Rolling Rarity: 1958 Edsel Citation
The failure of the Edsel division of the Ford Motor Co. is an unfortunate legend. They were cars that nobody wanted, introduced at a time when no one was buying anything (1958: it was a recession year). Little more than two years after their introduction, the last Edsel rolled off the assembly line. The seller has a 1958 Citation, which was the top-of-the-line Edsel out of four distinct models in Year 1. The ‘58s are more unique than the 1959-60s which became little more than rebadged Fords as time moved on. Located in North Tonawanda, New York, this car hasn’t run in more than 30 years and is a project waiting for an Edsel fan to restore. It’s available here on Barn Finds Classifieds for $3,800.
There are books full of why Edsel didn’t make it, so we won’t belabor the point here. If you’re looking for one of these hard-to-find automobiles, the 1958s would be the way to go as they were the most different from their Ford/Mercury counterparts. On the other hand, the 1960s are the rarest because they were only produced a couple of months before Ford pulled the plug on the whole shebang. The seller has a ’58 Citation 2-door hardtop, said to be one of only 2,535 assembled that year. It has a non-running 410 cubic inch V8 under the hood, a close cousin to the 430 that was found in Lincoln Continentals.
The seller acquired the car out of Kansas last year and he/she believes the auto spent its entire life west of the Mississippi until then. We get the impression this project is more than the seller wants to take on, including getting the engine to respond which is stuck. No carburetor or air cleaner is seen in the photos, but the seller says they are coming with the car (the carb has been rebuilt). A new battery is being thrown in, suggesting at least some attempt was made to get the Edsel to run.
Other than the metal under both sets of headlights where there are gaping holes now, rust doesn’t appear to be a huge issue with this vehicle. The seats are in the car only temporarily to demonstrate how solid the floorboards are with the carpeting also removed. It’s estimated that the Citation is 95% complete, only missing some trim pieces at 60,000 miles. This Edsel has the push-button transmission with the controls in the steering wheel, but its condition is unknown as all the car does is roll (no brakes to stop). If you’re looking for a rare automobile to resurrect, could this be the one?
Auctions Ending Soon
1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1Bid Now19 hours$7,100
2003 Porsche Boxster SBid Now20 hours$6,000
1966 Lincoln ContinentalBid Now22 hours$500
2000 Jaguar XJ8LBid Now4 days$1,250
1977 Datsun 280ZBid Now5 days$275
Comments
Needs a lot but hope it gets saved.Rare 2dr
It’s a good thing that Henry Ford didn’t name his son Mustang.
I so miss the 80s. I bought a Pacer convertible for 400.00 from and old Ford guy. The car was a pink and white with a pink and white interior. The car had visited the great Earl scheib for a black squirt sometime in its life and ofcourse the paint was peeling off in areas showing its former scheme. Since it was a lesser model it had a 364? I think. The one thing that puzzled me was the car did not have the teletouch. It was a column shift, the horn ring had the Edsel emblem. The dash pad was shriveled up. I liked the gray toggle switches thar ran various things. It had a tachometer in the dash, an electric seat which operated from a fancy little switch on the knee knocker. It was a fun two summer beater. This one here looks to be nice and solid. Pull the heads and you might get lucky and be able to clean out the cylinders and get it turning. Mechanical parts are relatively easy and the hard stuff is there. The price seems fair for such a solid specimen.
Chris Cornetto,
The Tele-touch trans shifter was an option on the Ranger & Pacer cars.
The Tachometer was a fairly rare option. When my shop was restoring a Citation 35 years ago the owner wanted a tach, it was very hard to find one for sale, and expensive when we did find one.
I wish I had kept it but as a 20 something then, I switched cars like underwear, I think I had 35 or 40 of them then. I loved anything with bling. If it had buttons everywhere, skirts, antennas, laser beam dimmer gizmos I was on it. My car had power windows also and I loved the E over top the 4 gang on the drivers door. That car went to Europe in the late 80s so it is no doubt still around. The only rust was in the rocker panels, typical late 50s car.
