Ford’s Edsel Division was supposed to be The Next Big Thing - but as history has proven - was a showroom flop. This first-year Edsel Ranger offers a look at where it all began.
This Edsel has a much more classy and stylish front end than today's "angry kitchen appliances" they call vehicles today. I do feel the rear end is very stylish and modern looking even today. Great cars, but as you stated, Ford out-thunk themselves.
Back in the seventies and early eighties we had a neighbor that had a 58 Ford ranchero that had a 58 Edsel front clip on it. He called it the Edschero.
I own a 58 Ranchero with an Edsel front clip and Edsel 410CI motor. I bought it last summer out of central PA . It has an Edsel Ranger wagon rear tail lights molded in. Unrestored rat lots of rust. Runs good
I owned an Edsel Corsair 2 door hardtop in the early 2000's to 2019. People would just stare and wonder what it was. One thing, it was fast off the line. Fun car. Always a conversation starter.
In the 80's, traded for a 58 Edsel. It was a cool car, had lots of fun and always people wanted to look it over. Was even stopped by the CHP once, just so they could see it. Ended up selling it when the freeze plug(s) in the back of the engine started leaking. Sold it to a company that supplied cars for Hollywood movies.
Absolutely. At least they were giving it the old college try. Credit should be given. Just like today when everyone is buying suvs, I bought a sedan just to spite and to have something different.
I grew up near the once "largest collection of Edsel cars" in the world! On a slow news day in the late 80's, CNN even came to town and did a piece on the salvage yard. As I recall, the title would go back an forth between this yard and another somewhere else in the country. The owner has since passed, and his collection scattered or crushed. However there is still a large concentration of the brand here in (of all places) the great state of North Dakota. Love what you are doing Steve, keep it up!
This was interesting. And I noticed the pair of 59 Edsels next to it. Maybe those will be featured in the next episode. And the doomsday red marks on the dial of the AM radio were for the CONELRAD (Control of Electromagnetic Radiation) system. The marks are at 640 and 1240. It's an interesting sign of its times to see these on the radios of these cars from that period.
I had a 61 Comet , didn’t know at the time that they were to be a small Edsel. I loved the tail lights on it. It was a 170cu. 6 I believe. Another one I should have kept.
First Comets and Falcons were meant to sell at a reduced cost with a reduced lifespan. Buyers would be back sooner so Ford’s bottom line would be unaffected. They still lasted quite a while (not like when the British tried this strategy - reduced lifespan ideas there caused reduced reliability).
There’s an Easter egg “E” emblem on the AMT 1960 Comet promos and model kits, which suggests that the decision came late on rescuing the badge from Edsel.
I think it is unfortunate that in the controversy about the Edsel car we have lost sight of the man the car was intended to honor, Edsel Ford. Edsel was the father of two successful car lines for FOMOCO, Mercury (1939-2011) and Continental (1941-present). The Mercury was a cut above the regular Ford, and the Continental a cut above the regular Lincoln.
I would venture to say that Edsel has a chance at a new life. Definitely workable. Would be worth the trouble even if it couldn't be put back to 100% stock. I hope it sees the asphalt again one day.
There was a survivor model that was put back on the road on the youtube channel coldwarmotors. A lot of unusual features this car had, such as the push button transmission, made it a 6 person effort. Lots of bugs worked out. And this was not dealing with any bodywork. The finished product is worth it
Man, I have known about Edsels since i was a little kid, never crossed my mind that the grille looks like a lady garden… till now. I’ll never look at one the same again.
The smug feeling of wellbeing from easily tuning the AM radio to a civil defense station while the sirens were blaring should have been enough to save Edsel.
I lived thru the cold war myself and oft wondered what it would've been like to be in a nuclear emergency and what those civil defense stations would help, if anything. What could anyone say to the public besides "you have 45 seconds to say your prayers"...
@@lilmike2710 Unfortunately we are under the threat again(still?). Our children and their children get to experience the senseless anxiety of worldwide destruction for political gain.
"Duck and Cover" proclaimed the DISNEY cartoon character in the school info-film strip. I was born in 1964 and experienced the tail end of this lunacy as a kid in school. -Steve Magnante
@@daynadiggle8169 IKr? 🤣 Just pretend like it's a tornado. I remember my dad making fun of them saying... "Put your head between your legs and kiss your a** goodbye". 🤣
“Ranger” did a little better when it returned. “Corsair” hasn’t returned as a car name (I think there were two before Edsel used it), but I’m a big fan of the WWII F4Us that used the name.
It couldn’t have hurt if Edsel had had a catchier name - it SOUNDS flat-out dowdy! As far as the styling cues, everything about them said, “We are trying WAY too hard!” It certainly would have been an interesting time to be alive and anticipate what the new model cars were going to look like! Today, the answer to that is easy - pretty much exactly like last year’s model…….😕
I got serious "will it run" vibes from that car. Something was telling me that she was running when she got parked. I would be willing to give it a try just to hear it running.
Great bit there with the "cancelled"!! You and Shane make a remarkable team!!! Great video content and a history lesson. Thanks for all your research and dedication to this channel!!
Good morning Steve, I kinda like the Edsels and I know MT Screwed UP but you are doing something special everyday with these videos and I know I can speak for many by saying THANK YOU.
Edsel Ranger and Pacer were based off Ford drive train and chassis while the larger Corsair and Citation were larger Mercury drive train and chassis. My parents bought a new 58 Edsel Ranger 2 door hardtop. Really a nice car, more like a higher trim level to the 58 Fairlane hardtop. There’s was optioned with the push button auto and a wonderbar radio. Wish I had that car today
Great video as usual Steve. I agree that Motortrend made a mistake by canceling Roadkill Junkyard Gold. I enjoyed your show. Bitchin Rides and Texas Metal suck that show rich brats getting cars built specifically for them. Fantasy land.
