What do you get when you combine two of the most controversial terms in the automotive word? Edsel + Wagon = Something pretty cool actually! People seem to either love or hate both the Edsel brand and the station wagon shape. Personally, I’m okay with both, but there is no denying that this thing is pretty awesome looking. It’s been resprayed at some point, but does look like a good driver quality car for someone who wants something different. This Villager is located in Thousand Oaks, California and is listed here on eBay where bidding is currently at $6,100.
The 361 V8 was the standard engine for the Villager. This one has an Edelbrock carb on top, but the original is included. It’s attached to an automatic transmission and is claimed to run well with no smoke or overheating problems. These are claimed to have put out over 300 horsepower, so even with the long roof body, it’s probably not a slouch.
The inside is a little tired, but it could probably be cleaned up in sections while you drive and enjoy the car. Like most cars from this vintage, there’s lots of details inside to admire and touch. It may not have been the safest way to do things, but that dash could almost be considered a work of art. A couple of car show dash plaques prove that this car has been thoroughly enjoyed and is ready for the next owner to have some fun.
The ornamentation on the outside and inside is nice, but the really beauty of a station wagon is its utility. It has near truck-like cargo capacities, yet maintains most of the virtues of a car. The fold flat seat should make long loads a cinch and them you put the seat back up and haul the kids.
Or drop the tailgate and load up the dogs for afternoon pheasant hunting! This looks like a fun and functional classic to me. The terms Edsel and Station Wagon may have held some negative feelings in the past, but I bet you and everyone around you will only have smiles on their faces when this thing is around!
I’ll never know why, but my wife loves Edsels.. Probably because they were the ultimate underdog for automobiles..
We have two neighbors in the “hood” that own Edsels and they drive them everywhere.. One woman took hers to Ohio and blew the engine.. Got it replaced there and drove it back to her home in Florida. It’s at all the car shows and she’s almost 80 yrs old.
This one is nice and should bring smiles to it’s new owner..
I love the Edsels the 58 was really the true Edsel, 59 and 60 were just reworked Fords but still a great car! I own a 59 Ranger and wouldn’t part with it for any new car on the road today. Love to have this wagon!!
love it….
I prefer the ’59 over the ’58, the styling is a little more subdued. Lots of memories of these big 50’s era wagons for us old guys. Love the color of this one, somebody will have lot of fun with this.
Fair Play To You: I agree with you about the styling, Ikey, and I prefer the 58 over the 59 for the same reason. I prefer my fifties cars with “Too much makeup, too much rouge”…reminds me of that old Confederate Railroad song… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf459-JiIcI
Subdued? May I suggest a ex-fleet Nissan Maxima. ;-)
We had a 59 2 door hardtop. Was unique, a fun driver and used a fair amount of 59 Ford mechanical parts. Had a lot of fun with my Dad and family doing Motor Muster at Greenfield Village in that 59…..
Cool looking ride! Sorry, hit the thumbs down button by mistake. Hope the wagon stays in So Cal, always draws a crowd with surfboards hanging out back. I have a 66 Impala s/w 396,400 trans,12 bolt rear end that is all original! The ladies are all over it, while the men doubt it came that way! I carry a vin decoder sheet with me to prove it! It is a blast.
Love it. After hauling the kid, car seat, stroller, and dog downtown today for the Farmer’s Market my wife commented that we had outgrown her Mariner. Now how to convince her that I should buy this to replace it…
I’m with these guys. The more I see Edsels now, the more appealing they are. I guess because they pretty much scream 1950s, especially a red, white and chrome wagon like this one.
It wasn’t always that way. I was a car crazed kid when these were brand new, and you didn’t have a good feeling about them, unfortunately. People were usually excited when new car models were presented, but the Edsel didn’t get many people excited. It probably wasn’t a very good brand name either. I don’t think many people knew that it was Edsel Ford who was being honored, but that probably wouldn’t have made much difference. A common thing people used to say about Edsels was “Looks like an Oldsmobile sucking on a lemon.”
Now they are just ’50s cool and people don’t seem to care about Oldsmobiles and lemons anymore, which is a good thing. These were from a great decade, and it’s good to be reminded of that every time one of these beautiful orphans comes along.
Very nice old Edsel. Someone has a nice ’58 or ’59 Edsel wagon that was converted into an ambulance by the Automotive Conversion Corp. and known as an “Amblewagon”. I’ve only seen pix of the car, but it’s very nice.
Cool. Reminds me of the John Waters, not for the faint of heart, cult classic “Female Trouble”. In the movie’s 1975 context, it would’ve been about the last car anyone would be caught dead in.
I too grew up in the station wagon era. First the Fords from 1957, ’60, & ’63; then the Vista Cruisers in ’65 & ’69 with a Caprice in ’67. I always liked the 1959 Fords but I read someone dissing them a while back. Wagons are definitely a nostalgic taste and this one qualifies. I’m surprised at the number I see nowadays without the padded dash. As I recall, all of ours had this “Safety” feature. My ideal would be a 1968 Caprice in dark blue with a blue interior and a 396.
Edsels were not pretty but the 59 was definitely better looking than the 59 Ford.
Man oh man, what a gem.
That’s my fun ride! Ladies really like it!
I remember growing up in Escanaba, Michigan. The next door neighbor got a 1958 Edsel new!! I wish I had it today!! What a beauty of a car!!
that’s a cool looking wagon, I wonder if the engine is numbers matching. the 361 was the top engine of 4 for the wagon, 223,292, 332 and 361
the engine colors are all wrong for the 361, should be:
Engine Colors
Semi-gloss Black:
Block, heads, intake manifold, oil filler tube, oil pan
Gloss Black:
Brackets, generator, fan, pulley, starter motor, inner fender aprons, radiator
Off-White: (Same paint scheme as the 1958 E-475, without the red stencil:
Air Filter cover, valve covers
I love it. Wish it were in my driveway. Don’t care how many doors, how long the roof, or if the paint details are correct. If it runs smoothly and isn’t going to break in half from rust, I’d love it and take care of it and use it.