Edsel Ranger 1958
Edsel launched its Edsel brand with the 'Ranger' model being the entry level and built on a 118-inch wheelbase. In fact that wheelbase was also shared with the more expensive 'Pacer' and both cares shared bodies with the 118-inch Ford Fairlane. Power came from a 5,916cc ohv 361 V8 which gave 303bhp. For 1958 the Ranger was available as 2 or 4-door sedans, 2 or 4-door hardtops, and the 2-door Roundup station wagon with the 4-door Village station wagon. One option for the low price Ranger was Teletouch Automatic transmission, but this was very troublesome and was dropped for 1959. Only 63,000 Edsels were sold in the first year.
aa Edsel Ranger 1958 4-door saloon badge
aa Edsel Ranger 1958 4-door saloon badge
Edsel Ranger 4-door saloon 1958 - badge on front wing. Ken Pheasant designed the scripts and nameplates. The 'Ranger' was the entry level Edsel, above this came the Pacer, Corsair and Citation.
ab Edsel Ranger 1958 grille
ab Edsel Ranger 1958 grille
Edsel Ranger 2-door hardtop 1958. The Edsel was designed by Roy Brown, and one of the most controversial aspects of the design was what was termed the 'horse collar' grille, although there were many worse opinions of it. Jim Sipple is credited with designing this grille.
ac Edsel Ranger 1958 2-door hardtop head
ac Edsel Ranger 1958 2-door hardtop head
Edsel Ranger 2-door hardtop 1958. The Edsel was given the newly fashionable quad lamps as a matter of course, but because some states had still not authorised them, single lamp units were fitted to some cars instead.
ac Edsel Ranger 1958 4-door sedan head
ac Edsel Ranger 1958 4-door sedan head
Edsel Ranger 4-door sedan 1958. A 5,911cc (361) ohv V8 303bhp engine was fitted to the entry level Ranger. 6,576 Edsel Ranger 4-door sedans were sold in 1958. Sales were much lower than intended, with only 110,000 Edsels produced in 3 years when the plan called for 100,000 in each year. However, 1958 saw a big recession in American car sales, with many brands selling less than 60 per cent of 1957 figures.
Edsel Ranger 1958 2-door hardtop frontm
Edsel Ranger 1958 2-door hardtop frontm
Edsel Ranger 1958 2-door hardtop. This one has the optional 5,911cc (361) V8 engine
Edsel Ranger 1958 2-door hardtop rearm
Edsel Ranger 1958 2-door hardtop rearm
Edsel Ranger 1958 2-door hardtop. The hardtop was borrowed from the Ford Fairlane. Those who criticise Edsel styling are really only seeing the front and rear treatments; these were very much 'inperiod' with what General Motors and Chrysler were doing to their cars.
Edsel Ranger 1958 2-door hardtop sidem
Edsel Ranger 1958 2-door hardtop sidem
Edsel Ranger 1958 2-door hardtop. For 1958 the Ranger was on the same 118-inch wheelbase as the Fairlane whose bodies it shared. But the Ranger body was six inches longer than the Fairlane to try and create a more upmarket car.
Edsel Ranger 1958 2-door sedan front
Edsel Ranger 1958 2-door sedan front
Edsel Ranger 1958 2-door sedan. Roy Brown designed the doomed 1958 Edsel, and the 'Ranger' model line was the entry level version of this car.
Edsel Ranger 1958 2-door sedan rear
Edsel Ranger 1958 2-door sedan rear
Edsel Ranger 1958 2-door sedan. The 2-door sedan is distinguishable from the 2-door hardtop by the fact that the hardtop does not have a b-pillar; the sedan is pillared.
Edsel Ranger 1958 4-door saloon frontg
Edsel Ranger 1958 4-door saloon frontg
Edsel Ranger 1958 4-door saloon. Controversial styling by Roy Brown, coupled with mistakes in marketing meant a sales disaster for the Edsel right from the launch in 1958.
Edsel Ranger 1958 4-door saloon rear
Edsel Ranger 1958 4-door saloon rear
Edsel Ranger 4-door saloon 1958. The Edsel was launched in 4 different series and body styles which included both 2-door and 4-door Sedans, 2-door and 4-door Hardtops, Convertibles and Station Wagons.
Edsel Ranger 1958 4-door sedan front
Edsel Ranger 1958 4-door sedan front
Edsel Ranger 1958 4-door saloon
Edsel Ranger 1958 4-door sedan rear
Edsel Ranger 1958 4-door sedan rear
Edsel Ranger 1958 4-door saloon. In spite of branding the Edsel as a new Ford Division, this entry level Ranger 4-door sedan was actually a Ford Fairlane 500 4-door sedan with altered front and rear, plus scalloped side panels. Even the 118-inch wheelbase was the same as the Fairlane.
l Edsel Ranger 1958 4-door saloon lamp
l Edsel Ranger 1958 4-door saloon lamp
Edsel Ranger 4-door saloon 1958. Even the rear lamps of Roy Brown's 1958 Edsel were trying to make a statement.
Mercury Monterey 1957 4-door sedan front
Mercury Monterey 1957 4-door sedan front
Mercury Monterey 1957 4-door sedan. The Monterey 4-door sedan was the big seller, and 53,839 were made in 1957. Montereys were powered by the 5,115cc (312) Y-block V8 engine, but there was also a 6,029cc (368) option.