The Edsel will likely go down as the largest failure in the history of the U.S. automobile. Thinking there was a market for a fourth brand within the Ford family, the Edsel was born in 1958, cost the company hundreds of millions of dollars, and barely lasted into its third model year. While more than 118,000 Edsels were built between 1958 and 1960, less than 3,000 were for the 1960 model year, including the seller’s Ranger 2-door sedan.
Extensive market research led Ford to believe there was a market need for a fourth car besides the Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln in the company’s portfolio. So, the Edsel was developed for release in the 1958 model year, which unfortunately coincided with an economic recession that hard-hit new automobile sales. Many have said that the Edsel was the “wrong car at the wrong time” and that may have proved to be true. But its awkward looks didn’t help, and the “horse collar” grille of the 1958 and 1959 editions of the Edsel drew lots of criticism
Within weeks after the 1960 Edsels were introduced, Ford pulled the plug. The model lineup had been paired down and the seller’s Ranger 2-door sedan is one of just 777 to roll off the assembly line, making it one of the rarest Edsels ever produced. The seller says he/she has owned this example for more than 20 years and advancing age and the need to cut back has resulted in the need to put this rarity up for sale.
We’re told the Edsel has a six-cylinder engine, which likely means it’s a 223 cubic-inch I-6. It’s paired with a manual transmission (“3-on-the-tree”), making this Ranger a fairly basic entry. The seller says the machine runs well and has new brakes, tires, and chrome wheels. It also comes with a carpet kit for the buyer to install. Located in Colville, Washington, this piece of automotive history is available here on craigslist for $6,500. Thanks to Matt H. for this cool tip!
From the looks of the condition? Worth every penny. A rare car, and it’s a two door.
Saw a guy that had a ‘60 wagon. He said Edsel stands for, every day something else leaks. I’m not trying to insult what is actually a very rare and cool car, but that was funny.
Fix
Or
Repair
Daily
Fix
It
Again
Tony
We’re the one’s I grew up hearing!
How about Found On Road Dead?
@ Ted
F ound
O n
R oad
D ead
There was also an interesting one about Pontiac but is somewhat racist for then and now and I don’t want to offend anyone
Ted the saying fix it again Tony was about a fiat not a ford and in defense of Ford’s in 1960 my parents bought a new 1960 Impala 283 power glide it the car I started driving in it was a piece of junk started burning oil at 40 k miles they had traded a 1956 Ford Fairlane with a 312 with 80 k care free miles on it
First On Race Day is my preference.
in Canada it was found on road dead….lol
Fix it again Tony is Fiat.
How about Found On Road Dead, or Fugitive Of Reading Dump?
How about Poor Old Numbskul Thinks It’s A Cadillac. (Pontiac) Sorry to you Poncho enthusiasts!
Fierce, Ornery, Rugged, Dependable?
For Old Retired Duffers?
First On Race Day?
Flip Over and Read Directions.
angel you do know that a Cadillac is just a renamed or rebranded Ford Cadillac started from the ford motor car co in 1903 when Henry Leland but the bankrupt Ford company and renamed it Cadillac Google it
J ust
E mpty
E very
P ocket
(though my Jeeps were always good)
This one should be in a museum.
yes
This final year, looks like a parts bin special. The styling is terrible, even for 1960. The rear bumper is from a Ford and so many other parts. Wow! The Ford or Mercury models were much better looking. Edsel had lost its way.
Yeah,the rear bumper on this car is a 60 Ford transplant, but a true 60 Edsel rear bumper had vertical rib windsplits which mimic the taillights.
Think of the tooling costs for this small detail on a short lived production run…
@johnny
I Googled 1960 Edsels because several things were bothering me. The main reason for the search was the taillights. Some had 4 red taillights some had 2 red 2 white backup lights. But, more importantly, some had the Ford rear bumper and some had a different rear bumper, but none had what you described as the Edsel bumper. No vertical details to mimick the taillights.
I am surprised at out of 777 cars for 1960, they made quite a few top of the line and convertibles. The “Starlite” roofline looks good on the Edsel as it also does on the Galaxy.
The “prototype” 1960 Edsel was more true to the actual Edsel theme. Too bad they didn’t put that into production instead.
The left side picture looks a lot like my 60 ford I used to own. Thought it was a 60 ford at first glance.
@Leroy
The 1960 Edsel is a 1960 Ford with minimal chome changes and slight tweaks to the grill, parking lights, taillights, fins and dashboard.
Lovely car. I’ve seen the 1958 and 1959 Edsel, but I’ve never seen a 1960 Edsel.
I like the 58 2 door, I’ve seen nicely done gassers and one 4wd that was amazing.
The E475 with a push button black and white coves must have been a great rig.
This 60 might be super rare but I wouldn’t want it.