They were good vehicles. Unfortunately they got a bad rap because of some comments made by a reviewer.about how the grill looked. Just like Steve mentioned. Edsel Ford at times look at as real designer or someone who could actually be an asset to bringing some interesting ideas to the company Unfortunately he got the shadow of Henry and in some eyes some of the employees looked at Edsel As if his father had not started the company he would not even been considered as a car designer or possibly a car manufacturer. It's unfortunate but it comes along when a son or daughter is related to the founder of any business. Large or small. Thank you Steve for posting this video.
Dave - growing up in the 70s, echos of those negative reviews were common enough that I still remember them. I was always under the impression that the Edsel had mechanical problems that led to them being unpopular but it doesn't seem like that was the case. Was it primarily a styling issue?
one of the problems with the Edsel as others have posted is the shift mechanism Steve pointed out. Because it was in the middle of the steering wheel, it was decided to not allow it to rotate with the rest of the wheel (if you have a modern car with radio or cruise control buttons in the wheel, you've probably noticed what happens to their location in a sharp corner). they used a linkage that wasn't used to being on the bottom of the car and collecting road debris and clogging up.
One of the most enormous corporate blunders in history. You’re Ford motor Company. The second largest carmaker in America. Plus millions in international sales. I’ve never been able to wrap my head around the Edsel.
I think I read that Ford Motor Company went public (stock) for the first time in their history to finance the Edsel. It was a huge failure and they lost millions. Good for them for recognizing this early on and correcting their mistake. Love your videos Steve
Hi Steve, great video on the Edsel brand. There are about 15 or 20 Edsels just down the rd from me. You couldn't buy a bolt or nut from that guy, and as every yr goes by, you can see them gradually sinking in the ground. I once owned a 55 Mercury Montclair. I had installed a 410 with 3-2s, and yes, I cut a hole in the floor 4spd. I was told this was a cop car engine from the fellow I bought it from, but I'm not sure about it. The car was yellow and white. Named her Tweetie. Sold the car to a fellow lowrider who owned a beautiful 50 Merc full custom lead sled. One day, the guy was welding in his shop, and we think he suffered a heart attack. The shop, the 2 Mercs, he himself, was consumed by the fire. I remember seeing Tweetie after the fire and seeing the front license plate baring the looney toon character embossed into it burnt to nothing but a shell. I have a picture of him, myself, my grandfather, and the 2 Mercurys. Everyone in that picture has gone away except yours, truly. Im sure I'm wrong about it, but it wouldn't be the 1st time, and damn sure not the last time. PS: I apologize to Steve and the channel for my comment in yesterday's video. My intentions were not to spread any kind of misinformation. Apologizing can be very difficult at times because admitting to ourselves that we are wrong is the biggest embarrassment. It takes a lot of courage to apologize for one’s action, and courage is being scared to death, but you saddle up anyway. Have a blessed day. Namaste 🙏🏼
Hello Chris Scearce, NO SWEAT on the little "dust up" with our Friend GUGP yesterday. You seem to be a highly qualified observer / owner and if your car had a 307 I'd bet it did. And - like me - you certainly know the difference between GM's 301, 302, 305 and 307 engine families (only the 302 and 305 are "brothers" but you knew that). My brain often skips a beat and I mis-speak...even on video. I hope its rare. Sorry to learn of Tweety's fate and the sad fate of the welder. That triple-carb 410 might have been a 1958 / 1959 Mercury Super Marauder 430 - Detroit's FIRST "400 horsepower" engine offering. Then again, it is possible that a 430 3x2 induction was transferred to your 410 - it'll bolt right on. If your 3x2 setup had a big aluminum air cleaner atop those Holley 2300-series 2-barrels, it was a factory item. Thanks again for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
@googleusergp you must be lost when the internet goes down...some of us have a life to enjoy other than trolling comments looking for something to make themselves feel good...at no point did I say you were wrong and I apologized after being proven wrong after the internet said so. But like many wives they can't except the apology and continued to try be little. Ego = Edging God Out... Namaste 🙏🏼
You may not have realized that all model names from Edsel got brought back over the years; Ranger, Pacer, Corsair and Citation. Lincoln recently started using the Corsair name.
I found out recently that the wagon names Bermuda and Villager were also reused. The Bermuda name was used by Willys on their last sedan for the North American in 1955. As for the Villager name, it was later used on the Mercury Montego wagons, then later yet used on their minivans of the 1990s.
Whenever you say that quip about motor trend canceling your junkyard gold, I want to reply saying it’s better they did and you do it on your own. But today, when you showed that clip of you reacting to getting canceled, I giggled 😆
Always the first thing I look for when I open up the you tube app. Steve Man's Junkyard crawls daily episode! Steve I had heard there were also "quality" issues associated with Edsel's failure. People seem to focus on the styling but I feel that was a minor contributor to the failure of the marque. I was not aware that the big block "FE" was the only power plant available, I'm assuming that development many others carried over into future FOMOCO offerings to absorb & offset the losses incurred. Always educational, insightful, interesting, & fun to watch!
It actually got the MEL engine series, which is like the FE/FT but the combustion chamber is in the dish of the piston rather than cast into the cylinder head. Its like Chevy's 348/409 W engine series.
Looks like the back says "Greenfield Motors" which I believe may have been at the corner of Coombs and Man in Greenfield, MA. Another "bright" idea from the Ford Motor Company. I was never a fan and it was a failure. They were heaps and Ford should have known that before they introduced it. I think you meant "CONELRAD" for the radio markings for civil defense. Car radios in the US had them until 1963. No VIN, can't win, but can possibly be figured out, no doubt: W for 361 V8 with four barrel "E400" engine, 8 for 1958 model year, maybe U for Louisville, KY or E for Mahwah, NJ, H for Ranger, and the rest is the production sequence. No tag, can't brag, but can be figured out, no doubt: 58A for Ranger four door sedan, FE for Powder Blue (F) and White (E) two-tone exterior paint, B for Blue cloth interior trim, 4 for pushbutton automatic transmission, and maybe A for 2.91:1 rear end ratio.
