Ford had high hopes for its new division of cars in 1958. The Edsel debuted with no fewer than 18 models to join Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln. The problem was the brand was introduced at a time when the U.S. economy was in recession (and thus fewer car sales) and the estimate of the need for a fourth product offering was overestimated. On top of that, the Edsel wasn’t exactly the best-looking automobile on the market. From North Reading, Massachusetts, this rare wagon may be one of only a handful left. It’s available here on eBay for $48,900 (or you can make an offer). A really cool tip brought to us by T.J.
According to a quote the seller found on Hemmings, they had the following to say about the 9-passenger Bermuda station wagon: “The rarest of the rare! This Bermuda 9-passenger wagon was the top-of-the-line wagon from the ill-fated Edsel. The Bermuda has the lowest production with just 779 units. Today, perhaps only a dozen survive.” We don’t know if there are only a dozen of these transports still out there, but the universe can’t be very big.
This wagon is largely original with no major restoration work having been done in its 64 years and 60,000 miles. It did receive one “amateur” repaint in the 1970s after which it went into storage in New England from 1981 to 2015. When it finally emerged, we’re told the car was “gone through mechanically” but we don’t know what that means. At a minimum, it should have included all the fluids, belts, hoses, and anything else that isn’t permanent. As such, it’s in good running order now and the seller says it can manage a road trip.
There is the usual assortment of dings you’d expect to find and the seller says there is no rust in any of the important areas. The paint is bubbling by the gas door on the driver’s side and the woodgrain paneling (typical of Country Squire vehicles) is pretty well faded. The interior looks okay except for a rip in the front seat bottom. All the chrome doodads on the car are intact.
The seller says this wagon has the E400 engine under the hood which would have displaced 361 cubic inches. As a bonus, the seller is including a 6-passenger Bermuda wagon parts car that has lots of rust (no photos provided to determine if it’s worth hauling along). If rare cars are your bag, this Bermuda should certainly qualify.
Speaking of Hemmings…they have a 6-passenger listing for $1,100 less but with a BOATLOAD of work already done and apparently ready for any cruise to anywhere. This one will need an armpits’ worth of dents and dings to be corrected. Novelty of third-row seating doesn’t outweigh the market, yet again.
That huge blister on the quarter panel is looking like a big repair , what else is hiding on this BIG boat
It is wild that this car is now showing up as I am in the process of buying an unrestored one
Edsels got a bad rap. Yes, Ford over priced them a bit, but how did they know the car was to debut at the start of an economic slowdown. Ford should have swallowed their pride and made price cuts, offered incentives to move them to weather the storm. Instead they let them sit on showroom floors until they became a standing joke. The real culprit here was (is) the American business tax laws that allowed generous depreciation and tax write offs. Without those Ford would have tried to move them faster and maybe the car could have been around long enough to become more popular. So sad that they lived the same sort of short sad life as Edsel Ford himself did. He didn’t deserve his lot in life, neither did these cars.
ya but they were also crazy ugly to the vast buying public.
The seller’s estimates on surviving Bermudas is unrealistic. `58 Bermuda wagons are round (more than a dozen) but perhaps the 9-passenger varieties are the scarcest. Nice wagon; sorry it’s so shy on interior photos.
“Only a dozen survive” seems like a wild guess. Anything to back up that claim?
It is a “wild guess”…..I own one of these in a Edsel club registry, there are 133 Bermuda’s that are road worthy right now, and even more being restored.
If you were to remove the rear doors and cut down the length, would it be called a “Bermuda Shorts”?
Very nice. This is my favourite year for Edsel. I’ve never seen an Edsel Bermuda wagon. I’ve seen pictures of the Bermuda, but I’ve never seen one up close and in person.
“On top of that, the Edsel wasn’t exactly the best-looking automobile on the market”. Understatement of the year.
1958 Edsel wagons have something very unusual in the way of taillight design. Take a good look at them. Signal for a right turn, and the taillight acts like an arrow pointing to the left. The left taillight points to the right!
Several of these things around. Way more than 12. Go to any Edsel convention and see 3 or 4.
The rare ones are 2 doors with just a handful of them sold.
Not a Bermuda, but still cool…..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHD23J0GcCc
Only 12 remain…
Like every car I have, Including the Prius!
PS: I don’t have a Prius :-)
As a fellow Bermuda owner, I can say first hand this guy is dreaming at that $48K price……at best it may pull $30K, and that’s a dream
Take a look at the ebay listing for this Bermuda, the car needs chrome, paint, body work, engine bay detailed ( or rebuilt ), interior work ( front seat rip and tear, dash pad failing, who knows what rust ( yeah, I know, owner says no rust ) but any car can plainly see it…..oh well, good luck but buyer beware