I’m sure this one has been snatched up at this price. It does almost look like a museum, survivor car, and don’t even mind the 6 cylinder. 1960 is a rare year for Edsel and they ditched the 58 Horse collar front grill, which I think looks nicer. Love the taillights too. Creampuff is the word.
Nice Car
Edsel did live on in Canada though.
They shipped the whole kit and kaboodle there just after they pulled the plug here in the States. It became
the Frontanac, where it ran through ’62. Still recall my Dad’s stories concerning the last days of Edsel when dealers were selling the last remaining cars for pennies on the dollar. Yessir, folks they were runnin’
for the exits til the roof caves in. Not
long afterwards they were dumped either on used car lots or the scrapyard. And when the parts supplies dried up, things got even worse. Those owners like Don Knott’s
were forced to scavenge the junkyard
for things like points, plugs, plug wires and other stuff you need to keep an orphan car going. What no one figured out was that existing Ford
parts would fit an Edsel. Same thing
happened when Studebaker closed
their doors in ’66. People panicked not knowing the cars then had Chevy
power and you could still get parts
from your local Chevy dealer. Nice car whatever you call it.
Let this Canuck put you right about that, eh?
1) Edsel died in Canada at the same time as in the US.
2) The Frontenac was a one year only (1960) model based on the Ford Falcon. In fact it was the second most popular compact in Canada after the Falcon. You might be thinking of the Comet, which was intended as a small companion car to the big Edsels and was introduced in Canada for 1961, making the Frontenac redundant. For 1961-62 it was marketed as Comet, from 1963 it was marketed as Mercury Comet.
No, none of that happened.
No one was “forced to scavenge the junkyards for points, plugs, plug wires”, etc. to keep a car like this going. That is baloney. That 223 six was used in every six-cylinder Ford from 1954 to 1964, and tune-up parts for it are still available today.
Exactly Pete, Fords were Fords and all parts were available, even same year Falcons and Mercury Comets, the 223 6s were bullit proof, although I prefer the 260s and 289 V8s. This is a true survivor and parts are still readily available today.
Might have had to scrounge for a tail lens, but most certainly not ignition parts.
Pete that 6 cyl was not from 1954 it was from 1952 in 1952 Ford came out with their overhead valve 6 cylinder the overhead valve v8 came out in 1954 in 1952 you had 2 engine choses a ohv 6 or flat head v8 parents had a 1952 ohv6
It’s refreshing to see guys that have a vivid imagination Kenneth but not much of what you said is even close to true. Produced in 1960 FOR ONE YEAR ONLY, the 1960 Frontenac was essentially a 1960 Ford Falcon with its own unique grille, tail lights, and external trim, including red maple-leaf insignia. In no way was it made from the Edsel or parts thereof. All Edsel parts, except for most of the sheetmetal, were the same parts that were used on Ford and Mercury cars of the time.
This is a perfect example of not believing everything you read!!!
Nowhere near accurate, but mildly entertaining!!!
Wow, you believe all that? Hot dang! You’ll love owning my oceanfront property in Kansas.
Give me a break. The mechanical parts are all Ford/Mercury and you can get points, plugs and wires at any good auto parts store today. The key is “good” parts store, not the big box trio! Edsel doesn’t come up in their computer1
This Edsel looks nicer than a full size 1960 Ford does.
Dale, I agree with you! I didn’t mind the 1958 Edsel when it came out in 1957 — it all harmonised with itself very well — even that “horse-collar” grille. When Edsel went wrong on styling, was in their attempting to graft those ’58 features onto an entirely different body in 1959 — the ’59s were ugly — sorry. They might have done better to keep the ’58 body and do a mild face-lift for ’59. But the 1960 Edsel, being a warmed-over 1960 Ford, came out beautifully, and it deserved better than it got from Ford. It was a pretty car for its time — especially the front treatment. Yes, it essentially was a Ford with modified sheet-metal and trim — but the Edsel out-classed the Ford in looks that year. Wish they’d kept it going, to see if Edsel would find a market with more conventional styling. But alas… Robert McNamera, the bean-counter at Ford at that time, had always opposed the Edsel project, and he did everything to sink it. He was a “bottom-line” guy, not a car-enthusiast. Sad. By the way, I mostly rather liked the Canadian variations on American automobiles — they were we fun to see on the roads — Dodge in front, Plymouth in back — Pontiacs with Chevrolet tail-lights — and those Meteors with more daring trim than Ford here would attempt.
The front became more mainstream, but the rear, a starlight ballroom space race edition. Unique at shows everywhere except an Edsel club event.
Aren’t they the same tail lights on the 1960 Comet?
