go through 2 gears if starting from D, second and third. Fordomatics also had a low L that stayed in first gear until bumping the shifter to D to pick up second. After a certain speed in second, you could yank the shifter back to the L low position and you can accelerate in second gear till the cows come home with no upshift to third. You could lock second in a cruisomatic too. Anyway, both had 3 foreword speeds and could be push started.
The 1951 Fordomatic was a 3 speed. Not the tranny in this car. The Fordomatic two-speed transmission was introduced in 1959. A simplified version of the Cruise-O-Matic, it combined a torque connector and a compound planetary gear set. A front unit (multiple-disc) clutch provided high gear, a front band on the clutch drum provided low gear, and a band on the rear unit internal gear drum provided reverse. This transmission was offered on Ford models Falcon, Fairlane, and Galaxie, Mercury models Comet, and Meteor and Edsel cars with differences in the torque converter, valve bodies and clutch plates to accommodate differing engine torques.
The Fordomatic goes back to the 1950s and was a reliable if not a fast performance tranny. I believe it was the first automatic transmission Ford came out with back then. It was good for regular drivers for a long time….
The Futura was the pillarless coupe introduced with the first big facelift of the falcon in 1963.
Since everybody was starting to put bigger engines in every size cars I might call it a forbear of the Mustang and not a forerunner, perhaps because it was still a young kid’s car and the Mustang was for all ages
Back in 1966 I had a 63 1/2 Falcon Sprint, 260 CI V8 with dealer installed 3 deuces, Cobra air cleaner and valve covers, fully synchronized 3 speed on the column, dash mounted tach, buckets and center console. Sure wish I still had it!