by vGoing back to the late 1950s, Ford wanted a fourth brand in order to gain more market share, and so Edsel was established as an expansion of the Lincoln-Mercury division, joining the latter two in the fight against Chrysler and GM.
Before getting discontinued in 1960, Edsel produced the Corsair, available as either a two-door or four-door hardtop and powered by a 345 hp 410 ci V8 engine, mated to a standard Teletouch automatic gearbox, but we’ll talk about the transmission a bit later.
This Corsair is a first-generation 1958 model, and you can bid on it through Bring a Trailer if you don’t let the clock run out on the auction.
In terms of appearance, it’s got its factory Ice Green exterior with the Frost White roof and body accents, although it had to be repainted under previous ownership. It also comes with chrome bumpers with overriders, reverse lights and dual fender-mounted mirrors, while the 20-inch wheels feature 255/35 front and 275/40 rear Milestar tires.
There’s basically no angle from which this car doesn’t look quirky. Whether it’s the front end with the vertical grille and quad headlights, the profile with those gigantic sculpted fenders, or the rear end with the eyebrow-like taillights. It’s all one big quirk-fest.
As for the interior, it’s got bench seats trimmed in green cloth and vinyl (same for the door panels), and then you’ve got the convenience and safety features such as the crank windows, lap belts, AM radio, heater and cigar lighter. Pretty much all you could ask for in that era.
Now, what’s really interesting here is the steering wheel, with its hub-mounted Teletouch drive selector buttons, activating the three-speed automatic transmission. The hub is fixed, just like on a second-generation Citroen C5, so that the push-button gearbox is always in the same position regardless of how you turn the wheel.
Ultimately, this is not a mint condition car, because it does have 74,000 miles (119,000 km) on the clock. It is however relatively well-kept and should make for great dinner table conversation.
