Car: Edsel Pacer Convertible
Year: 1958
What makes it special: The Pacer model was produced by Edsel and was based on the shorter, more narrow Edsel platform which was also used by Ford and the Ranger. It is one of two Edsel model names reused by other manufacturers, Corsair being the other, which was used for the Henry J by the Kaiser-Frazer corporation.
What made it famous: The Edsel was famous for it’s horseshoe shaped grille and the Pacer model was a step up from the basic Ranger model, with contoured seats, extra-stainless steel exterior and interior trim pieces and nylon cloth upholstery. It was powered by a standard 303hp, 361 cu in 4-barrel FE V8. A 3-speed manual transmission was also standard but could be upgraded to a 3-speed automatic with either a standard column-mounted gear selector or the Teletouch automatic where the drive-selection buttons were located in the center of the steering wheel.
Why I would want one: As bad a rap and the butt of jokes as it may have received, I find the Edsel to be a good looking car, and a change of pace style-wise.
Fun fact: The Teletouch automatic proved to be problematic, and was dropped.