“What a Difference a Day Makes” was a Top 10 hit song for Dinah Washington back in 1959. For Ford Motor Company’s new Edsel Division in 1959, their version of the song could’ve been titled, “What a Difference a Year Makes.” The Edsel was in free fall in its second model year as Ford’s attempt to fill the gap between Ford and Mercury (and compete with GM’s mid-priced Oldsmobile) was a flop. Sales were projected at 200,000, but only 68,045 of the first-year 1958 Edsels were sold. And things only worsened for the 1959 model year as total production fell 34 percent to 44,891 units. If you happen to see a ’59 Edsel today at a car show, it’s most likely a 4-door sedan as that was the ’59 Edsel’s “biggest seller” at 12,814 units. You don’t see many 2-Door Hardtops like this one, though. Only 5,474 were built and this is probably the nicest one we’ve featured here on Barn Finds. The seller shares that retirement is the reason he’s parting with this creampuff.
The seller bought the car from the original owner and has done a commendable job of restoring it. The original purchase order is included in the paper work and shows that this ’59 was purchased from Morton Edsel in Nashville, Tennessee. The Edsel looks straight, solid, rust-free, and the new Petal Yellow and Snow White two-tone paint looks great. The seller claims there is “no bondo at all” and the chrome has been redone as well. All of the trim, badging, and glass are in tip top shape, it’s wearing period-correct whitewall tires, and a set of those beautiful and very cool color-coordinated “spinner” full wheel covers. (Sure, the ’58 Edsel had some styling quirks, but those spinner wheel covers were sharp looking and some of the most attractive ever designed in Detroit, in my opinion.)
The Edsel’s interior is clean and attractive and has been treated to new seats front and rear along with some new carpet. You’ll also notice color-coordinated seat belts have been added along with floor mats. The instrument panel and dash look great as well. One of the many cost-cutting efforts for ’59 was the Edsel’s instrument panel. Gone were the ’58 Edsel’s unique space-age styling and gizmos (such as the Teletouch Drive automatic transmission located in the steering wheel hub) in favor of a slightly modified mainstream ’59 Ford instrument panel. The seller claims that all interior lights work as well as the clock and the sale incudes an under desk AC unit and compressor also with an Edsel power steering rack.
The number of engine options were also scaled back in the ’59 Edsel. This Ranger was ordered with the standard 292-cubic-inch V8 that could generate 200 horsepower at 4400 rpm when new. It’s paired with a Mile-O-Matic 2-speed automatic transmission (with a conventional column shifter) and the seller says the 64,075 miles on the odometer are original and that the engine is “smooth, quiet, with no smoke.” This beautifully restored ’59 Edsel Ranger 2-door Hardtop is located in Milford, Ohio, and is for sale here on eBay. It’s getting a lot of views, but the highest bid is currently at $9,100.00 which doesn’t meet the seller’s reserve. Time is running out though, as the auction ends tonight at 7:00. I really like the look of this ’59 Edsel and envy the next owner. They’re getting one of the nicest around.
Very sharp Edsel. Looks to be in excellent condition. It looks good in soft yellow with the white roof and accents. By 1959 the styling was fairly mainstream (for its day). Would be a fun cruiser.
Good write-up Ron.
Thanks, Bob. Being a marketing guy, I’ve always found the story of Edsel’s “misfire” to be interesting. I can’t imagine what it was like to be working at FMC and in the midst of that colossal crisis. Lots of Maalox and Jack Daniels were chugged, I bet. And I also like the soft yellow and white color combination. It looks like a large piece of candy.
Agreed – the yellow/white exterior is very attractive and suits the design beautifully. Where I get hung up is in the interior: what color even IS that? It’s like Silly Putty mated with butterscotch pudding; absolutely VILE. And if you look at the interior shot where you can see the yellow edge of the outer door, it looks even worse against the yellow! Why would anyone have chosen that combination? It’s a shame such a pretty exterior is married to that nightmare of an interior. That would be enough to stop me from buying it. I just couldn’t stand to look at that sickening hue. GLWTS.
The color temperature may be off. I’d have to see it in person, but the beige & brown should compliment the soft yellow.
Too bad the seller states that they are selling because of retirement. Speaking for myself, I am enjoying driving my collector car in retirement. This is a nice looking car and I like the color scheme even though I’m not a big fan of yellow. But this shade is nice. Also I am not a huge Edsel fan but I would be happy to own this one. GLWTS.
I always thought that they were very attractive cars, especially the 60.
Charles Bronson drove one on Man With A Camera in the late
’50s. I first saw the show in ’68 or so. That’s when folks like
Viacom and Worldvision were pulling out all the stops to bring classic TV to you in rerun form no matter how quirky the show was. Shows like Rescue 8, Tight Rope, Shannon,
Cannonball and many others became standard fare in the late ’60s and early ’70s as syndicators did their level best to
recycle old TV shows to a younger audience. And the plethora of old cars? That’s what made them interesting to
watch as a young motorhead just to see how many cars you got right during the program. But seriously, the last Edsel I saw in the flesh was at the local car show in Winter Haven
nearly 20 years ago now. There were two of them there. A
hardtop like this one and a convertible. Both were really nice
cars and were tastefully done. And why is this guy selling the
car due to retirement? I retired from the music business thirty five years ago and boy, do I wish I had something like this to enjoy back then. Now lessee, if I retire again when I’m in my eighties, my K5 sedan should be an antique that I could
enjoy. But by then, we might just have flying cars that drive
themselves. Nice car though.
Sometimes retirement comes upon you & you are not financially ready for it. Sometimes it comes courtesy of a medical…development that puts people in financial straits. Or impacts their ability to operate heavy equipment, such as an automobile.
Barring (life & Murphy) I’m heading for a soft landing in that direction but who the hell knows. One of my best friends is still working & he just had a stroke Friday. He’s not 60 yet & has no insurance.
Power steering rack? I don’t think so, power steering maybe, but definitely not a rack.
Ended at $9,300.
Reserve Not Met.