I’ll always have a soft spot in the old ticker for ’59 Edsels. My Aunt Lucy and Uncle Harry bought one new (a white 4-door with a red top and side spear and a black and white interior) and drove it for a decade . My Aunt Lucy loved that Edsel and said on more than one occasion that it was the best car they ever owned. I’d like to know the story behind this rare, surviving long roof. Only 5,687 Villager 4-Door, 6-Passenger Station Wagons were produced for 1959 and the seller claims that except for the tires and shocks, it’s original.
After its disappointing debut in 1958 (okay, more like disastrous), Edsel dialed it back in 1959 and also looked for ways to cut costs as well (the taillights were repurposed from the 1958 Continental, for example). Styling was more conservative and unique features such as the Teletouch Drive transmission was scrapped. For the Villager Wagons, they used a ’59 Ford body shell, glass, doors, lift gate and tailgate. The seller shares that the Villager was “used sparingly until it was put up in 1983” but doesn’t go into detail. The snazzy President Red and Snow White two-tone paint looks good as does the chrome, glass, and trim. The panels look straight and I’m not spotting any damage or rust. This is one well-preserved Edsel Villager.
The original interior looks remarkable for a 65-year-old station wagon. According to the data plate, it’s Code 31 which was a red and white vinyl interior with Gold Puff cloth seat inserts. There’s a little stretching on the driver’s cloth seat, but the passenger side and back bench seat look great. The door panels and cargo area are also impressive, and even the carpet looks decent. Another cost-cutting measure was the ’59 Edsel’s instrument panel and dash. Gone are the space-age gauges, toggle switches, Teletouch Drive transmission, and “floating compass type speedometer” from the year before. Its instrument panel and dash are very similar to its ’59 Ford cousin, and this one is in very good condition.
Engine sizes were also smaller compared to the ’58’s. Gone was the powerful E-475 motor and the once-standard E-400 was now an option. This Villager’s power plant is a 332-cubic inch V8 that’s mated to a Mile-O-Matic 2-speed automatic transmission. The odometer is showing 10,710 which could be the actual mileage. The seller says he/she has a notebook of what has been done to the Edsel through the years and at what mileage. The next seller will like to give their arms and legs a bit of a workout while driving since this Villager was ordered from the factory with manual steering and manual brakes. This rare long roof is currently residing in Milner, Georgia, and is for sale here on craigslist for $25,000. The seller will also consider “some classic car or muscle car trades.” If this Villager is the real deal as far as originality, it could be one of the nicest surviving ’59 Edsel Villager Wagons around. Let’s hope the next owner will pamper and preserve this rare long roof for decades to come. Let’s also hope that Clark Griswold isn’t looking for another unique station wagon to replace the Wagon Queen Family Truckster.
I don’t understand why these were thought to be so hideous. I can think of more hideous cars of that era. I hesitate to mention them specifically because it will probably tick people off. But I am sure everyone who is into cars can name at least one car from this era that was more bizarre looking
So sad that by the time they made the Edsel look really good(the 59’s are beautiful) it was too late and they’d be gone the next year…the few 60’s that were made ..especially the Starliner roof’d one were glorious cars.
I really like these…….if you look on Craigslist……paint on doors looks like a different shade than rest of car
They were not ugly this year but 58’s were pretty ugly. The real problem was two fold. They were hyped as game changing but they were not. Second the price point made no sense in the lineup.