There’s alot of good on this car, almost unbelievable. All the chrome that’s on there is good and straight. Only one ding in the rear bumper. The interior panels are in good shape, and it even has a mostly good headliner that maybe could be cleaned and re-attatched, maybe…. All the glass is good. Fenders are the real challenge, but you just need patience to create those patches. I think it’s well worth the asking price and of course that could be negotiated.
When new, that first day they were introduced, I was in Lust.
I currently have 2 Citations, one gets NOS parts and the other is just as nice, both no rust. But, the second one I am using for parts.
I bought the second one for parts as a decent, non running car that has lots of little parts along with bigger items that saves time looking.
This Citation on Barn Finds is an easy one to do. Too bad it’s apart.
I drove 1,700 miles to get my parts car. It was complete and nothing was removed.
I like the color combo in this ad. All 58 Edsels have a Tri-Tone paint code.
This ad needs an enclosed trailer to carry everything loose.
Timing not right for me to get this Citation. Save this one someone.
I love the 58 2 door, i love this car, nothing looks like this, Fell in love years ago o e sitting in the bushes at a barber shop windows open, had push button.
Odd glad they are still out there.
Dirt and stuff get thrown up towards the headlights on these cars. Had to have our 58 Corsair fenders fixed. Too bad they didn’t have fender liners back then. I bought a parts car from a local dealer for $50 back in 1961. Only thing missing on the parts car was the rocker arms and shaft from one head. If I had the space, I’d grab this listed one. Still have a shop manual for 58 models.
Just read the listing.The 410 engine was also offered in the Corsair not just the Citation as the poster said. If I recollect, “E475” was on the valve covers. For the torque rating.
I remember in my youth when these were first introduced, they were described as an Oldsmobile sucking on a lemon.
That isn’t all that the grille was described as by a long way!!
What “long way” are you referencing? If you are going to make a disparaging comment, back it up with facts, not innuendo!
By “long way”, I presume that you may be referring to dismal sales figures, aborted production run and a widely negative acceptance of the styling at time of launch.
Hagerty has an interesting article on why it failed. Ironically, the designers wanted a narrower center grille, but the engineers enlarged it for increased air flow/cooling.
Good Lord man, lighten up! He meant so say – By a long shot – and he wasn´t disparaging in any way. You don´t know what he was implying? Good griedf, say it idn´t so.
I always liked this car, and I was in high school at the time. I never figured out why so many people “hated” this car… most of the guys in my crowd thought it was just different enough to make a good impression on the girls… and it did. I hope this one finds a good home.
Ford Motor Co. spent $400,000.00 before the first Edsel was sold. Fords wanted a new assembly plant just for Edsel was sold. Ford Motor also paid for new dealerships to be constructed. The decision to make the Edsel was in 1955. Thus the first Edsel for sale was in 1958. The last Edsel was built after only four months of production of the 1960 year for Edsel. One year later any employee that was involved with Edsel was no longer with Ford Motor. I had a professor at University of Detroit that was also a VP at Ford.
I hope someone saves this car.I would love to see it restored.
I thought it was “Mercury sucking a lemon”
If you want to see something really outrageous, just look as the ’58 Lincoln, which will make any Edsel of the same year look conservative!
$3800 seems to be a steal for this car IMHO. Sure it needs work, but there’s a lot there that’s usually wasted, like the door panels . It seems every junkyard that picked up an Edsel still has it lying around, so there’s a good chance anything missing could be found , and I’m sure the drivetrain is the same for the Ford and Mercury cars
I too would snatch that up if I could. I’ve always liked the looks of the ’58 Edsels myself. I’ve seen all the lampoons of its looks by so-called “historians,” which to me demonstrates the ignorance among the lot of them. If you want to see something really outrageous, just look as the ’58 Lincoln, which will make any Edsel of the same year look conservative!
This project looks better than other project hulks / organ donors I’ve seen of the same year. Plus, with my experience rebuilding MEL Y-blocks, I could get that car running within a matter of months. However, I cannot speak for the transmission, as I never learned how to rebuild one. For that, I’d have to find and rely on a rebuilder with experience in first-gen Ford automatics.