I owned a 59 Edsel green and white. v8 2 door car was a older restoration. a very nice car drove and rode like a dream. I sold it to a guy in New Jersey, he had a pink and white 58 Edsel. one thing I can say ford was not scared to paint any thing weird colors lol
Funny thing was Chrysler was not paying attention to the market either when they insisted on moving Desoto up the ladder to Newport territory in the later 50s. This pretty much killed the upper mid range price class and Desoto would in fact BE a lesser trimmed Chrysler by 1960. In truth, even BOP knew the field was becoming flooded with cars priced within just a couple hundred bucks of 1 another. Buyers that might have been previous Ford product owners, were confused as to why the Edsel was 'better' than a Mercury aside from some gadgets and love it or hate it styling. The recession of 58-60 didn't help cars that were priced rather high but not considered premium models. Despite Edsel trying to cover all bases with 4 levels of trim and loads of options, it still fell in limbo. 1 thing of note.. the tele-shift AT controls were very problematic which also scared buyers away after it was highly publicised of the failures.
right--back when people traded in cars every few years, an automaker could offer slight differences in price ranges as "the breadwinner" moved up the corporate ladder and wanted everyone to know. meanwhile, the 1959 Edsel looked like the 1958 but its Impala competitor changed its look from 58 to 59 to 60.
My Father worked for Ford at LAP. Edsel got him laid off. He always said the push button transmission was causing a lot of problems. Moved on to Fehrs brewery.
Hi Steve, good video! Ford was competitive to Chevrolet and Plymouth. In 1938 the Ford Motor Company came out with Mercury Division, mainly to compete with Pontiac and Dodge. As time progressed on, Ford went ahead to put Mercury towards Oldsmobile, Buick and DeSoto, but that was not working. That is why Ford came out with the Edsel to be more competitive to Oldsmobile, Buick and DeSoto. At that time, middle priced cars where not selling. This is one reason why DeSoto failed. Please reply. Dave...
Drag racer "Animal" Jim Feurer raced a 57 Mercury called The Big Animalback in the 70s. The announcer at Oswego dragstrip always noted that Jim used Edsel cylinder heads on his FE engine.
Steve barely touched on this but one of the most overlooked aspects of the Edsel sales fiasco (unless you were alive at the time to experience it) was how much Ford oversold the car far ahead of its launch as being a radically new concept in automobiles (calling it the "new breed") that would address consumer needs with fresh thinking....only to have it turn out to be a remarkably ordinary car, sharing many components 4with Fords (as Steve said) and Mercurys.
To me the worst thing about the Edsel, was NA,ing that dud after Henry’s only son, Edsel, who was a very talented designer. The poor man didn’t deserve such ignominy.
Back in the mid 60’s a friends Dad had an Edsel when we were young. It was pretty beat up even then(they were what we would call low income today). It had the steering wheel push button trans. I thought it was strange then.
Excellent way to market the hot V-8 engines of the late 1950's. Sad they didn't do a tail fin model from the get go. Those tail lights would be up to date with resto mod of Triple Red Line LED tail light board installed behind those lenses. I think they are a great car but would think the Citation owner would have wandered off and sprung for an Olds 98 or Pontiac or Buick. Regardless, a well thought out car with fabulous paint combinations. Grill damage was a mess to fix on those bumped from parallel parking and it took months for new grill parts to arrive. Would probably pick any Olds over the Edsel in today's market.
The grille. No one mentions it, but it taps into Freud and at the end of the day no-one is going to buy that as a daily drive. Sad, Edsel Ford deserved a better tribute.
AHH the Desoto my Neighbors The cunninghams I believe, had one of those, I remember he owned a hardware store and had a hooligan living above his garage.
It was overstyled at a time when others were cleaning up the bodylines. Impala was similar in this 'old look' that they moved away from. Both arrived in 1958.
and the Impala would change its look in 1959, then 1960, while Edsel kept its look. so if you didn't buy a 1958 Edsel in the recession of 1958, you got the same exact look in 1959--or you bought a chevy.
Were not these the birth of the MEL? 58 was also the birth of the 332 FE. I would love to see more MEL builds! They had a Heron style CC (flat head combustion chamber, with offset decks forming the "wedge"--just like 348/409/427 Chevy W engines) I BELIEVE that a blown MEL won the 59 Nationals in Detroit? Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
@@SteveMagnante Steve, I looked it up and it was Rodney Singer winning in Detroit in 59 MEL engine--also the FIRST supercharged Top Eliminator winning engine in history! Used a 430 MEL from a Lincoln with a GMC blower. (Either 4-71 or 6-71 I am guessing?) Calvin Rice was a good call! He actually won the FIRST US Nationals in 1955 in Kansas City. It wasn't until Mickey Thompson debuted Panama Red in 1954 with the driver BEHIND the rear axle --giving birth to slingshots! If you look at the great old Super 8 video on YT taken of the 55 Nationals in KC, you will see many of the Top Eliminator entries STILL had the driver ON TOP of the rear axle! And many of the rails were still running Ford Flatheads and GMC straight 6! Cool stuff!
@@misigis Cool! Yes, Calvin Rice in '55. I think Olds powered? At this point, some guys were still using Strombergs and/or Holley 94s (remember, the 4160 Holley didn't even arrive until '57!) on fuel, no blower, no injectors. They would remove the needle & seat assemblies and actually sink the floats! Then of course Wally Parks in his quest to make drag racing palatable to the speed weary public, concentrated on safety and thus completely banned nitromethane or "fuel" in 1957. The infamous Fuel Ban of 1957. This made all the heavy hitters run at outlaw tracks while NHRA was stuck with pump gasoline and dual engine monsters until everyone realized that drag racing was here to stay and the Fuel Ban was lifted in 1963. 50s is my favorite drag racing era!
Our Family had an Edsel back in the day. Great car. My Dad loved to play with it, vrroom vrroom lol. I won't tell what he did though. Edsel's did get a bum rap sadly. I would to own one now. Thanks for your videos..
