Ford brought new excitement to its full-sized car line in mid-1962 with the sporty and sexy Galaxie 500/XL.

Mid-year model introductions are nothing new in the Motor City, but Ford marketing guru Lee Iacocca raised them to an art form with the “1962 1/2” and “1963 1/2” rollout campaigns. Many of Dearborn’s most exciting cars in the ’60s were launched as “1/2” models—for example, the 1962 1/2 Galaxie 500/XL, a sportier and sexier version of Ford’s top-of-the-line full-sized offering, the Galaxie 500. Originally, the official model designation was 500/XL, but the virgule (forward slash) was eventually dropped as XLs remained in the product line through 1970.

Limited to two body styles, Club VIctoria hardtop coupe and Sunliner convertible, the ’62 500/XL was priced at around $325 more than a standard Galaxie 500. For their additional bucks, buyers received an engine-turned finish on the instrument panel and exterior side trim. But the real draw was the XL’s sensational Thunderbird-like cockpit, with a full-length console and beautifully sculpted bucket seats. To this day, it’s one of the more memorable interior treatments from Detroit.

A floor-mounted shifter for the Cruise-O-Matic or 4-speed manual transmission was standard, as was a 292 cubic V8 with 170 hp. But the full complement of husky Ford V8s was available at extra cost, including the 406 CID V8, also new for mid ’62. The Super High Performance version with three two-barrel carbs and 405 horsepower gets special mention in the spot below, where we are invited to “live it up.” And with the 405 hp V8 and a four-speed gearbox, that’s just what we’d do. In March of 1962, Car Life magazine reported quarter-mile times of 15.3 seconds at 93 mph with the combination, not bad for a 4,200-lb car. Video below.