Bottom line: Somebody SAVE THIS CAR! The seller clearly was in over his head, but not because this car is beyond saving.
Seller is asking a fair price for this 58 Edsel Citation. Body seems solid with little rust. Looks pretty straight and clean for a roller. That 410 is a strange bird they didn’t make them for very long, or that many of them. Someone’s got their work cut out for them but this is a great find for the price and condition.
The transmission is basically a FMX or Cruise-o-matic. The push buttons worked a solenoid/motor to shift the gears.
I know a guy in NY who collected Edsels, Packards, and Studebakers. He lost his storage so I don’t know what he did with the cars. He’s not really into scrapping. The same guy outbid me years ago at a car auction, on a sweet running no rust 4 dr Citation. Just parked the car in a field and left it.
Ford Motor was “shooting it’self in the foot” with the Edsel. It offset sales of the upper Ford and lower Mercury than it off set sales from Plymouth or Dodge and also did not go against Pontiac or Oldsmobile. A big marketing error. Also the customer demand shifted to smaller cars and the Edsel was actually at the high end Ford and medium Mercury. We now new small cars appearing: Maverick, Corvair, Valiant and Comet.
One of the worst cars ever manufactured by Ford. If you ever drove one you would know why. Push button transmission selector in the steering column.
Where did it’s fan go? At least he taped off intake while he rebuilds the carb. Such a fair price for an Edsel 58 2 door in this condition. That dinosaur treadle vac power brake system can be work to bring back. Just excited to see one in this shape that they’re not asking crazy money to buy.
@MikeG. I don’t know what happened to the comment that I posted earlier in response to your accusation so I will repeat it. I wasn’t making a disparaging comment or innuendo against the grill of the Edsel. If you knew anything about the production and dismal sales of the Edsel you would know that the grill was often likened to a part of the female anatomy that, in most peoples minds, had no place on a motor car. I’m pretty sure that most people on this site new EXACTLY what I was talking about.
What have you got against belly buttons?
Your comment is still asinine!
Solo, most of them did know. Most of them.
Hey, I bet these cars are very rare in your neighborhood.
I have never seen an Edsel in the flesh, either here in UK, or in South Africa where I lived for nearly 60 years, 40 of which I was VERY active in the old car and bike movement. To me they are great looking cars and I never understood why the Americans didn’t like them.
I know of no one except yourself who observed that the Edsel grille resembled a female anatomical part.
…must be a Brit thing.
I guess that you need to have seen one of the items that he is referring to in order to understand the resemblance.
Not so. Edsel cars of any description are as rare as hens teeth in UK and very few people have any interest in them so it’s not a Brit thing. It’s an American thing, as 370zpp above mentions, and I have read the description several times in US motoring mags.
Very cool and unique car and worth the money. Hope someone restores or at least resto-mods (7.3 maybe) it. The haters can dis them all they want, but you’re not likely to find another on cruise night (unless it’s orphan night). Like I said, hope it’s saved.
To John Eder,
In the 77 years I’ve been drawing breath, I’ve probably encountered more female anatomy than you’ve ever dreamed of.
BTW, my comments were never directed at you.
Back in the day, and beyond, when the Edsel 1st came out, the only comments I heard about the grille was a “horse collar”. Aside from “it looks like a Mercury sucking a lemon”. Maybe I’ve led a sheltered life…..but, I don’t think so.
I was just appreciating a clean, 2 door 58 Edsel before, and now after listening to people saying its front grille resembles female parts, it’s kinda soured, or poisoned the well. Or maybe, made the car more appreciated.
To: Mick G,
I am 82. Grew up in Detroit and went to Univ of Detroit. Became a high level accountant and auditor, then controller, then plant mangler, (manager) then I got into consulting and traveling and meeting beautiful women at events. Now 82 enjoy a very quiet retired life and a ton of memories like you. Do have an attraction for luxury cars and knowledge of the auto industry also.
