1958 Edsel Pacer

The all-new 1958 Edsel was launched on September 4, 1957, as a product of the Edsel Division of Ford Motor Company. The Edsel was created at the behest of Henry who wanted a greater presence in the mid-price field. Product wide, the car was on par or better with most of its competition. In the power department, its 361 cubic-inch, 303 horsepower engine with a four-barrel carburetor was the standard engine, no two-barrel economy motor here.

In the 50s, pushbuttons were all the rage so what could be better than a push-button transmission in the steering wheel! That was a first in the industry as was the self-adjusting brakes. The Edsel styling view from the side was clean and not overdone in chrome trim, and from the rear, it was also pretty nice. But not everyone liked the vertical grill at a time when all cars were into a horizontal theme. The September 1957 introduction date fell right in with the economic downturn that took a big bite out of the mid-price market and started the Edsel on its way to doom. This example is one of 1,876 Pacer convertibles built for 1958. The colors are chalk pink and jet black - now that is 1950 for sure!