I have no particular love affair with Edsel. That said, I am amused that every time a discussion comes up about these cars, it is so negative about the design, etc. I would only ask this: Please line up photos of all the cars from ’58-59, and put the Edsel in there too. Honestly (OK, IMHO I guess), the Edsel fares no worse than most of the others. Those were UGLY years for almost all American made cars.
I had a 1960 Ford Galaxie with 292 V8 automatic. Ran and rode great at any speed. Two door black and beautiful paint.
Great comment. 100% agree with MGSteve.
Glad you chose to do a write-up on this coolaf Edsel Russ!
At a car show in the long distant past, I came across a ’60 Edsel Starliner coupe – beautiful in my eyes. How many of those were made?
Not many. Number I found was 295 (Encyclopedia of American Cars).
Yes and it had a name that is still with us today only as a midsize truck. The Ranger
I’m going to extend a little love for this one. I have a soft spot for the orphans, oddballs and mutts of the automotive world. This is pretty cool in my estimation. I’d certainly like to have it. But alas I have limited indoor space and a wife who thinks I need another hobby car like I need a…. you get the point. The six cylinder and manual sweeten the deal for me. I hope it finds a good home. You’re gonna see more and more cars like this coming up on the market as their owners age out. GLWTS.
I say, where’s “Edsel” Al Leonard when you need him?
Todd J.: Is that a 1953 Chrysler??? I LOVE those!!! How come you see the overdone ’54s, but never the “just right” ’53s? Always wanted one! Exner did well with the front for 1951, then the ’52 hinted at what was coming in the tail-lights, but still with that frumpy 1950 rear. But 1953 was a masterpiece!!! Too bad they goosed-around with added bulbous chrome for 1954, spoiling the classy ’53!
Actually, it’s a 1951 Chrysler New Yorker Newport 2 dr. hardtop, the top of the line Chrysler for that year.
I’ve heard a couple different stories pointing to the ’60 Edsel having always been intended as a placeholder – one that the original dealer contracts ran for three years and the late-calendar-1959 “1960” run was needed to close them out, the other that it was to tide the division over until the Comet, originally planned as an Edsel and not officially a Mercury, was ready for its’ midyear launch.
I’m not sure how much salt to take those with, but it might not be good for my blood pressure.
No 370, I don’t have orange hair or
anything close to it. I was just relating a story my father told me as a
kid. He told me that one of his friends did exactly that until he and my Uncle Dean showed him that you could get new stuff at either NAPA or
Reliable Auto Parts in Bloomington.
And yeah, I did see some of that when
Studebaker closed their doors in ’66.
Those of us who knew what was going on knew we could still get stuff
to keep ’em going. Hell, I even got a
great deal on a Commander sedan in
’70 after the seller said he couldn’t get
tune up parts for it. Bought it for $25,
tuned it up, and sold it to a kid I knew
in school for $500. And when Studes
got Chevy drivetrains in ’64, that made ’em fun to make sleepers out of
’em– especially when they had 283s
in ’em. You could actually go down to
any Chevy dealer, get a list of hop up
parts for a 283, and build yourself one
really hot Studebaker! Didn’t do it to
the one I sold, but I did help a friend of mine do it to his car though. We
tricked that engine out with 2 4bbl carbs, Vette innards, and a Muncie 4
speed just for fun! The engine torque
Was too much for the rear axles and so he had to build ’em up so they wouldn’t snap like twigs. And here’s
another Ford acronym for you Effed Up On Race Day, or Effin’ Old Rebuilt
Dodge!
The 64 Studebakers still had Studebaker engines. The GM engines did not come till 65.
First On Race Day!!
In 1959 a High school teacher at my school showed up one day with a brand new black,1960 Edsel station wagon , never saw another one , he had it for a while !
I have a friend who s family started out with an ice business , went to being coal dealers , from there had a Studebaker dealership, next they sold Edsels, finally ended up with a Ford dealership then two Ford dealerships which they still have , only in America !!
@guggie
I don’t know what to say about that. So many questions.
the 1960 comet was actually a Edsel look at the tail lights even it’s part numbers started with a e it wasn’t called a mercury till 1961 in 1960 there was no name on them except for the word comet
It was supposed to be an Edsel Comet ,and had Edsels sold like Ford hoped , that would be their compact , like Falcon to Ford. When Edsel tanked , Comet became an orphan as Mercury at first didnt want it .
WOW! So many comments, even comments on Comets! 😉. Always thought it strange that FMC actually introduced a 60 only to drop it so soon. Same thoughts on Chrysler introducing 61 DeSoto dropping it with a month, after 3,200. Only the beginning of the descent and destruction of so many fabled Marques. Wonder how many if any of today’s SUVS, crossovers and melted jelly beans will EVER have the interest we FIND here in the BARN? 🤔
I agree and never understood why they bothered to produce a ’60 Edsel (or ’61 DeSoto) only to pull the plug in a matter of weeks. By ’60 there wasn’t much “Edsel” left in the car anyway — it was just a lightly disguised Ford with no compelling reason for buyers to choose it over a Ford.