1) the interesting thing with that shifter for the automatic is that it didn't spin around with the steering wheel (if you have a modern car with radio or cruise control buttons in the steering wheel, you know what it's like to turn a corner and realize your buttons are upside down). Packard I think joined Mopar with putting the buttons in the dashboard. 2) The initial launch year of 1958 was a recession year, not helping any car sales. Meanwhile, their design barely changed until 1960, while Chevy's competitor the Impala changed its look from 1958 to 1959 and again in 1960. 3) the engine family available was the MEL series, (Mercury Edsel Lincoln) and as the photo shows, it had a unique design in common with Chevy's W series--no combustion chamber in the head ! combustion occurred down in the piston dish.
Like some of the cars Chrysler or Studebaker created I think the Edsel may have been a little bit ahead of it's time. But fear not. Now we can all drive plug in electric toasters.
"Their aim was true but the target moved." A huge fundamental problem with Edsel was the original conception occurred in the early 19502sduring different economic circumstances, Development took so long that the market and economy had changed. Ford management had deluded itself about the existence of a market for a car like the Edsel. Who and where were the expected buyers of Edsel? Edsel was supposed to lure buyers away from GM but as realized it was just a Ford under the flashy gimmick and as priced it overlapped Ford and Merc effectively eating into their sales. This is the same situation that DeSoto found itself in at the same time. It was competing with high end Dodge and Low priced Chrysler. Edsel was over-hyped with a long advertising teaser campaign that raised the public's expectations. People were led to expect something really different and it wasn't. It had a weird name and weird styling. There were quality control issues. Assembly line issues were not properly sorted. Edsel production was wedged into existing Ford and Merc assembly lines with out consideration of how to build two different lines at the same time without totally driving workers crazy. This inefficiency resulted in cars being shipped to dealers with missing parts and faulty Teletouch shifters. This produced a lot of negative publity. The grill wasn't enough to kill the Edsel it was the cherry on top. Edsel was doomed from the start. It had pretty much become an unwanted orphan among senior management. Robert McNamara hated the whole concept and worked hard to undermine it as it was the opposite of the smaller more efficient people movers like the Falcon that he envisioned as Ford's future.
Steve, You mentioned that Edsel had its own engine line. While they were different than the basic "Ford" engines, my understanding is that they were not unique to Edsel alone (maybe specific displacements were). What I remember is they started in 1958 with the "LEM" series of engines. The LEM line stood for Lincoln-Edsel-Mercury. Maybe I'm wrong but that was my understanding.
Always liked the red-headed stepchild of Ford. The “winged” taillights and the horse collar grill - classic designs that, unfortunately, never really caught on.
This Edsel has a much more classy and stylish front end than today's "angry kitchen appliances" they call vehicles today. I do feel the rear end is very stylish and modern looking even today. Great cars, but as you stated, Ford out-thunk themselves.
Wow, maybe......
Couldn't agree more!
Angry kitchen appliances....GREAT OBSERVATION!!!!!!
Lol angry kitchen appliances. In the trucking Community we refer to to newer aerodynamic style trucks as curb sniffers.
New cars suck 🤫
Back in the seventies and early eighties we had a neighbor that had a 58 Ford ranchero that had a 58 Edsel front clip on it. He called it the Edschero.
I own a 58 Ranchero with an Edsel front clip and Edsel 410CI motor. I bought it last summer out of central PA . It has an Edsel Ranger wagon rear tail lights molded in. Unrestored rat lots of rust. Runs good
I owned an Edsel Corsair 2 door hardtop in the early 2000's to 2019. People would just stare and wonder what it was. One thing, it was fast off the line. Fun car. Always a conversation starter.
In the 80's, traded for a 58 Edsel. It was a cool car, had lots of fun and always people wanted to look it over. Was even stopped by the CHP once, just so they could see it. Ended up selling it when the freeze plug(s) in the back of the engine started leaking. Sold it to a company that supplied cars for Hollywood movies.
Ponch or John?
if I was around in 1958 I would have bought a Edsel . I love them all from convertibles to station wagons and in between!
Absolutely. At least they were giving it the old college try. Credit should be given. Just like today when everyone is buying suvs, I bought a sedan just to spite and to have something different.
I grew up near the once "largest collection of Edsel cars" in the world! On a slow news day in the late 80's, CNN even came to town and did a piece on the salvage yard. As I recall, the title would go back an forth between this yard and another somewhere else in the country. The owner has since passed, and his collection scattered or crushed. However there is still a large concentration of the brand here in (of all places) the great state of North Dakota. Love what you are doing Steve, keep it up!
The collection is downsized but it lives on. His son in Beulah continues the family tradition.
@@benscovil Hazen actually. 😉
This was interesting. And I noticed the pair of 59 Edsels next to it. Maybe those will be featured in the next episode. And the doomsday red marks on the dial of the AM radio were for the CONELRAD (Control of Electromagnetic Radiation) system. The marks are at 640 and 1240. It's an interesting sign of its times to see these on the radios of these cars from that period.
Scary times too
Steve one of the reasons why I canceled Motortrend on demand was they canceled your junkyard gold. I miss it . this is close. very informative
Thanks for the info
I had a 61 Comet , didn’t know at the time that they were to be a small Edsel. I loved the tail lights on it. It was a 170cu. 6 I believe. Another one I should have kept.
First Comets and Falcons were meant to sell at a reduced cost with a reduced lifespan. Buyers would be back sooner so Ford’s bottom line would be unaffected. They still lasted quite a while (not like when the British tried this strategy - reduced lifespan ideas there caused reduced reliability).
@@peters8758 Then came the Pinto.
There’s an Easter egg “E” emblem on the AMT 1960 Comet promos and model kits, which suggests that the decision came late on rescuing the badge from Edsel.
Someone once told me Edsel was an acronym for every day something else leaks.
