It all started one lonely winter day in Madrid, Spain, when I opened a letter from my parents and out dropped a picture of a weathered burgundy 1968 Ford Custom, sitting in a corn field behind my grandfather's apartment on the reservation.  The one-time strapping auto body repairman had become too old to drive, and he wanted me to have it.

For the next 10 years, that old Custom and I were nearly inseparable, best buddies hauling down the highway throughout the Midwest.  It became my place of solace, my pride and joy, my link to freedom.  And, best of all, one day it introduced me to my wife.  Unfortunately, the Custom eventually reached the point of no return, in no small part due to careless handling by a moving company on the way to California.  So, I pried off the hubcaps, the Ford emblems, and the radio knobs, and then sold it someone for parts.  It was over, the legacy had passed away.

For the next few years, my wife and I wistfully kept an eye out for another car to replace the Ford, but nothing ever caught our eyes - until one day I ran across this beautiful 1967 Ford Galaxie 500.  Original paint, immaculate interior, original spare tire (with factory chalk marks still on it), original owner's manual with registration card, everything.  And the most amazing part was the mileage: 19,400 miles.  I took it for a test drive, and it was ours.

This series of photos celebrates the design of the old Fords, it celebrates my grandfather, and it celebrates my wife, Ilana.  Without them, I never would have had the good fortune to have experienced this car in all its glory.  So here it is, the 1967 Ford Galaxie 500, slightly updated for the current year, with all the bumps, pits, and dust of a 40-year old car, for you to enjoy as well.