Unrestored Survivor: 1958 Edsel Corsair
The recipe for creating a good car is surprisingly straightforward. A manufacturer must create a vehicle with styling that is, at least, inoffensive. It must sell at a competitive price, and the build quality must be acceptable to the buying public. However, producing a lemon is far more complicated, as Ford proved with its failed Edsel experiment. The company tore up millions of dollars on its unsuccessful program, although cars that were largely unloved for decades now enjoy a strong following. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Gunter K for spotting this 1958 Edsel Corsair because it is a gem. It is an unrestored survivor that presents well. It runs and drives, and with an odometer reading of 25,000 genuine miles, it should offer its new owner years of faithful service. The Edsel is listed here on Craigslist in Kimberling City, Missouri. The seller’s price of $16,700 makes it tempting for an enthusiast seeking an affordable and practical classic.
I’m sure that every reader has embarked upon an activity that seemed like a good idea at the time but ultimately ended in failure. However, it is unlikely that any of those endeavors will cost you $250 million because that is what the Edsel program cost Ford. The theory was sound, but the execution was less so. The company targeted the market sector between its Ford and Mercury range with an entirely new marque, planning to compete head-to-head with Chrysler and General Motors by having a fourth marque in its arsenal. The first issue was timing, with the Edsel released during a financial recession. The range exceeded the original price projections, and the overlap between the Edsel and Mercury models undermined potential sales. The quality control was well below expectations, and the styling was controversial. Having said that, I have always liked the appearance of the 1958 models. They aren’t the automotive equivalent of the Mona Lisa, but their appearance is undeniably bold and daring. This 1958 Edsel Corsair rolled off the line during the first production year, finished in an attractive combination of Turquoise and Frost White. The paint is the first significant point worth considering because the seller claims it is original. The overall presentation is particularly noteworthy if that is the case. It retains an impressive shine, and any flaws or defects are too minor to warrant a cosmetic refresh. The panels are as straight as an arrow, and this beauty is rust-free. The chrome and glass look surprisingly good for their age, and the steel wheels with their color-coded spinner hubcaps and whitewalls add the perfect finishing touch.
The originality of this Edsel continues when we turn our attention to its interior. The carpet looks slightly faded, but that is the only item deserving criticism. The Green and White cloth and vinyl trim look excellent, with no wear or stains. Examining the photos leaves me wondering whether anyone has used the back seat because it is perfect. The dash is spotless, and there is only mild wheel wear. Ford brought a few gimmicks to the table with the Edsel, with all cars featuring a cool rotating drum speedometer rather than a traditional dial or “strip.” This car adds an AM radio to the mix, along with the quirky “Teletouch” shifter buttons in the wheel center.
It is disappointing that the seller supplied no engine photos, although we know this car features its original 410ci “E475” V8, producing 345hp and 475 ft/lbs of torque. Shifting duties are completed by a three-speed automatic transmission, allowing the Corsair to cover the ¼-mile in 16.2 seconds on its way to 123mph. Those figures are pretty impressive, considering this car tips the scales at 4,410 lbs. The seller claims it has a genuine 25,000 miles on the clock, although they don’t mention verifying evidence. However, the overall condition makes the claim plausible if it is a true survivor. They state that it runs and drives, but they provide no insight into how well it achives either feat. Posing questions on that subject would be worthwhile before committing the funds to this classic.
The Edsel experiment was a financial disaster for Ford, and the quality control issues experienced by buyers made it a public relations disaster. Edsel sold 9,192 examples of the Corsair during the first year, with 5,880 people selecting the 4-door variant. However, that was as good as it got. Sales plunged in 1959 before the company closed its doors and scrapped the program. No single factor caused its demise because Edsel faced a perfect storm of issues that made failure almost inevitable. A once unloved brand is now considered desirable, and the seller’s price for this Corsair looks highly competitive if their claims can be validated. It has only been on the market a few days, and I won’t be surprised if someone throws caution to the wind and hands over the cash to drive it home. Are you tempted?
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Comments
A beautiful car ! .Looks brand new. .IMO a reasonable price. ..I love it ! .❤️
I do love this car!
Just wanted to point out that $250 million in 1960 (assuming that’s when Ford folded up the Edsel tent) is the equivalent of $2.6 billion today. Ouch.
I had a Pacer convertible back in the 80s. A pink and white that had been sprayed all black. Pink and white inside. The teletouch went. I found one at a junkyard and when it quit I put a standard steering column from a Ranger in it. Mine had power windows, seat, tachometer. These cars received a bad rap. Aside from the column on a 30 year old car the car was great. A real beautiful example here.
Nice example, and in the color combination used in most of the promotional models handed out at Edsel dealers nationwide.
It appears that this car was recently sold from a dealership in MO, according to the ad I just found. I know this is the exact same car; but showing about 1500 miles less when sold, than the current seller states in his ad on C/L. > https://www.schmitt.com/inventory/ds-1958-edsel-corsair-4-door-hardtop/
Looks like the one that Cindy Williams drove in American Graffiti. Beautiful car!!
Beautiful looking car. I consider it unforgivable that the Edsel wasn’t a popular car. If only more pictures were posted on Craigslist. I’m of the belief that the more people see of the car the better.
