Awe...now they're gonna be worth more......just kidding......I think they are an awesome ride...a neighbor had a mild custom...I never tired of seeing it...
The prototype pics are so interesting to me. Originally, the E Car as it was known had over a thousand possible names, and toward the end, Ventura was looking to be what the new car would be called. The clue is the V shaped back up lights, and the triangle shaped emblem on the rear quarters, instead of the green shield (known as the pickle) of early prototypes. Another interesting pic here is the sketch to the left of the 1959 Edsel photo. I have seen that that was going to be what the 1961 Edsel was going to look like. Which, ended up being used as the base design on the 1962 Mercury.
What's the deal with the "basket handles" under the side glass? Wasn't that getting a little old by then?
I don't think that the car was viable after the '58 roll-out. It turned off many potential buyers right then and there. Plus it should have been named something else. The Ventura would have worked and beat Pontiac to the punch.
I have a buddy with a running/driving 59 edsel hardtop four door with like 32000 miles on it that he's had since around 06/07. Refuses to sell it to me because he knows I'd use it to build a 55/56 Ford with the 352 and 9" out of it and then build a custom out of the edsel..... normally it wouldnt be an issue with him but he knows one thing id do is eliminate the "iconic" grill lol
The Jalopy Journal
