1958 Edsel Corsair

During the mid-1950s, Ford had a vast lineup, needing only a mid-priced car to fill out its nameplate's range. The solution was the Edsel brand, which skillfully blended Ford and Mercury features to fill the niche between the two nameplates. Buyers were able to customize their cars through a vast array of options, accessories, and trim upgrades.

With the introduction of the Edsel brand in 1958, Ford created an entirely new organization to handle its marketing and sales, and over 1,000 dealers signed up in advance. The public launch on September 4th, 1957, introduced the 'roadblock' advertising techniques; Edsel ads were shown on all three broadcast television networks simultaneously.

Perhaps even better known than its spectacular introduction was the company's demise. Barely two years later, the last Edsel left the production line. This earnestly and elaborately planned attempt to fill in Ford's range had nearly destroyed the Ford Motor Company.

The 1958 Edsel model line consisted of the Ranger, Pacer, Corsair, and Citation. Bodystyles of the Corsair included a two- and four-door hardtop. They had similar appearances to Mercurys (Both the Corsair and Citation shared many components with the 1958 Mercury) with a longer footprint, unique roof styling, wraparound backlight, and Corsair identification. The horse collar center grille housed the Edsel block lettering.

Both the Corsair and Citation were powered by an eight-cylinder, overhead-valve, 410 cubic-inch engine offering 345 horsepower. It was mated to a three-speed automatic transmission with a push-button Teletouch Drive. The front suspension was independent of coil springs. In the back was a live axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs. Hydraulic-actuated brakes were located at all four corners. Standard equipment included courtesy lights on the instrument panel, two coat hooks, chromed inside rearview mirror, a white vinyl headliner, color-keyed floor carpeting, a cigarette lighter, ashtrays, and front and rear armrests.

The two-door hardtop had a base price of $3,300, while the four-door version sold for nearly $3,400. A total of 3,312 examples of the two-door and 5,880 of the four-door were built.

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2019