I think it is unfortunate that in the controversy about the Edsel car we have lost sight of the man the car was intended to honor, Edsel Ford. Edsel was the father of two successful car lines for
FOMOCO, Mercury (1939-2011) and Continental (1941-present). The Mercury was a cut above
the regular Ford, and the Continental a cut above the regular Lincoln.
I would venture to say that Edsel has a chance at a new life. Definitely workable. Would be worth the trouble even if it couldn't be put back to 100% stock. I hope it sees the asphalt again one day.
There was a survivor model that was put back on the road on the youtube channel coldwarmotors. A lot of unusual features this car had, such as the push button transmission, made it a 6 person effort. Lots of bugs worked out. And this was not dealing with any bodywork. The finished product is worth it
They undertook quite an effort to get the Teletouch shifter working. Another barn find car put back on the road for and by Edsel fan Dean
It has been sinking into the Earth for a long time, probably not much left of the frame and floors.
@@jeffrobodine8579 I agree. I bet the bottom 25% of the car is gone. Once you got it off the ground and let it dry out it would just turn to dust
‘“Stock?”
Man, I have known about Edsels since i was a little kid, never crossed my mind that the grille looks like a lady garden… till now. I’ll never look at one the same again.
some also referred to it as a horse collar grill...if that helps :)
@@albertgaspar627 yeah… I never worked with horses so it hasn’t the same memories.
@@ellwoodblooz as Sherlock Holmes said, "dangerous at both ends and crafty in the middle"
The smug feeling of wellbeing from easily tuning the AM radio to a civil defense station while the sirens were blaring should have been enough to save Edsel.
I lived thru the cold war myself and oft wondered what it would've been like to be in a nuclear emergency and what those civil defense stations would help, if anything.
What could anyone say to the public besides "you have 45 seconds to say your prayers"...
@@lilmike2710 Unfortunately we are under the threat again(still?). Our children and their children get to experience the senseless anxiety of worldwide destruction for political gain.
@@lilmike2710 I was their too and always had the confidence that crawling under my school desk would save me . The crap they put in kids heads !
"Duck and Cover" proclaimed the DISNEY cartoon character in the school info-film strip. I was born in 1964 and experienced the tail end of this lunacy as a kid in school. -Steve Magnante
@@daynadiggle8169 IKr? 🤣 Just pretend like it's a tornado.
I remember my dad making fun of them saying... "Put your head between your legs and kiss your a** goodbye". 🤣
Combining the names Edsel and Citation will strike fear in any car fan's heart . 😉
LOL .........Don't forget Pacer!
“Ranger” did a little better when it returned. “Corsair” hasn’t returned as a car name (I think there were two before Edsel used it), but I’m a big fan of the WWII F4Us that used the name.
@@88SC Lincoln Corsair?
It couldn’t have hurt if Edsel had had a catchier name - it SOUNDS flat-out dowdy!
As far as the styling cues, everything about them said, “We are trying WAY too hard!”
It certainly would have been an interesting time to be alive and anticipate what the new model cars were going to look like! Today, the answer to that is easy - pretty much exactly like last year’s model…….😕
And to today's ears, Edsel sounds a lot like incel...
Wow,that's the first Edsel featured on the show,great video
“It looked like an Oldsmobile sucking a lemon” 😂
I got serious "will it run" vibes from that car. Something was telling me that she was running when she got parked. I would be willing to give it a try just to hear it running.
I've seen Rancheros with Edsels front clips. Wicked cool!
Great bit there with the "cancelled"!! You and Shane make a remarkable team!!! Great video content and a history lesson. Thanks for all your research and dedication to this channel!!
Good morning Steve, I kinda like the Edsels and I know MT Screwed UP but you are doing something special everyday with these videos and I know I can speak for many by saying THANK YOU.
Edsel Ranger and Pacer were based off Ford drive train and chassis while the larger Corsair and Citation were larger Mercury drive train and chassis. My parents bought a new 58 Edsel Ranger 2 door hardtop. Really a nice car, more like a higher trim level to the 58 Fairlane hardtop. There’s was optioned with the push button auto and a wonderbar radio. Wish I had that car today
Ahhh the vintage Tracker A/T hanging out behind that land yacht!
Another excellent video! I had an Edsel myself. By the time I got to it it was 54 years old and pretty tired of course. Still a very cool car.
Great video as usual Steve. I agree that Motortrend made a mistake by canceling Roadkill Junkyard Gold. I enjoyed your show. Bitchin Rides and Texas Metal suck that show rich brats getting cars built specifically for them. Fantasy land.
They were good vehicles. Unfortunately they got a bad rap because of some comments made by a reviewer.about how the grill looked. Just like Steve mentioned. Edsel Ford at times look at as real designer or someone who could actually be an asset to bringing some interesting ideas to the company Unfortunately he got the shadow of Henry and in some eyes some of the employees looked at Edsel As if his father had not started the company he would not even been considered as a car designer or possibly a car manufacturer. It's unfortunate but it comes along when a son or daughter is related to the founder of any business. Large or small. Thank you Steve for posting this video.
Dave - growing up in the 70s, echos of those negative reviews were common enough that I still remember them. I was always under the impression that the Edsel had mechanical problems that led to them being unpopular but it doesn't seem like that was the case. Was it primarily a styling issue?
I believe Edsel died in 1943
@@ginoperretta373 Edsel had quite a bit of health problems. And I was not sure when he passed
@@wes11bravo well I don't remember reading about mechanical issues. There could have been some but personally don't know.
one of the problems with the Edsel as others have posted is the shift mechanism Steve pointed out. Because it was in the middle of the steering wheel, it was decided to not allow it to rotate with the rest of the wheel (if you have a modern car with radio or cruise control buttons in the wheel, you've probably noticed what happens to their location in a sharp corner). they used a linkage that wasn't used to being on the bottom of the car and collecting road debris and clogging up.
One of the most enormous corporate blunders in history. You’re Ford motor Company. The second largest carmaker in America. Plus millions in international sales. I’ve never been able to wrap my head around the Edsel.
