10k: If You Can’t Beat ‘Em: 1965 Ford Galaxie 500 Mayberry Replica

If political squabbles, economic woes, and rumors of wars have gotten you down and you’re feeling deficient of all things wholesome, lock yourself in a room and concentrate solely on the car in front of you. It’s a reminder of simpler times: of Aunt Bee’s butterscotch pecan pie, skipping stones, and a show about law enforcement officials whose main duty seemed to be enforcing conservative American values. Find this 1965 Ford Galaxy (sic) 500 Mayberry Police Car Replica for $7,500 in Lexington, KY. Words by DT contributor slowcarSLOW-MPGlol.

This American family sedan was bought by a guy named Mayberry in 1965, replicated to imitate a family comedy set in North Carolina, and listed by a sheriff in central Kentucky. Now if that doesn’t make you want to sing one of Woody Guthrie’s politically tapioca songs like “This Land Is Your Land,” consider a generous apple pie injection and/or a M.A.S.H. marathon. This is Americana nostalgia on a cosmic level – think of a dozen Independence Day celebrations in Colonial Williamsburg crammed into one steel-bodied full-size car.

Throughout The Andy Griffith Show, a handful of squad cars were driven by the late Andy Griffith, and at least one source shows this model year Ford in its cop-car costume. Not one but two post-mount spotlights are there to keep the peace, and a single red rotating beacon adorns the roof. Inside is what could be a deputy badge and a backseat most of us wouldn’t mind being arrested and gently eased into, especially if it meant a short stay in a cell with a view of Barney Fife’s bumblings and Andy Taylor’s Ghandi-esque wisdom. The whole package is well-preserved but with enough wear to be convincing.

Along with the Fairlane, the 500 trim level is the namesake of the forgettable 2005-2007 Ford 500. It also was a long-running line of the some of Ford’s finest pre-oil crisis cars. Technical specs on this one are slim, but pictures show an unspecified V8 and rust-free door sills (Note from Ed. CFlo: this looks like an FE engine – maybe a 352 or 390, which I can almost make out from the air cleaner sticker). The next buyer can continue showing it at parades and events, or invoke sheer terror in drivers old enough to remember the sight of stacked headlights in the rear-view mirror. Or, park this automotive apple pie in the driveway and watch all the smiles and memories it inspires.

See another famous car for less? Email us at tips@dailyturismo.com.

slowcarSLOW-MPGlol knows how many licks it takes to reach the center of a Tootsie Pop, and he’s not telling. As someone with a B+ blood type, he considers himself an optimist. Unless it has structural rust.