I was the national technical advisor for BMW NA for many years. When I left BMW, I became service manager for a MB facility. I authored many service and parts bulletins for BMW, and Saab.
Also, I’ve performed restorations on many antique and classic cars.
I’ve been around the block a few times (figuratively speaking.
Many thanks for your fine comment.
At the conclusion of the Edsel in 1960 Ford Motor had made the biggest mistake in history and the largest financial loss of any company.as of that date.
A true story:
An attorney for Ford Motor kept an Edsel station wagon in his driveway in Dearborn, Tires were flat and it was dirty. Neighbors kept calling the Mayor Hubbard to get him to get rid of the eye sore. Mayor Hubbard called to Henry Ford, III and asked him to get the guy to move it inside his garage. I do not know the end result but I was privy to Henry Ford not being pleased with being bugged.
Despite the Edsel disaster, I still bleed blue oval blue. You are obviously an interesting person. I’d enjoy hearing more from you.
77.
Mike,
My bosses were at the very top level management. One was a drinking buddy of John Deloran and my other boss was a member of a 8 person Friday night poker game and one member was Lee Iacoa.
They would tell me about the fun things were they talked about.
The auto industry had a lot of pressure. Chrysler never had a plant manager retire. They were either fired or they had “the big one”
I’ve heard all of the “hilarious” descriptions of the ’58 Edsel face, and I’ll take 1958 ugly over 2023 ugly any day. I like the ’58 Lincolns too. This car deserves restoration over restomod. Save that for less complete lower level models, if you have to go that route.
I remain loyal to Detroit Iron. I have several Lincolns as my collextoe cars and every day cars.
I have 1955 Packards and two 70;s Chryslers. Here in cebtral California I find rust free and mint old cars from the 60’s and 70;s.
Give a call some day 209 601 0270
We seem to be quite contemporary! I worked with Roger Penske for several years…a truly unique and driven individual (no pun intended). I pretty much, grew up in the aviation industry – private airplanes. After being honorably discharged from the U.S. Air Force, I continued my education earning a B.S. in management. While trying to figure out my life, I connected with an antique/classic auto restoration firm. The rest is history. For my 12th birthday, my dad gave me a 1929 Murray-bodied Town Sedan. After keeping it for over 60 years, I sold it (sigh) and retired to Florida.
I’d really enjoy developing a dialog with you.
All the best,
77
MikeG.
.
Mike:
I enjoy chatting with you. We do have a lot in common. I went to collece right after high school. Thus I did not have to serve in the military. It also did not make sense to me to go fight people in their own jungle with bugs and plants they are used to. With Kelsey Hayes I was also key to the manufacture of war products such as jeep wheels and the transmissions for choppers. We built them in Asheville, North Carolina. Used to love going down to visit that plant. I purchased a used twin engine Piper in Seguin, Texas and got my license there also. Loved the plane and had it two years when we had the oilfield industry go to pot in 1982. I had to sell many items then. I then got into the steel business and still maintain a small business selling grape stakes to vineyards in California.
I just completed a somewhat long reply to your last email. For some inexplicable reason, Barn Finds chose to not post it. I’ll try again soon.
Mike G: Anxious to hear from you. Hope it goes through. I also enjoyed the comment from the fellow that is attracted to the luxury cars and cars that are optioned to the hill. I have owned over 140 automobiles so far and I have had very rare models and loaded with options. One example is a 1971 4 doot Thunderbird with the brougham interior and also had Kelsey Hayes anti-locking brakes. I got it from the company for $3,000.00 and drove it for 4 years when I was now in the oil business in Houston, Texas and had to now go buy cars like a regular person. Boy did I now miss Detroit!!. .
Hi Tom,
You’ve owned more cars than I. With a few exceptions, mine have always spotted the blue oval badge. With very few exceptions, they’ve been excellent.
My all-time favorite is a 1929 Model A Murray-bodied Town Sedan that my dad gave me when I was 12 years old. It was a very low mileage Model A. I cherished it for over 60 years. I named her Bedelia. It was an original in superb original condition.
