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Good Grille: 1960 Edsel Ranger

Edsels are fairly polarizing; some love them, some hate them. And sadly, most people make fun of them, or at least they make fun of the grille. Well, this 1960 Edsel Ranger doesn’t have the famous / infamous grille, this has more of a “normal” Ford-looking grille; good or bad. This good-grilled Edsel is listed on eBay with a current bid of under $1,000 but the reserve isn’t met. It’s located in Monroe, Washington.

I know that the other Edsel grille is the iconic one, the one that people talk about, the one that almost everyone over forty years of age knows about. But, I think this car, and this grille, are both drop-dead gorgeous. I literally can not believe that this was the last gasp for this make with such a winning design as the 1960 Edsel. Actually, the 1960 Edsel didn’t even make it to 1960 having been discontinued towards the end of November 1959 and the last car rolled off the assembly line about a month later, still in 1959. 2,571 Edsels were made for the 1960 model year.

There is just something about this rear 3/4 angle that gets to me. It’s so unusual – those details, and especially those tail lights are almost Soviet-looking to me. The seller says that the fender skirts come with the car and that’s good, I think it finishes off the design nicely when they’re on. Ford only produced 777 Edsel two-door sedans in 1960, a pretty low number, but the convertible is the real rare one with a mere 65 produced for Edsel’s final model year.

This is originally a “Black Velvet” exterior color and that’s the original interior. They’re both a winning combo, in my opinion. But, as you can tell, everything will need work here, inside and out. The interior is seemingly in decent condition other than the front seats. The back seats look new, they must have been reupholstered at some point, don’t you think? If so, that’s a good sign that this beautiful material is still available, although it does appear to be a bit different from the original front seat fabric. This car has new carpet but I’d want to check the floors out, there is a fair amount of rust-through on the underside. The seller has provided a great wealth of nice, detailed photos, 76 of them in total but, unfortunately, there is not one single photo of the engine. That’s always a red flag for me, but maybe they just forgot? It continues to be a mystery to me, but I know that I’m preaching to the choir. This car has the standard engine for this model, Ford’s Y-Block 292 cubic-inch V8 with 185 hp. Are there any fans of these final-year Edsels? Are you a “classic” Edsel grille lover or do you prefer the 1960 grilles?

Comments

  1. Avatar Joe Haska

    I really like this car, I don’t agree with your fender skirts- looking good, I much prefer it without. I had a 61 Ford 2-door that my wife drove when I was in Viet-Nam, I like this 60 Edsel allot more, its just enough different to stand out. If you sort of resto-mod this car , many would think it was a highly customized Ford, as there just aren’t enough for people to remember how they looked.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Ryan Nuanes

      1960 and 61 fords are some of the most underrated cars out there. The 60 Edsel has some of those same lines.

      Like 1
    • Avatar redwagon

      tru dat.

      Like 0
    • Avatar Larry

      I agree like it without skirts

      Like 1
      • Avatar Chuck Turner

        Few cars look good with skirts, in my opinion. Don’t like a lot of junky accessories on my cars. Into 57 Chevys and so much gaudy accessories available and ruin the looks of them.

        Like 1
  2. Avatar Bob C.

    The front reminds me of a 64 imperial. As for the back, the 60 ford is right there.

    Like 0
  3. Avatar Al

    Where is that Moskvitch-408 (or was it the 407) so I can compare them.
    The Moskvitch-408 really needed the Edsel horse collar grill, if it was detachable and usable as a genuine Amerkanski horse collar.

    Like 0
  4. Avatar DJS

    More ford then Edsel, but nice one here.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Mike W H

      Reminds me of a Canadian Ford

      Like 0
  5. Avatar jrmedsel

    This looks to be a fairly solid car, but it will likely require substantial metal work in the rear quarters. Looks like something thick was troweled on… (bondo? paint??). The structural rust visible underneath is likely a sign of more rust hiding unseen.
    The rear seat is original with factory embossed vinyl. The black pebble cloth inserts are original, and the front and rear fabric matches even though it may not look that way in the pictures. This material is reproduced by SMS Auto Fabric.
    Overall a nice car but a buyer should be careful not to pay too much given the amount of work needed — however it would be a very cool ride!

    Like 0
  6. Avatar Dolphin Member

    I remember when these were new how very few people liked the Edsel grille. Admittedly, that was for the ‘sucking a lemon’ grille.

    But 50+ years on, these later Edsels just keep getting better and better looking to me.

