The word Edsel has turned out to be synonymous with disappointment in the American culture. Notwithstanding, once in a while awful is great. This is the situation with respect to the recently well known routine with regards to gathering Edsel autos. Numerous individuals consider Edsel vehicles the most ludicrous model at any point made, having a lot of style yet positively no quality other than that. Be that as it may, nowadays Edsels have progressed toward becoming an incredible fascination by prized show vehicles, at any rate in certain circles.
The History of the Edsel
Edsels were debuted by Ford Motor Company in 1956 in an attempt to fix the dearth of medium-sized cars the company was experiencing. Named after Henry Ford’s son, the line became famous as one of Ford’s infamous flops. In fact, the line almost sunk the company. Edsel as a line failed when it first came out because of bad marketing, and the incident has in fact become known as exemplary of a marketing disaster and specifically as an example of America’s difficulty with marketing in the 1950s. The Edsel has actually become the butt of many jokes, undeservedly, some think. Featured in Pee Wee’s Big Adventure and Airplane II, in which the car’s engine was used to get a spaceship up and running, some may recognize the Edsel from these movies.
The Edsel as a Collector Car
There were never that many Edsels made, so they are pretty rare to begin with. This may be one reason that they have become popular collector cars, which their owners collect with loyalty. 5,000 Edsels are believed to be in existence these days.
One outstanding and characterizing feature of the Edself is its front grille, termed a horsecollar grille. At the time of manufacture, this vertical grille was considered a bold change and even a possible forerunner of upcoming popular style features.
Some specific models within the Edsel category are worth even more and are hot items in the collector car market. For instance, Mahwah Edsels are especially prized because of their rarity; they were sold on the eastern side of the country, and not many survived the climate’s harsh winters.
One thing that might be difficult in owning an Edsel is finding parts to restore it. Since the cars were not produced to the extent of many others, they are rare in the first place. Obtaining high-end OEM speedparts is reported as being particularly challenging.
Why Now Could be the Best Time to Buy an Edsel?
Now seems like quite the opportune time to buy an Edsel for those who are interested. They are considered to be well-priced at the moment for those like us at Leland West Insurance who are interested in collectible cars. Some people consider the Edsel to be a poor man’s collectible car because even with their relatively few numbers, there still seem to be more out there than people who have to have them.