I think I read that Ford Motor Company went public (stock) for the first time in their history to finance the Edsel. It was a huge failure and they lost millions. Good for them for recognizing this early on and correcting their mistake. Love your videos Steve
Hi Steve, great video on the Edsel brand. There are about 15 or 20 Edsels just down the rd from me. You couldn't buy a bolt or nut from that guy, and as every yr goes by, you can see them gradually sinking in the ground. I once owned a 55 Mercury Montclair. I had installed a 410 with 3-2s, and yes, I cut a hole in the floor 4spd. I was told this was a cop car engine from the fellow I bought it from, but I'm not sure about it. The car was yellow and white. Named her Tweetie. Sold the car to a fellow lowrider who owned a beautiful 50 Merc full custom lead sled. One day, the guy was welding in his shop, and we think he suffered a heart attack. The shop, the 2 Mercs, he himself, was consumed by the fire. I remember seeing Tweetie after the fire and seeing the front license plate baring the looney toon character embossed into it burnt to nothing but a shell. I have a picture of him, myself, my grandfather, and the 2 Mercurys. Everyone in that picture has gone away except yours, truly. Im sure I'm wrong about it, but it wouldn't be the 1st time, and damn sure not the last time.
PS: I apologize to Steve and the channel for my comment in yesterday's video. My intentions were not to spread any kind of misinformation. Apologizing can be very difficult at times because admitting to ourselves that we are wrong is the biggest embarrassment. It takes a lot of courage to apologize for one’s action, and courage is being scared to death, but you saddle up anyway. Have a blessed day. Namaste 🙏🏼
Forgiven ..... carry on .
@daynadiggle8169 It was a one time thing, I shouldn't have cut a hole in the floor. Thanks for commenting 🤙🏼 Namaste 🙏🏼
Hello Chris Scearce, NO SWEAT on the little "dust up" with our Friend GUGP yesterday. You seem to be a highly qualified observer / owner and if your car had a 307 I'd bet it did. And - like me - you certainly know the difference between GM's 301, 302, 305 and 307 engine families (only the 302 and 305 are "brothers" but you knew that). My brain often skips a beat and I mis-speak...even on video. I hope its rare. Sorry to learn of Tweety's fate and the sad fate of the welder. That triple-carb 410 might have been a 1958 / 1959 Mercury Super Marauder 430 - Detroit's FIRST "400 horsepower" engine offering. Then again, it is possible that a 430 3x2 induction was transferred to your 410 - it'll bolt right on. If your 3x2 setup had a big aluminum air cleaner atop those Holley 2300-series 2-barrels, it was a factory item. Thanks again for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
No dust up, just setting the facts straight. Bad info is never good info.
@googleusergp you must be lost when the internet goes down...some of us have a life to enjoy other than trolling comments looking for something to make themselves feel good...at no point did I say you were wrong and I apologized after being proven wrong after the internet said so. But like many wives they can't except the apology and continued to try be little. Ego = Edging God Out... Namaste 🙏🏼
I have to say , Being a C body man( 66 Fury III) I really like the styling of the Edsel. Pretty Dam good looking car!
You may not have realized that all model names from Edsel got brought back over the years; Ranger, Pacer, Corsair and Citation. Lincoln recently started using the Corsair name.
I found out recently that the wagon names Bermuda and Villager were also reused. The Bermuda name was used by Willys on their last sedan for the North American in 1955. As for the Villager name, it was later used on the Mercury Montego wagons, then later yet used on their minivans of the 1990s.
Best "Motor Trend mistake" gag ever! lol
That 410 MEL engine, (Mercury,Edsel, Lincoln) was a real bear. 375HP. Combustion chamber in the block like 348/409 Chevy.
Whenever you say that quip about motor trend canceling your junkyard gold, I want to reply saying it’s better they did and you do it on your own. But today, when you showed that clip of you reacting to getting canceled, I giggled 😆
Those cars are cool looking,thanks Steve ..
Always the first thing I look for when I open up the you tube app. Steve Man's Junkyard crawls daily episode! Steve I had heard there were also "quality" issues associated with Edsel's failure. People seem to focus on the styling but I feel that was a minor contributor to the failure of the marque. I was not aware that the big block "FE" was the only power plant available, I'm assuming that development many others carried over into future FOMOCO offerings to absorb & offset the losses incurred. Always educational, insightful, interesting, & fun to watch!
It actually got the MEL engine series, which is like the FE/FT but the combustion chamber is in the dish of the piston rather than cast into the cylinder head. Its like Chevy's 348/409 W engine series.
LOVED Edsel cars!! One of your better videos of late!
You are awesome, Steve! I Loved watching Junkyard Gold; Those MotorTrend execs are fools. Keep it up, Steve - you are a content machine!
I have always liked the Edsel. Mainly because they were so unique.
Looks like the back says "Greenfield Motors" which I believe may have been at the corner of Coombs and Man in Greenfield, MA. Another "bright" idea from the Ford Motor Company. I was never a fan and it was a failure. They were heaps and Ford should have known that before they introduced it. I think you meant "CONELRAD" for the radio markings for civil defense. Car radios in the US had them until 1963.
No VIN, can't win, but can possibly be figured out, no doubt: W for 361 V8 with four barrel "E400" engine, 8 for 1958 model year, maybe U for Louisville, KY or E for Mahwah, NJ, H for Ranger, and the rest is the production sequence. No tag, can't brag, but can be figured out, no doubt: 58A for Ranger four door sedan, FE for Powder Blue (F) and White (E) two-tone exterior paint, B for Blue cloth interior trim, 4 for pushbutton automatic transmission, and maybe A for 2.91:1 rear end ratio.
I would like to visit that yard. I live near Massachusetts,however when I look up this place they only have showroom pictures
Thank you Steve Get well soon
We're missing you out here Steve get well soon
Another great video. Keep 'em coming!