Though I love the Edsel, I’d be very afraid to park one next to a 57 Chevy. The Chevy’s resemblance to an upside-down bathtub would make the Edsel’s front grill scream ‘urinal.’
Love the color and condition and the price looks reasonable. My only complaint is that it doesn’t have A/C but that wasn’t common in 1958 anyway. This car is actually not far from where I live and if my wife approves, I might drive up there and check this one out.
Luv the colors, hate that front end! Sorry Dan☹️
Go for it! Good luck to you! 🤞
I love the colors and the Edsel styling. Nice car but a 2dr would bring better money. It seems like the 4drs. of all makes are getting better recognition now that the supply of rebuildable 2drs. has gradually diminished.
At the time 4 doors greatly outnumbered 2 doors. 2 door models were often offered as cheap base models. Mid 50s with emphasis on hardtop pillarless was the beginning of greater interest. With many more 4 doors, the survival rate is much higher
Can’t recall where Corsair was on the line. Believe it was at the top or second. But this is a beauty. The first EDSEL was for me much better than subsequent designs. Guess everyone knows that the Ford family agreed to use EDSEL name only after numerous others (some ridiculous) from surveys and hiring poetess Maryanne Moore (who suggested Utilitarian Turtletop et al) failed. EDSEL was the right car at the Wrong time. Like DeSoto, EDSEL was squeezed from above and below. Recession and quality issues (shared by Chrysler) also played a role. Looks like a bon marche for anyone wanting a rare piece of American automotive history! 👍
The Edsel not only was a beautiful car , but the instrument designs like the push buttons in the steering wheel, and the rotating speedometer put it ahead of its time ! No other car maker had those luxury features . Not even Buick or Cadillac . 1958 was also a recession year affecting the U.S. economy and resulting in slow sales across the board . Another reason for the Edsel failure was ; ” too much competition among the automakers . It’s possible the Edsel was too expensive for a lot of people ?These are only my guesses . Happy Motoring !
Citation no.1 Corsair no. 2 Pacer no. 3 Ranger no.4 The upper two are physically bigger so fenders and other body stuff doesn’t work on the bottom two. The uppers are built on the Mercury platform and the two lesser, the Ford platform.
Thanks. I knew that there was a model above Corsair but didn’t recall the name. Didn’t remember the different platforms. 👍. Funny how Corsair was a failure and in 1960 Chevy Corvair was a hit. A family friend traded his 56 DeSoto for a 60 Corvsir. Sad evidence of shifting market.
The Citation had a trim piece inside that rear side enclosed curve (not sure that it enhanced anything). Edsel tanked in 1959 because attempting to graft its distinctive styling cues onto the new body-shell at Ford simply made it ugly. Whatever one thought of the ’58, at least there was visual harmony between the internal shell and what Edsel chose to do with the sheet-metal and grille. Why buy an ugly 1959 version of the Edsel, when you could get the utterly handsome all-new 1959 Ford? (acclaimed as ‘the world’s most beautifully-proportioned car”) — and Ford surely NEEDED that rescue! The ’58 Ford was a disaster in styling — it took the beautiful ’57, and made it hideous with that heavy-looking grille and elongated oval tail-lights that destroyed the graceful rear-end. Not finished, Ford re-worked the side-trim in a way that managed to detract further from the car! A very modest face-lift of the ’57 Ford would have been far better. And likewise with Edsel: they should have continued the older body-shell for the Edsel alone, and done a very minor face-lift for ’59. The 1960 Edsel was a pretty car in front and on the sides (I wanted one at the time!). It essentially was a Ford Galaxie with modified sheet-metal, but better-looking than the Ford. Only the rear of the 1960 Edsel was awkward: the re-styling of the ’60 Galaxie as an Edsel was too hasty, and the remnants of the Ford showed right through, making the Edsel tail-lights look like something a custom shop had done to a 1960 Ford — even to the remnants of the Ford tail-lights. What happened to Edsel involved more than 1958 as a recession year. The problem was Robert McNamera at Ford, who personally HATED the Edsel project, thwarted the needed advance establishment of a dealer-network, and did everything he could to kill the project. As to the demise of DeSoto: that 1961 model looked like a monstrosity — that didn’t help! In 1940, Dodge was a downscale Chrysler, sold at Chrysler dealers, and DeSoto was an upscale Plymoth, sold at Plymouth dealers. And even if you didn’t know that, the styling on the four marquis makes that obvious. But, into the 1950s, Dodge developed an identity quite separate from that of Chrysler, and its own dealerships; likewise with Plymouth. This left DeSoto out there as something of an “almost-Chrysler” — much as LaSalle was to Cadillac — and there was no clear market-slot for it by the end of the 1950s. Buick was saved from this fate, by having the quality of a Cadillac, without the ostentatiousness; so, if you wanted the quality without the “show-off” factor, you could happily own a Buick, and enjoy YIUR selection out-lasting the Cadillac in both long-term reliability and more timeless styling (for the most part).
Those two colors are my favorite, and a 4 door to booth. That is a beaitful car and I would park it next to my 57 Belair of the same color any day of the week!
I agree on both the colour and the we four doors, Randy! Sadly, I don’t have a ’57 BelAir to park it beside. But be careful: the Edsel blue might not match what Chevrolet used. (smile)