    I also really like the 1959 Pontiac grille……one year earlier than this 1960 Edsel.

    Like 0
  7. Avatar Rustytech Member

    Another great winter project, even though the 1960 Edsels looked more like their Ford cousins, their just enough different to be interesting. This is another one that would stump the younger generations. There weren’t alott of these made, 2571 total production ( wagons excluded ). Nice find!

    Like 0
    • Avatar Mike Williams

      Total Production for all 1960 models: 2,846 from Edsel.com. there were actually 76 convertibles made that year. This is a lovely color combo with the red interior and deserves to be restored. they were available with the 223 six, or a 292 like this one or the 352 from the Galaxie. The seller is a dealer in Oregon and has lowered the reserve to around $4000 making it a great buy for running example with little rust.

      Like 0
      • Avatar z28th1s

        The dealer is Mainly Muscle Cars in Monroe, WA. The asking price for the car on their website is $4,950. Definitely would be a neat car to bring back to life. The black exterior with the red and black interior is a beautiful combo.

        Like 0
  8. Avatar Kevin Burke

    My favorite part of Barnfinds is oddballs like this.

    Like 0
  9. Avatar grant

    I always thought these looked a little like a preproduction Falcon. Makes one wonder.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Ikey Heyman Member

      The Mercury Meteor was originally designed to be Edsel’s entry in the compact car market. You can definitely see that influence in this Edsel design.

      Like 0
      • Avatar Ed P

        The Comet was intended to be Edsel’s compact car. The center of the Comet’s steering wheel was supposed to have Edsel’s stylized E but the middle bar was eliminated at the last minute to make it a Mercury. The Meteor may have been planned to be the 61 Edsel, it was to big to be a compact.

        Like 0
    • Avatar Mike Williams

      The Comet was actually supposed to be the Edsel compact and uses a few parts from it. Check out the Comet tail lights 60 and 61.

      Like 0
  10. Avatar KevinW

    Best looking Edsel I’ve ever seen. I didn’t know they made them this late. Good looking car, lots of potential.

    Like 1
  11. Avatar RJ

    I’m with Bob C. I always thought these looked like later Imperials from the front. Even if Edsel hadn’t been a no-go (Billy Joel reference there for you all) I don’t think the brand would have made it out of the mid 60s.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Richard Ochoa

      Nice chunk of Scrap Iron………….Sorry Ford folks, it’s Still an Edsel !!!!!

      Like 0
  12. Avatar redwagon

    in the late 50s the usa was looking up to the stars not back to horses. no wonder the styling of early edsels was so off-putting.

    this ’60 is better and it does foreshadow some later ford designs but it is hard to turn a big ship around when it is headed for niagra falls.

    iirc the hippocratic oath starts off with, ‘first, do no harm.’ i think the first portion of auto styling 101 should be, ‘first, do not offend’. because if you offend, and it does not sell, the bean counters will come for your creation.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Ed P

      Give Ford a little slack. All automakers had outlandish styling in the late 50’s. Who knows, maybe if the stars had been aligned differently the Edsel would have been a runaway success.

      Like 0
    • Avatar Mike W H

      Think about it; the Edsel grille was a stylistic precursor to the BMW.

      Like 0
      • Avatar Dolphin Member

        Sorry Mike, the 1930s BMW kidney grilles were the precursor of the later BMW kidney grilles.

        Like 0
  13. Avatar LIL ABNER

    Great looking car. I have never seen an Edsel looking this good. Any pictures of the under carriage?

    Like 0
  14. Avatar Woodie Man

    One of the better looking Edsels! Lots of under body and apparent frame rust….must have used Soviet steel.

    I would pay five thousand for it.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Mike Williams

      I think the reserve is 4000

      Like 0
  15. Avatar TBAU Member

    Like many BF followers, I like all cars.
    Some make me drool, some make me shiver and some make my confused. I always get a kick out of seeing a car I’ve never seen of heard of on the BF sight. I appreciate that someone designed it, someone approved it, some people made it, some others marketed it, someone sold it and someone drove it home as their brand new pride and joy.
    I’m in my late ’40s and have never understood why the ” Mercury pushing a toilet seat ” Edsel earned its cliche bad reputation. This car looks nothing like the first Edsels and, IMO, would have sold well had they called it some thing else…

    Like 0
  16. Avatar flmikey

    These ’60 Edsels were basically ’60 Fairlanes with the tail light holes welded shut and those weird tail lights put on…seems like a last minute thing to do…and that maybe the reason I like these Edsel’s the most…nice find…

    Like 0
  17. Avatar Fred W.

