On display at the Kansas City Automotive Museum was a restored example of a last hurrah: the 1960 Edsel Ranger. Named in honor of Edsel Ford, the son of Henry Ford and former president of the company, the Edsel brand existed only from model years 1958-60. The idea behind the brand was to fill a perceived gap in the Ford model lineup, offering cars that could compete with mid-priced cars from Buick and Oldsmobile at General Motors.
Vehicles assembled under the Edsel nameplate, sometimes numbering as many as seven different models, shared about 80 percent of their body and mechanical components with standard Ford models of the time. Sales performance failed to meet projections, and production fell with each subsequent year. By the final model year in 1960, there were just two models built: Ranger passenger car and Villager station wagon.
A magazine advertisement called the Edsel Ranger nifty and thrifty, saying, “Look who’s buying Edsel for 1960. Style-wise people who judge a car outside and in. They know Edsel combines clean, spirited exterior lines with interior beauty of luxury-car smartness. Wall-to-wall carpeting, decorator fabrics, functionally designed instrument panel — all so excitingly new!”
The Ranger received a facelift for 1960 that replaced the prior vertical horse-collar grille with a more traditional split design. Features of the white two-door on display at the museum included quad headlights, chrome bumpers, antenna, dual side mirrors, wheel skirts, whitewall tires, and — gotta love these! — curb feelers.
The interior was upholstered in green vinyl and cloth upholstery, complete with a radio, heater, and E-branded rubber floor mats.
Ford officially discontinued the Edsel line on November 19, 1959, after realizing significant financial losses on the brand. There were a few reasons why Edsel couldn’t quite make it: Among them, the division was launched right as the United States entered an economic recession in late 1957. Some of the cars’ designs (especially the front ends on 1958-59 models with the vertical grille) were controversial, and the Edsel pricing structure overlapped with that of some existing Ford and Mercury models.
Despite the short-lived nature of the Edsel brand, today, there is a strong following for surviving cars. The Edsel Owners Club, first established in 1967, publishes a bi-monthly newsletter called “The Big E.” It also offers a yearly calendar, hosts an annual convention, and offers discounts and information on parts resources. Registration costs $60 per year; the membership form is available here.