Edsel was like the Tucker, it could of been something good, but it was rushed into production and never got past the teething problems.
I owned a 59 Edsel green and white. v8 2 door car was a older restoration. a very nice car drove and rode like a dream. I sold it to a guy in New Jersey, he had a pink and white 58 Edsel. one thing I can say ford was not scared to paint any thing weird colors lol
An interesting adaptation of these cars is to transplant the 1958 “Ranger” clip onto a 1958 Ford Ranchero…. Actually looks very appealing!
Another great class in school today! I wish school when I was young was this enjoyable! I would totally own a decent shape Edsul.
Who coined the Olds-meet-lemon phrase I wonder? I hope you're gonna show the white SAAB 95 wagon in that yard!
Funny thing was Chrysler was not paying attention to the market either when they insisted on moving Desoto up the ladder to Newport territory in the later 50s. This pretty much killed the upper mid range price class and Desoto would in fact BE a lesser trimmed Chrysler by 1960. In truth, even BOP knew the field was becoming flooded with cars priced within just a couple hundred bucks of 1 another. Buyers that might have been previous Ford product owners, were confused as to why the Edsel was 'better' than a Mercury aside from some gadgets and love it or hate it styling. The recession of 58-60 didn't help cars that were priced rather high but not considered premium models. Despite Edsel trying to cover all bases with 4 levels of trim and loads of options, it still fell in limbo. 1 thing of note.. the tele-shift AT controls were very problematic which also scared buyers away after it was highly publicised of the failures.
right--back when people traded in cars every few years, an automaker could offer slight differences in price ranges as "the breadwinner" moved up the corporate ladder and wanted everyone to know.
meanwhile, the 1959 Edsel looked like the 1958 but its Impala competitor changed its look from 58 to 59 to 60.
My Father worked for Ford at LAP. Edsel got him laid off. He always said the push button transmission was causing a lot of problems. Moved on to Fehrs brewery.
One of my dream cars. Thanks Steve!
Great info, as usual. The rotating speedo harks back to the Model A (as did that grille).
Get well soon Steve!
My dad loved these cars😘💕🥰, that's why he bought 3 of them, he's gone now, but I have them now.👌👋☺️😁👍
Thanks Steve another Great Video
Glad you enjoyed it
Hi Steve, good video! Ford was competitive to Chevrolet and Plymouth. In 1938 the Ford Motor Company came out with Mercury Division, mainly to compete with Pontiac and Dodge. As time progressed on, Ford went ahead to put Mercury towards Oldsmobile, Buick and DeSoto, but that was not working. That is why Ford came out with the Edsel to be more competitive to Oldsmobile, Buick and DeSoto. At that time, middle priced cars where not selling. This is one reason why DeSoto failed. Please reply. Dave...
Drag racer "Animal" Jim Feurer raced a 57 Mercury called The Big Animalback in the 70s. The announcer at Oswego dragstrip always noted that Jim used Edsel cylinder heads on his FE engine.
as you may know, the MEL series of engines had the combustion chamber located in the dish of the piston, like chevy's 348/409 W engines.
Steve barely touched on this but one of the most overlooked aspects of the Edsel sales fiasco (unless you were alive at the time to experience it) was how much Ford oversold the car far ahead of its launch as being a radically new concept in automobiles (calling it the "new breed") that would address consumer needs with fresh thinking....only to have it turn out to be a remarkably ordinary car, sharing many components 4with Fords (as Steve said) and Mercurys.
Contrary to Steve's assertion at 5:35 , the Ranger series was indeed available in both four-door and two-door hardtop (no B-pillar) versions.
Steve, the titles of your videos just keep getting better and better. Some of them just crack me up. You've got a great sense of humor. I love it!
Good vidjya Steve. Very informative. Hope your doin' better.
To me the worst thing about the Edsel, was NA,ing that dud after Henry’s only son, Edsel, who was a very talented designer. The poor man didn’t deserve such ignominy.
Back in the mid 60’s a friends Dad had an Edsel when we were young. It was pretty beat up even then(they were what we would call low income today). It had the steering wheel push button trans. I thought it was strange then.
Excellent way to market the hot V-8 engines of the late 1950's. Sad they didn't do a tail fin model from the get go. Those tail lights would be up to date with resto mod of Triple Red Line LED tail light board installed behind those lenses. I think they are a great car but would think the Citation owner would have wandered off and sprung for an Olds 98 or Pontiac or Buick. Regardless, a well thought out car with fabulous paint combinations. Grill damage was a mess to fix on those bumped from parallel parking and it took months for new grill parts to arrive. Would probably pick any Olds over the Edsel in today's market.
I loved Junkyard Gold, I come here to get my fix!
Get well Steve … we miss you buddy.
With due respect to Mr Ford, I think the name was the first nail in the coffin
Edsels' family was supposed to be against it. But they finally gave in. Much to their regret, I'm sure!
I like the edsel bit in 58 i would have bought an impala, It was gorgeous
I've always liked that front grill
I want a 58 ranger with 3 on the tree. Only seen one for sale in 20 years should have bought it
The grille. No one mentions it, but it taps into Freud and at the end of the day no-one is going to buy that as a daily drive. Sad, Edsel Ford deserved a better tribute.
The Edsel did give birth to a great family of Ford motors the FE’s.
AHH the Desoto my Neighbors The cunninghams I believe, had one of those, I remember he owned a hardware store and had a hooligan living above his garage.
Awesome video thank y'all
It was overstyled at a time when others were cleaning up the bodylines. Impala was similar in this 'old look' that they moved away from. Both arrived in 1958.
and the Impala would change its look in 1959, then 1960, while Edsel kept its look. so if you didn't buy a 1958 Edsel in the recession of 1958, you got the same exact look in 1959--or you bought a chevy.