    Always been intrigued by the ’60 Edsels because they are so incredibly rare- low production numbers and unwanted as used cars = scrapped by the ton. Would prefer the two door HT, but this one is still nice and the underbody rust isn’t too scary. As a kid I used to patch little rust holes with fiberglass cloth and years later it was still solid. I know this isn’t the “proper” way but it got the job done and kept a car on the road that would have been mom’s new refrigerator.

    Like 1
  18. Avatar CCFisher

    The vertical grille is represented by the small, green emblem in the upper part of the grille divider, affectionately called the “pickle” by Edselites.

    Like 1
  19. Avatar John

    this car has been on ebay for a long time, never seems to sell, I wonder why??

    Like 0
    • Avatar Mike Williams

      it sold last time on ebay but the buyer flaked.

      Like 1
  20. Avatar LIL ABNER

    John, the only thing I could think of it says “EDSEL”. The car does look good in the pictures. On ebay it shows the under carriage and that does not look bad. Once again it says Edsel.

    Like 0
  21. HoA Howard A Member

    I liked the Edsel too, although, I never actually drove one, Ford’s of this period were good cars. I read, in the year leading up to the introduction of the Edsel, Ford went on an advertising blitz, saying “An ALL new car was coming, right out of the future”. Sadly, it did not deliver and was overpriced in a market that really didn’t need another full size car. Like Ed sez, all car makers were scrambling to offer something new, look at the Chryslers. I thought this had a strong Pontiac front as well, the back, is down right creepy.

    Like 0
  22. Avatar Reverend Vincent Smith

    Hi, “Guys”! (My wife hates me using that term.) Although my first dog was a “Scotty/Cairn” cross, I myself am an Anglo Scot. Dad came from Gloucestershire, me from Ayrshire (Firth of Clyde.) I enjoy your web site, but what amazes me about you USA bods it your obsession (almost) of two door cars – especially when they are so big and beautiful. You have certainly produced some really gorgeous makes and models out there. I myself am a bit of a classic car lover, but they tend to be UK models. I once owned a 1962 Vauxhall Cresta “Estate” (Named the “Friary), which was based on the 1957 Chevrolet, and then in the early 2000s I owned a 1969 Cresta Deluxe (got some photos of them both); two Vauxhall FB Victors, (though not at the same time – one 1963 column change, and a 1964 floor change – and a few VW campers (wish I could afford one now!) ’62 Friary photo collection available in PDF. I’ll post the ’69 Cresta Deluxe when I’ve changed the format, Anyway, keep up the good work. “More American cars for Americans” perhaps?

    Like 0
    • HoA Howard A Member

      Hello Reverend, welcome aboard. Barn Finds sure is getting around. I believe, the theory behind the 2 doors, was not how cool they looked ( until later) but people could rest assured, their children wouldn’t fall out the back doors ( just about everybody knows someone that it happened to). Also, most back windows on 2 doors only went half way down, I think, for the same reason. I love seeing vintage cars from “across the pond”. Perhaps you can send some oddballs to the staff. And tell the missus, “guys” here is the same as “blokes” there. :)

      Like 0
      • Avatar Reverend Vince Smith

        Hi, Howard.

        Thanks for your kind and interesting reply. I certainly have a few pictures of some of my old cars, but quite a motoring history too. At the moment, many of the photos are in the wrong format, so it will take a while to convert them to more user friendly ones. I don’t have any barn finds these days, but will send an update on the history in a bit.

        Vince.

        Like 0
  23. Avatar The One

    Front end looks like 60 Pontiac

    Like 0
  24. Avatar MIKE READING

    i love all edsels, we have owned 4-58’s, 2-59’s, and 3-60’s, i’m partial to the 58’s(fixing a citation now), then the 60’s alot of people never knew a 60 was built. you can never own 1 edsel they are a sickness. this is a nice car for the money, wish i could have them all.

    Like 0
  25. Avatar stillrunners

    like…..sadly the last year…..think this year was this best looking of the bunch…

    Like 1
  26. Avatar Rustytech Member

    HI Mike W. Your production # was dead on, I excluded wagons when I posted the #’s, either way this is a rare bird! I wish I could bring it home.

    Like 0
  27. Avatar drchalou

    The 3/4 front shot daringly makes me think Buick Invicta..ehh?

    Like 0

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