Edsel Corsair
Encyclopedia
The Edsel Corsair was an automobile produced by the former Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln Division (M-E-L) of the Ford Motor Company
of Dearborn, Michigan
and sold through its Edsel
marque in 1958 and 1959. For 1958, the Corsair was built on the longer Edsel wheelbase derived from Mercury
brand automobiles. In addition, it shared the Monterey
's body shell. For 1959, the Corsair shared the shorter Ford wheelbase with the entry-level Ranger
(and Ford Fairlane).
, shared its roof lines with Mercury models, as well as internal body components. Body parts between the Corsair and Citation models could not be shared with either the Ranger or Pacer
, which were built on the shorter Ford frames. A deep-dished safety steering wheel was standard.
Like the Citation, the Corsair was powered by the 345 bhp 410 cu in (6.7 l) E-475 V8 (with four-barrel {four choke} carburetor
), and came equipped with Edsel’s Teletouch
automatic
as standard. (This was a US$231 option on Ranger and Pacer models.) Unlike other Ford models that used a column-mounted gear selector, Teletouch placed its drive-selection buttons in the steering wheel hub where drivers were accustomed to finding the horn button. In emergency situations, damage to the transmission that might occur if the driver hit the Teletouch unit instead of the steering wheel's horn ring was prevented by an electro-hydraulic switch activated by internal transmission fluid pressure. A basic heater (as a US$92 option) and radio (at US$95) were available, and air conditioning was optional as well (at US$460). Also optional was an automatic trunk release, a tachometer, an automatic lube system, seat belts, a padded dash board, warning lights for low oil level and parking brake on, plus rear door safety locks to prevent young kids from opening them while the car is moving.
While its roll-out was highly publicized in the fall of 1957, the 1958 Edsel was a marketing disaster for Ford and Ford's corporate strategy for meeting General Motors
' product line for product line. Total Corsair output for the model stood at 9,987 units, only slightly better than the Citation. Of these units, 3,632 were hardtop
coupe
s (3,312 U.S. and 320 Canadian-built) and 6,355 were four-door hardtops (5,880 U.S. and 475 Canadian-built). Prices for the Corsair in 1958 ranged from US$3,311 to $3,390.
The 1959 Edsels were introduced in the fall of 1958. However, for the 1959 model year, the Citation and Pacer
models were dropped from Edsel's model range for 1959, as was the trouble-prone Teletouch system
.
The 1959 Edsel's styling was significantly toned-down, as was the vertical grille assembly, which now featured a fine bar pattern. The Corsair now represented the premium Edsel model range, replacing the discontinued Citation. Unlike in 1958, the Corsair now shared its body panels with the Ranger - the two being differentiated by trim and options. The Corsair also gained a four-door sedan and convertible version. Both wagon
s shared sheetmetal with Fords, from the front doors back, differentiated by dual taillights in the cove (or hollow), while backup lights took the place of the Ford's rear lights.
The 1959 Corsair rode on a 120 in (3048 mm) wheelbase and the Ford 332 cu in (5.4 l) V8 engine
was standard in sedans, with either a two- or four-barrel carburetor (a 292 cu in (4.8 l) two-barrel in wagons), as was a three-speed manual transmission
; the 361 cu in (5.9 l) E400 Edsel V8 (now called Super Express) was optional, and the 223 cu in (3.7 l) Ford straight six was a delete option. Replacing the Teletouch transmission
was the Mile-O-Matic, a two-speed automatic, or Dual-Power Drive 3-speed automatic (only available with the 361). Heater, defroster, and radio remained optional, as well.
With total 1959 Corsair output at 9,318, the Corsair was discontinued. For 1959, 2,468 hardtop coupes (2,315 U.S./153 Canada), 1,812 four-door hardtops (1,694 U.S./118 Canada), 1,343 convertibles (all U.S.) and 3,695 four-door sedans (3,301 U.S./394 Canada), were produced; hardtop sales were down 31% in two-doors and 71% in four-doors against 1958. Prices ranged from US$2,812 to $3,072, down some 15% from the previous year.
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
of Dearborn, Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
and sold through its Edsel
Edsel
The Edsel was an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company during the 1958, 1959, and 1960 model years. The Edsel never gained popularity with contemporary American car buyers and sold poorly. Consequently, the Ford Motor Company lost millions of dollars on the Edsel's development,...
marque in 1958 and 1959. For 1958, the Corsair was built on the longer Edsel wheelbase derived from Mercury
Mercury (automobile)
Mercury was an automobile marque of the Ford Motor Company launched in 1938 by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, to market entry-level luxury cars slotted between Ford-branded regular models and Lincoln-branded luxury vehicles, similar to General Motors' Buick brand, and Chrysler's namesake brand...
brand automobiles. In addition, it shared the Monterey
Mercury Monterey
The Monterey was introduced in 1950 as a high-end two-door coupe in the same vein as the Ford Crestliner, the Lincoln Lido coupe and the Lincoln Cosmopolitan Capri coupe. The reason was to offer a more luxurious coupe as the FoMoCo still not had any hard top. The Mercury line got a styling redesign...
's body shell. For 1959, the Corsair shared the shorter Ford wheelbase with the entry-level Ranger
Edsel Ranger
The Edsel Ranger was an automobile produced by the former Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln Division of the Ford Motor Company of Dearborn, Michigan, and sold through its Edsel marque in 1958. Rangers were built on the shorter Edsel platform, shared with the Ford Fairlane as was the Pacer...
(and Ford Fairlane).