Besides Bedelia, my other exceptional Ford was a 1966 Mustang fastback, triple black with the legendary K-code 289 V8. With basically an AC Cobra drive, it was blazingly fast with a sound that was pure music.
Some other noteworthy ones were a 1959 Morgan+4, several Volvo 544s, 1800S, a ’29 Model A special coupe, a ’31 Model A Victoria, ’30 Model A pick-up truck among many others. I’ve enjoyed them all.
You’ll notice not a GM product in the bunch. I’ve also restored several classic and special interest vehicles but, that is a story for another day.
I’ll sign off here.
So long & 77.
Mike
My first car I bought myself when I turned 16. I wanted a 1955 Chev conv. My father said “no n in the drive way”/ I got a 1951 Chrysler Imperial 4 door. Was a mint car and did was good until I was headed for college and also paying all my own expenses. I was a cashier in a supermarket working all weekends. I then got a 1957 Plymouth Plaza 2 door, 6 and stick. Car lasted until 1962 when i finished college and was 21. Bought a new Chevrolet II conv. Price was $2,700.00. 1968 I bought a 1967 Cougar from the sales and marketing at Ford. I had to pay the $75.00 dealer prep and go some 100 miles to get the car. I had picked it out at the Ford 90 day lot on Rotunda Drive in Dearborn, Mi.. I was now warranty claims manager for Cummins Diesel and needed to drive Ford products. I only paid $2,750.00 for the Cougar with 4,000 miles on it, Had AC and ps,pb and3 speed with a 289. also had leather, was a XR7. I then went to Kelsey Hayes and was in cost accounting and then became an auditor and traveling to all the 24 plants in US and Canada. I used to do the royality payments to Joseph Lucas Industries for payment for disc brake assenbies we manufactured.
Tom,
As someone who has owned and restored multiple Studebakers with disc brakes, some people say they were made by Dunlop, some claim Lucas made ’em, now you mention Kelsey Hayes. So I’m wondering if you know the back story about how Studebaker ended up with disc brakes starting with the 1963 models, several years before the big 3 made them available.
And FYI, I’ve had many V8 Packards over the last 55 years, and there is still one in my family; a 1955 400 hardtop.
ill: I believe that Chrysler Corp. gave us permission to sell to Studebaker their smaller caliper assembly. We produced some 300,000 assemblies per quarterly. I recall these numbers from doing the patient payments to Joseph Lucas Industries. We had two brake plants in Jackson, Michigan, one drum brake assemblies and the other disc brakes. We had a third plant there where we produced the aluminum wheels for Corvette and a 24 spoke aluminum wheel for Ford Motor and the sabre wheel for Cadillac. We manufactured wire wheels for Thunderbird and Chrysler in our McGraw plant in downtown Detroit. We had the giant steel wheel plant in Romulus, Michigan which is where our corporate offices were located. Here we had 1,200 employees and the largest wheel plant in the world with 22 lines. No one had more knowledge of the accounting that appied to each plant than me. The company moved me around so that I had covered every plant. I would have stayed but I saw where Frueholff Corp.
Tom, sounds like you have alot of experience in the brake industry. What do you know about early, mechanical cable brakes to hydraulic conversion kits on mid to 37 Fords? Seems like the kits are just as expensive as drum to disc conversion kits.
I do not know about mechanical brakes at all. I simply know what we are talking about and that hydrolic brakes was a great improvement. Rhat is it !!!!!!!. That Ford Model A you had for 60 years is a very beautiful car. These were built due to Henry Ford, himself, trying to cut into luxury car sales. Henry Ford disliked Henry Leyland and He bought the Lincoln car co. from him and then never allowed Lincoln to have any form of engineering to try to build an improved luxury car. It was Edsel Ford that nade Lincoln a good product starting in 1948. Henry Ford, I also did not like Jewesh people and very few were ever in the auto industry.
Tom, thanks for the quick reply, I wasn’t expecting to discover they were from Chrysler..