Tiger66, that’s because Ford models were morphing into the Falcons and later Mercury Comets. Fairlane replacements. I had a 61 Falcon that was a one year only on body panels, but all basics on engine, brakes and trans were same.
Better-looking than the Ford, Tiger66 — especially the front.
In MY not so humble opinion 😌. The EDSEL was FMC second biggest mistake. Even worse was pulling the plug on Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, and TOWN CARS. But that may soon be eclipsed if as rumored FORD turns to all electric SMALLER vehicles! 🤮 🤮 🤮
I agree, RICK W!!! Panthers forever!
Biggest mistake Ford made was ending production of the Lincoln Town Car. Just check out the rising prices on them. I’m looking for one now before they’re all gone.
My gradpa always said “Found on reservation dumps”
Thanks Vincent, I stand corrected. The story that I related did indeed happen to some degree in our part of
the country (Midwest) after Edsel went belly up. To this day, I don’t believe that many of the local Ford
dealers in our area knew that Ford parts would fit an Edsel. It was guys
like my father and Uncle who figured
it out and started telling and actually
showing people that Ford parts actually did fit this car. Add to that a
lot of folks around town that had these cars dumped them on used car
lots where they were sold dirt cheap.
Nearly bought a ’59 4-door HT in ’71
that needed a windshield for $50.
But I had too many projects goin’ on
so I passed on it. Almost bought a ’58 Citation 2-door HT for $10 but my
first wife wasn’t havin’ any of it. All I
can say is that it was a dark day for
Ford when they pulled the plug on this
car. And here’s a few more Ford
acronyms for you: Effed up on race day and effin’ old rebuilt Dodge.
Ok, I’m going to chime in with my OPINION on the Edsel fiasco.
The 1958 Edsel was an all original car, ground up design. Too big, too ugly, wouldn’t fit in most garages and had peculiar standards, like the horizontal rotating speedometer, push button automatic trans controls in the middle of the steering wheel. Just to name a couple.
The 1959 Edsel was a scaled down and “refined” version of the ’58. It fit better in the garage, and didn’t have as many gimmicks.
The 1960 Edsel was basically a full size Ford Galaxy with some chrome tweaks, different parking lights, different grill, definitely different taillights, the fins were more canted and the dashboard although basically a Galaxy had it own tweeks to differentiate between the two.
I wish Ford hadn’t given the ax to the Edsel so quickly. I think it would have been interesting to see how it developed. Would it remain a gussied up Ford, which technically was Mercury’s domain or would they have finally gotten it right by 1965 and produced the Edsel as it’s own design again but more in touch with what the public wanted at the time.
We will never know.
They gave the ax so quickly in the 50s and 60s, but as soon as it got too expensive to produce a loser in the 70s and 80s they still kept producing it, usually unchanged for the next 10 to 12 years I guess to try recoup some of their investment.
Ford kept the Maverick and Pinto around years longer than I think they should have.
As much as I like the Camaro, Chevy didn’t change the design in the 70s for 10 years or the 80s for more than 12 years.
Manufactures used to change every 3 years, I guess until it got too expensive to do that.
Angel Cadillac Diva: in the early 70’s folks started buying cheap toyota’s & datsuns which cut into the big three’s profits, design cuts followed.
That makes sense, Joe
angel I remember when the 1958 Edsel came out I was 13 years old they where the same size as a ford or mercury the thing was they came in two different wheel bases lower models had smaller wheel base more like a ford higher models larger wheel base like mercury Ford at time tried same thing with Fairlane and Fairlane 500 custom and custom 300
@Leroy
The 1960 Edsel is a 1960 Ford with minimal chome changes and slight tweaks to the grill, parking lights, taillights, fins and dashboard.
About 8 yrs ago I had a 1961 Ford Falcon that was a one year only that needed two front fenders after an accident. 60 or 62, 63 wouldn’t work. Ended up having to buy two 61s out of TX and shipping was as much as the fenders were. One of the fenders was from a 61 Ranchero. Sanded and primed them myself and my body and paint man helped me put her back together.
I guess that McNamara at Ford decided to put the Ax to Edsel as he was more interested in pushing the new Falcons. The Falcons were very successful, but I agree that they ditched the Edsel too soon. It would have been interesting to see how they would have evolved. Then came the Mustangs that blew all Ford records out of the water.
Am I rhe only one who thought that the Mustang, with what looked like the rear-end chopped-off short, was one hideous car? Obviously, the public did not see it that way.
Freaking oil really drips
To Timothy Kinkennon: “Freaking oil really drips”?? — don’t get it — you’ve lost me on this one…