[Closed] PIC: A very rare and different 58 Edsel Citation convertible

If that was ordered that way, I would guess it had to be paid for entirely in advance as very.......

few if any buyers would want one like that. Ask me how I know.

I believe back up lights were not standard until 1967 or there about.

OK John you hooked me in...how do you know? 😉

The majority of Edsel,s had them.

Ok Barry, I'll tell you......

Back in '63 ( just 20 years old) I wanted a new Pontiac Grand Prix. To keep the price down, I thought I could order one with just the basics plus a few must have options like the vinyl top and the 8 lug wheels plus a four speed and tinted glass. Oh and a base AM radio. (don't recall if the base radio was standard or an option.) No power steering, no power brakes, no power windows, no AC, no power seats, no cruise control. The dealer was Alpine Pontiac located on 18th Ave and 86 Street, Brooklyn, NY. He would not submit the order unless I paid cash up front because he figured if I backed out before delivery, he would be stuck with an unsellable car. So I kept my '59 Plymouth.

Same thing happened to my father-in-law. He ordered a stripped '75 Cutlass also with no A/C and an

AM radio. Dealer made him pay cash for the same reason.

This restoration was done as a "what if"...it's not even painted in the original factory color combo. There are no known Edsel Citation convertibles in this color combo. They were all "created" later, including Kris Trexler's which has been photographed extensively. (His was originally charcoal brown metallic.) This car was originally gold and frost white with matching interior. Clock and padded dash were standard on Citations. See those two chrome pieces on the outside of the large oval gauge pod? If this car had been ordered without a padded dash, those chrome pieces would not be there. They were omitted on Edsels with non-padded dashes.

The very first 58 Edsel I saw unloaded at the dealer,

Lockwood Edsel Sales in Roseburg, Oregon was a black and white Citation convertible.
It wouldn't come out of park on the truck due to the fact that it was allowed to roll just enough once on the truck to put to much pressure on the park lock and the electric shift motor just wasn't strong enough to pull it out.
The one and only mechanic there had to remove the linkage pin and with someone in the drivers seat (the truck driver) the mechanic put it into gear by hand and drove it into the service bay in reverse.
I was very much involved with the Edsel right from the start.

Here is my last 58 Citation with factory AC and only 62K and all original interior and paint, in mint condition just 10 years ago. I still miss it and have owned several Edsel's.
photo no longer available
Lockwood Edsel Sales and my life long friend and then sales manager Frank Sumstine with the first Edsel sold.

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My last Citation with factory AC here in Everett at a car show.

Chalk Pink is so cool! I've owned mainly '58s, but one '59 and two '60s.

OK Barry ... how do you ... Aw Man !!! ... To Late - Somebody beat me to it!! he he he he

To me ... They just catch me for some strange reason ... I would have

I think I would have liked to be able to drive on of those way back in the day

Born is '56 ... there was no driving for me at that time :))

:O

😉

I was born in 1958; bought my first Edsel (a '59 Ranger 2HT) in 1995.