58 Edsel

this is an out of the box 58 Edsel

Ripper model! I don't mind that radiator grille. I think they crucified that car without good reason. Nice colour scheme too.

Nice, like very much.

Great build of one of my all time favourite cars. The colour suits it perfectly

tezza43 wrote:I think they crucified that car without good reason. Nice colour scheme too.

Unfortunately it wasn't the styling that killed Edsel. It was rushed to market and the build quality was so bad the car soon got a rep for being a lemon (refer comment re colour above) as too many spent more time in the dealer's workshop than on the road. As a result it never found it's feet in the market and the 1960 model year cars were the last. Nowadays they are valued by collectors due to their low production numbers, although some of us just love 'em for their bold styling.

Carps wrote:Great build of one of my all time favourite cars. The colour suits it perfectly

tezza43 wrote:I think they crucified that car without good reason. Nice colour scheme too.

Unfortunately it wasn't the styling that killed Edsel. It was rushed to market and the build quality was so bad the car soon got a rep for being a lemon (refer comment re colour above) as too many spent more time in the dealer's workshop than on the road. As a result it never found it's feet in the market and the 1960 model year cars were the last. Nowadays they are valued by collectors due to their low production numbers, although some of us just love 'em for their bold styling.

I was just reading about Edsel Ford in a column by David Schultz in an issue of Hemmings Clasic Car recently. It seems quite sad that he now has the legacy of a lemon attached to his name as he was fairly instrumental in the ongoing success of Fo Mo Co in the 1920-30s and directly responsible for a lot of the iconic cars we worship today.

Apparently it was Edsel who designed and developed the all new Model 'A' to replace the outdated Model 'T' and four years later he also convinced Henry to pull his head out of the sand and create the new '32 deuce with famous flathead V8 in response to stiff competition from the six cylinder Chevrolet.

Edsel also employed Ford's first 'in-house' designer - E.T. "Bob" Gregorie. They worked together to create the fabulous designs of Ford in the 30s that are still celebrated by restorers and street rodders alike today, culminating in the 40-41 Lincoln Continental, generally acknowledged "as one of the greatest of all automotive designs".

Until I read this article I thought Edsel Ford had created the Edsel out of some kind of misguided narcissistic vision. However he was long dead by the time of this creation and was never directly involved. Seems a shame to be famous for failure when you were responsible for such success.

The Ford Family story is indeed a long and interesting one.

Bryce wrote: Until I read this article I thought Edsel Ford had created the Edsel out of some kind of misguided narcissistic vision. However he was long dead by the time of this creation and was never directly involved. Seems a shame to be famous for failure when you were responsible for such success.

That unfortunately is the unjust fate of many innovative and creative people. The human race has built a history on remembering only the bad and not the good, and poor Edsel Ford was a victim because his name was given to the car. He deserved much better than that.

Carps, what you say about the Edsel's build quality is correct, but the '58 Edsel's failure to attract large volume sales was also due to it's "horsecollar" front grille design. It had been planned by too many people (a case of too many chiefs and not enough indians). Ford's engineering and marketing departments gave Ford's sales people the individual look asked for, and the car could be recognised easily from a distance.

The grille design became the butt of (rude) jokes and other jibes, and the car was just a rehash of old Ford and Mercury chassis parts instead of being all new. Not only did the general public not want to be seen in a car that was becoming a "national joke", but the 1958 recession was starting to bite hard on families, thus affecting the mid-range auto market.

Other cars have suffered similar fates, but at least they didn't have an individual's name tied to them.