1958
The Corsair represented the next-to-highest trim level available within the Edsel brand. It rode on Ford's 124 in (2997 mm) wheelbase In addition to high-grade interior appointments, the Corsair also received additional stainless steel trim and deluxe wheel covers. Available either as a two-door or four-door hardtop, the Corsair, like the premium CitationEdsel Citation
The Edsel Citation was the top of the line automobile produced by the former Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln Division of the Ford Motor Company of Dearborn, Michigan, and sold through its Edsel marque in 1958. The Citation was built on the longer Edsel platform, shared with Mercury brand automobiles, as was...
, shared its roof lines with Mercury models, as well as internal body components. Body parts between the Corsair and Citation models could not be shared with either the Ranger or Pacer
Edsel Pacer
The Edsel Pacer is an automobile produced by the former Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln Division of the Ford Motor Company of Dearborn, Michigan and sold through its Edsel marque in 1958. The Pacer was built off the shorter Edsel wheelbase, shared with the Ford Fairlane, as was the Edsel Ranger...
, which were built on the shorter Ford frames. A deep-dished safety steering wheel was standard.
Like the Citation, the Corsair was powered by the 345 bhp 410 cu in (6.7 l) E-475 V8 (with four-barrel {four choke} carburetor
Carburetor
A carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
), and came equipped with Edsel’s Teletouch
Teletouch
Teletouch was the trade name for the transmission controls found on many Edsel brand automobiles manufactured by the Edsel and Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln Divisions of the Ford Motor Company...
automatic
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
as standard. (This was a US$231 option on Ranger and Pacer models.) Unlike other Ford models that used a column-mounted gear selector, Teletouch placed its drive-selection buttons in the steering wheel hub where drivers were accustomed to finding the horn button. In emergency situations, damage to the transmission that might occur if the driver hit the Teletouch unit instead of the steering wheel's horn ring was prevented by an electro-hydraulic switch activated by internal transmission fluid pressure. A basic heater (as a US$92 option) and radio (at US$95) were available, and air conditioning was optional as well (at US$460). Also optional was an automatic trunk release, a tachometer, an automatic lube system, seat belts, a padded dash board, warning lights for low oil level and parking brake on, plus rear door safety locks to prevent young kids from opening them while the car is moving.
While its roll-out was highly publicized in the fall of 1957, the 1958 Edsel was a marketing disaster for Ford and Ford's corporate strategy for meeting General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
' product line for product line. Total Corsair output for the model stood at 9,987 units, only slightly better than the Citation. Of these units, 3,632 were hardtop
Hardtop
A hardtop is a term for a rigid, rather than canvas, automobile roof. It has been used in several contexts: detachable hardtops, retractable hardtop roofs, and the so-called pillarless hardtop body style....
coupe
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
s (3,312 U.S. and 320 Canadian-built) and 6,355 were four-door hardtops (5,880 U.S. and 475 Canadian-built). Prices for the Corsair in 1958 ranged from US$3,311 to $3,390.
| Body Style | Units |
|---|---|
| 2-Door Hardtop | 3,632 |
| 4-Door Hardtop | 6,355 |
| Total | 9,987 |
1959
Edsel Pacer
The Edsel Pacer is an automobile produced by the former Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln Division of the Ford Motor Company of Dearborn, Michigan and sold through its Edsel marque in 1958. The Pacer was built off the shorter Edsel wheelbase, shared with the Ford Fairlane, as was the Edsel Ranger...
models were dropped from Edsel's model range for 1959, as was the trouble-prone Teletouch system
Teletouch
Teletouch was the trade name for the transmission controls found on many Edsel brand automobiles manufactured by the Edsel and Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln Divisions of the Ford Motor Company...
.
The 1959 Edsel's styling was significantly toned-down, as was the vertical grille assembly, which now featured a fine bar pattern. The Corsair now represented the premium Edsel model range, replacing the discontinued Citation. Unlike in 1958, the Corsair now shared its body panels with the Ranger - the two being differentiated by trim and options. The Corsair also gained a four-door sedan and convertible version. Both wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
s shared sheetmetal with Fords, from the front doors back, differentiated by dual taillights in the cove (or hollow), while backup lights took the place of the Ford's rear lights.
The 1959 Corsair rode on a 120 in (3048 mm) wheelbase and the Ford 332 cu in (5.4 l) V8 engine
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
was standard in sedans, with either a two- or four-barrel carburetor (a 292 cu in (4.8 l) two-barrel in wagons), as was a three-speed manual transmission
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
; the 361 cu in (5.9 l) E400 Edsel V8 (now called Super Express) was optional, and the 223 cu in (3.7 l) Ford straight six was a delete option. Replacing the Teletouch transmission
Teletouch
Teletouch was the trade name for the transmission controls found on many Edsel brand automobiles manufactured by the Edsel and Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln Divisions of the Ford Motor Company...
was the Mile-O-Matic, a two-speed automatic, or Dual-Power Drive 3-speed automatic (only available with the 361). Heater, defroster, and radio remained optional, as well.
With total 1959 Corsair output at 9,318, the Corsair was discontinued. For 1959, 2,468 hardtop coupes (2,315 U.S./153 Canada), 1,812 four-door hardtops (1,694 U.S./118 Canada), 1,343 convertibles (all U.S.) and 3,695 four-door sedans (3,301 U.S./394 Canada), were produced; hardtop sales were down 31% in two-doors and 71% in four-doors against 1958. Prices ranged from US$2,812 to $3,072, down some 15% from the previous year.
| Body Style | Units |
|---|---|
| 2-Door Convertible | 1,343 |
| 2-Door Hardtop Coupe | 2,468 |
| 4-Door Hardtop | 1,812 |
| 4-Door Sedan | 3,694 |
| Total | 9,318 |
External links
- Edsel.com History, specifications, resources for owners.
- Smith Motor Company Virtual Edsel Dealer
- The International Edsel Club
- Edsel.US Restorer's discussion group