Fasten your seat belts. Today we’re riding along with famed automotive writer Tom McCahill as he test-drives the hot new 1958 Edsel. It’s classic McCahill, don’t miss it.
REVISED AND EXPANDED—For the launch of the 1958 Edsel, Ford Motor Company produced a whole slew of short promotional films, including this little gem starring the favorite uncle of all automotive writers, Tom McCahill. Here are just a few reasons to watch:
+ Check out the awesome glimpses of Ford’s expansive Dearborn Proving Grounds, originally Ford Airport (read the neat history of the facility here) with the Henry Ford Museum in the background, and the new Ford World Headquarters (aka the Glass House) in frame as well.
+ There’s a solid sales pitch for the 1958 Edsel, one of the most fascinating flops in automotive history, including plenty of fancy maneuvers and on-track action. The Edsel may have been a disaster for Ford Motor Company, but it’s still one of the great car biz stories.
+ Best of all, we get to see and hear Tom McCahill in the flesh. As automotive correspondent for Mechanix Illustrated, a leading workbench magazine of the day, Uncle Tom virtually invented the craft of auto road test reporting in America, and for decades he was the profession’s leading light. In this bit, his blustery persona and zany wordsmithing (“handles like a bowling ball in a laundry chute”) are in full display.
In other words, this is not to be missed. Please enjoy the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMLWhJW9baM
I’ve never seen an issue of Mechanix Illustrated but have read many reprints of his tests put out as promotional material by car companies. Did he ever have a bad word to say about anything? Reviewers continue to be beholden to their advertisers today.
Looking back at the role of Mercury in the Sixties, there wasn’t a solid niche for Edsel and I don’t think they would have been successful unless they presented a solid theme like small cars or performance. It’s my understanding that the Falcon was supposed to be an Edsel.
I believe it was the Comet that was supposed to be an Edsel, to the point that the first Comet (1961?) shared taillights with the hardly-produced ’60 Edsel.
“Like a bowling ball in a laundry chute…”? Seemed to wallow more than a pig in a fresh puddle of mud! I don’t believe that it was McCahill actually driving during the action shots. If it was, the viewer would have had a better look at the driver. It was a neat little film, regardless.
Grant, the car was not the Comet, but a Mercury Meteor.
The internet says Grant is correct. http://www.61thriftpower.com/edsel.shtml
Like a bowling ball in a laundry chute…”?
In Tom’s defense, bowling balls do roll over quite a bit as they go down the chute. But I agree with you that I would fear for my life on every cloverleaf with a suspension like that. It handles like a 2017 Ford Explorer.
~ Cannon ball. Not that it matters.
Lousy salesman,, in hindsight. To use used to modern cars it handles all right. Though I feel the shocks were a bit sad when they started!
Though actually some modern radials, modern shocks and it would standup ok with any other car of the era.
The FE block ’58 Ford was a good oval track dirt racer. So it would be no real stretch to believe it couldn’t have upgrades to match the ’58 Fords performance.
I drove a 58 Edsel Corsair and loved every moment of it. I still like their look to this day.
My favorite McCahillism was his description of (I think it was an Oldsmobile’s) ride as “smooth as an eel swimming in a bathtub of whipped cream.”