The Man Who Loved the Edsel So Much That He Bought Three

Hindustan Times

9 hours ago

I like oddball cars, what some people call orphan cars. These are car brands that no longer exist, like Studebaker and Pontiac. I have a collection of unusual stuff and as I was building it, I realized I did not have any cars from Ford Motor Company. What would be more appropriate than an Edsel? Edsel was a division of Ford that only existed for three model years, and an orphan car that is different from just about everything else on the road.
The story starts back in the 1950s, when the economy was booming and car sales were high. Ford executives decided to expand their product line. The thinking was, they wanted a car that was different than anything else, a distinct car you could spot a block away and instantly know what it was. They wanted this car to be state of the art.
Kirkel believes his 1959 Edsel was used as a jewelry-store thieves' getaway car, before they were busted in Nebraska. The restored 1959 Edsel's interior, with furry dice added.
The name comes from Henry Ford's son Edsel Ford, who was president of the company before he died in 1943.
When the Edsel came out in September of 1957 as a 1958 model, the company left no stone unturned. They were planning for the long haul, and there was tremendous fanfare. Ford marked the launch by calling for a nationwide 'E-Day,' on Sept. 4, 1957.
There were problems right away, however. For one, a recession hit about the same time as the car, hurting sales. The Edsel had been rushed to market, and it got a bad reputation due to reliability problems. Some people complained about the styling, that the vertical grille looked like a horse collar or even a toilet seat.
After model year 1960, the car was discontinued. For years, the Edsel has been held up as an example of failure. But collectors have come around to these cars.
When I decided I wanted one, I joined an Edsel club so I could meet people and find out what cars might be out there. About 10 years ago, I was going through the Edsel club newsletter when I came across an ad for a 1959 Edsel Corsair convertible. I called the guy, who was in Nebraska. He told me about the history and the pictures looked good, so I bought the car and had him ship it to me. I can still remember the day it arrived.
The car has a fascinating history. According to the story I was told, it was used as a jewelry store heist getaway car, in California. The thieves got as far as Nebraska, where they were caught, and the car ended up in a police impound lot, where it sat outside for 25 years. The guy I bought the car from bought it at a police auction, and he had restored it.
'The thing about this car is, it's like a bag of pretzels,' says Kirkel. 'You can't just eat one.'Kirkel's 1959 Edsel was the first he bought.
The thing about this car is, it's like a bag of pretzels. You can't just eat one. Today, I own one Edsel for each of the three years of production: a 1958 Edsel Corsair, the 1959 jewelry store heist car, and a 1960 Edsel Ranger convertible, which is probably the most desirable, as only 76 of these models were built that year, before production ceased.
In 1960, the car came without the vertical grille. Apparently, Henry Ford II told his executives, 'I don't care what you do with this car, but get rid of the horse collar grille!' I also built a replica of an Edsel dealership in a barn on my property.
These cars are reasonably priced in the collector-car market, and of course, prices range according to the condition. I take my Edsels to car shows, and sometimes I just like to look at them. The Edsel was thought of as a failure in its day, but these cars bring a lot of joy to people now.
The Man Who Loved the Edsel So Much That He Bought Three
The Man Who Loved the Edsel So Much That He Bought Three
The Man Who Loved the Edsel So Much That He Bought Three