I love edsels, especially that quarter type
Were not these the birth of the MEL? 58 was also the birth of the 332 FE. I would love to see more MEL builds! They had a Heron style CC (flat head combustion chamber, with offset decks forming the "wedge"--just like 348/409/427 Chevy W engines) I BELIEVE that a blown MEL won the 59 Nationals in Detroit? Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
Calvin Rice? -Steve Magnante
@@SteveMagnante Steve, I looked it up and it was Rodney Singer winning in Detroit in 59 MEL engine--also the FIRST supercharged Top Eliminator winning engine in history! Used a 430 MEL from a Lincoln with a GMC blower. (Either 4-71 or 6-71 I am guessing?)
Calvin Rice was a good call! He actually won the FIRST US Nationals in 1955 in Kansas City. It wasn't until Mickey Thompson debuted Panama Red in 1954 with the driver BEHIND the rear axle --giving birth to slingshots! If you look at the great old Super 8 video on YT taken of the 55 Nationals in KC, you will see many of the Top Eliminator entries STILL had the driver ON TOP of the rear axle! And many of the rails were still running Ford Flatheads and GMC straight 6! Cool stuff!
@@jaylestingi When Steve replied Calvin Rice, I said no that was the first Nationals at KC.
Thanks for your post with more enlightening info👍
@@misigis Cool! Yes, Calvin Rice in '55. I think Olds powered? At this point, some guys were still using Strombergs and/or Holley 94s (remember, the 4160 Holley didn't even arrive until '57!) on fuel, no blower, no injectors. They would remove the needle & seat assemblies and actually sink the floats! Then of course Wally Parks in his quest to make drag racing palatable to the speed weary public, concentrated on safety and thus completely banned nitromethane or "fuel" in 1957. The infamous Fuel Ban of 1957. This made all the heavy hitters run at outlaw tracks while NHRA was stuck with pump gasoline and dual engine monsters until everyone realized that drag racing was here to stay and the Fuel Ban was lifted in 1963. 50s is my favorite drag racing era!
@@jaylestingi Yep, good info!
Thanks Steve. 🙏🏻😎
Also, I think there was a recession in 58 which affected a lot of auto sales
Maaan. I just want to see Steve's collection of literature! Wow.
Our Family had an Edsel back in the day. Great car. My Dad loved to play with it, vrroom vrroom lol. I won't tell what he did though. Edsel's did get a bum rap sadly. I would to own one now. Thanks for your videos..
Love the 58 2 door Edsel these cars had style
1) the interesting thing with that shifter for the automatic is that it didn't spin around with the steering wheel (if you have a modern car with radio or cruise control buttons in the steering wheel, you know what it's like to turn a corner and realize your buttons are upside down). Packard I think joined Mopar with putting the buttons in the dashboard.
2) The initial launch year of 1958 was a recession year, not helping any car sales. Meanwhile, their design barely changed until 1960, while Chevy's competitor the Impala changed its look from 1958 to 1959 and again in 1960.
3) the engine family available was the MEL series, (Mercury Edsel Lincoln) and as the photo shows, it had a unique design in common with Chevy's W series--no combustion chamber in the head ! combustion occurred down in the piston dish.
I have a turquoise /white dealer promo model of the 1958 Edsel
Morning Gents
Good morning, we are here watching Steve at 3 am in Poulsbo Washington
Rhode Island here
New Jersey
Daytona Beach .....
Like some of the cars Chrysler or Studebaker created I think the Edsel may have been a little bit ahead of it's time. But fear not. Now we can all drive plug in electric toasters.
Strange, later we had the AMC Pacer and Chevrolet Citation. No copyright infringement?
is that a 58 Chevy Impala in front of a 58 Edsel?
Edsel reminds me of American Graffiti.
please do video on gold brown fairmont in back ground please:)
"Their aim was true but the target moved." A huge fundamental problem with Edsel was the original conception occurred in the early 19502sduring different economic circumstances, Development took so long that the market and economy had changed. Ford management had deluded itself about the existence of a market for a car like the Edsel. Who and where were the expected buyers of Edsel? Edsel was supposed to lure buyers away from GM but as realized it was just a Ford under the flashy gimmick and as priced it overlapped Ford and Merc effectively eating into their sales. This is the same situation that DeSoto found itself in at the same time. It was competing with high end Dodge and Low priced Chrysler. Edsel was over-hyped with a long advertising teaser campaign that raised the public's expectations. People were led to expect something really different and it wasn't. It had a weird name and weird styling. There were quality control issues. Assembly line issues were not properly sorted. Edsel production was wedged into existing Ford and Merc assembly lines with out consideration of how to build two different lines at the same time without totally driving workers crazy. This inefficiency resulted in cars being shipped to dealers with missing parts and faulty Teletouch shifters. This produced a lot of negative publity. The grill wasn't enough to kill the Edsel it was the cherry on top. Edsel was doomed from the start. It had pretty much become an unwanted orphan among senior management. Robert McNamara hated the whole concept and worked hard to undermine it as it was the opposite of the smaller more efficient people movers like the Falcon that he envisioned as Ford's future.
Interesting info on the Edsel Steve thanks again ! Were you a pizza chef in a past life lol molto buono buon appetito signore !!👍
2:06,... Oh, nice cameo by the alloy project - You know it lives in Queensland, Australia now?
Steve, You mentioned that Edsel had its own engine line. While they were different than the basic "Ford" engines, my understanding is that they were not unique to Edsel alone (maybe specific displacements were). What I remember is they started in 1958 with the "LEM" series of engines. The LEM line stood for Lincoln-Edsel-Mercury. Maybe I'm wrong but that was my understanding.
thank you i was wondering that.
Steve - This 410 cubic inch Edsel engine you mentioned, was this the same engine Mercury used as it's Maurauder ?
Always liked the red-headed stepchild of Ford. The “winged” taillights and the horse collar grill - classic designs that, unfortunately, never really caught on.
That horse collar grill, and the name, Edsel, are what kept that car, and ultimately the division, from larger success.
Advertising hype never matched manufactured product
What about the Edsel villager and Bermuda station wagons?