General Motors allowed us to sell to Checker wheels produced from their equipment. Chrysler was good about permission to small auto companies. Ford was never willing to sell. This is a policy established by Henry Ford the first. I was even effected by Ford Motor’s strictness when I would have to go to the Ford Motor truck expermental truck facility. I was the liason between Cummins and Ford over the highway tractors equipted with Cummings engines. Ford complained about me driving a Buick. I told my boss “I can not afford a Ford product”. He got me a permit to go shopping at the executive lot on Rotunda Drive where the exec autos driven for 90 days were located. Prices were about 1/2 of market, now I could afford to drive Ford products, I acquired a Mercury and a Lincoln. Since 1969 I have been driving Lincolns. In 1982 I owned 12 cars, a ranch and a twin engine Piper. My neighbor was George Strait in San Marcos, Texas. I was then a plant manager of a new gray iron foundry in Luling, Texas.
Mile,
Like your comments that you might have and what value you would place on a 1936 Packard 4 door conv. It has a straight 8 engine so it is not the big luxurious V 12 (180) model. I have pictures and maybe you can help me with what model it is. The owner just passed away. He has one son son living about 200 miles away and he is offering it to me at what might be a good price. It is yellow with a tan interior and has dual sidemounts. Is restored except it sits with the front suspension disassembled. Like to send pictures to you and thus need to talk on the phone. I am 20nine, six0one, zero two seven zero.
Tom Crum
Tom,
I’m not the world’s top expert on Packards, but I’ve owned around 300 of them, and worked on many more, and have access to some of the top Packard people. If you would like my help, I’ll be glad to help. Photos will be a big help, and if you can check the driver’s side firewall for a Packard serial number plate, please let me know what the VIN is, along with the selling dealer info if it’s there.
A 1936 Packard eight 4-door convertible [roll-up windows] could be had in 3 different models:
The 120 [body type 997], Chassis series 120-B
The Eight [body type 963], Chassis series 1402
The Super Eight [body type 963], Chassis series 1404
If it is an open phaeton [no roll-up windows], They were available in 2 versions of the Eight and Super Eight;
Eight Sport Phaeton [Body type 901], Chassis series 1401
Eight Phaeton [Body type 911], Chassis series 1401
Super Eight Sport Phaeton [Body type 941], chassis series 1404
Super Eight Phaeton [body type 951], chassis series 1404
The above body styles were the standard cataloged body styles available from PMCC, but in all 3 levels a 4-door open car could be had on special order from multiple approved coachbuilders, So this is why the VIN and photos are very important to determine what your friend has. I can also run the VIN thru the Packard Club database to identify the car if it’s been listed with the club.
Bill,
Thank you greatly for all this. I hope to be able to take pictures myself and be sure to get the information of the plate.
Thank you greatly for all this inflrmationcwbyc735
Bill:
This Packard has a with a rounded trunk in addition to a rack that a trunk is to be placed on. The rounded trunk has latches that allow it to open by pulling upward. Looks like there might be a second lid below this upper one. Does this at all help with identification of this model 1936 Packard? Wish I could send you a picture. I plan on traveling to see the car in person next week, It is about a 250 mile drive.
Tom,
Packard had a subcontractor who made trunks for use on their cars, and they typically have a small oval plate down in one corner with the Packard script logo. Other makers were known to make trunks that fit Packard racks too. Many of the larger cars were equipped with a trunk rack, so it’s not possible to ID what model or year it is. I can only say the last year for a factory installed trunk rack was 1942 [but not on the Clipper series cars].
Packard did offer a trunk rack on their 1946 to 1948 Taxicabs, but they were installed by Packard Federal, the export and commercial division of the company.
All the trunks I’ve seen on Packard cars do have the top section that opens, and once that’s open, most have a front section that can be unlatched & folded down [hinged at bottom] to access the drawers inside.
I’m not in a hurry, so just let me know by email, and I’ll likely be able to tell you what you’ve got.
Bill McClosky
I am selling a fresh rebuilt Chrysler 383 engine on Craigs, Stockton, Ca. Please shoot me an E mail and I will respond. Lots to share with you please.