Edsel Pacer
| Edsel | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Pacer | |
| Production period: | 1958 |
| Class : | upper middle class |
| Body versions : | Sedan , coupe , convertible |
| Engines: |
Otto engine : 5.9 liters (223 kW) |
| Length: | 5413 mm |
| Width: | 2000 mm |
| Height: | 1430 mm |
| Wheelbase : | 2997 mm |
| Empty weight : | 1733-1953 kg |
The Edsel Pacer was an upper middle class passenger car that the Ford Motor Company in Dearborn (Michigan) only manufactured under the brand name Edsel in the 1958 model year . Like the Ranger , the Pacer was built on the shorter Edsel platform that these models shared with the Ford Fairlane .
Pacer was one of two Edsel model names that were later used by other automobile manufacturers; the other was citation .
The equipment of the Pacer was one step above the basic Ranger model . It also had contoured seat backs, nylon seat covers and color-matched floor mats, as well as decorative parts made of stainless steel inside and outside and on the window frames. The vehicles were equipped with interior heating as standard; the air conditioning was an extra.
All Pacer had, as well as the Ranger, a chassis with 2997 mm wheelbase, a V8 engine with 5915 cc capacity, of a power of 303 hp (226 kW) at 4600 min -1 gave. The car was equipped with a manually operated three-speed gearbox as standard. The buyers could also opt for a three-stage automatic with a selector lever on the steering column. Another option was the heavily advertised, but quite malfunction- prone Teletouch automatic, which was operated with dial buttons in the steering wheel hub.
After Ford conducted intensive market research and saw possible sales of over 400,000 vehicles annually for the segment of mid-range cars up to US $ 5,000, it invested over US $ 250 million in research, design, production facilities and the expansion of its own factories. Although the presentation of the car in the autumn of 1957 was accompanied by a lot of advertising, the sales figures were disappointing. A total of 20,988 Pacers were delivered in the USA and Canada , 1,876 convertibles (all made in the USA), 7,141 4-door sedans (6,083 from the USA, 1,058 from Canada), 6,717 2-door hardtop coupes (6,139 from the USA and 578 from Canada) and 5,254 4-door hardtop sedans (4,959 from the US and 295 from Canada). The sales prices ranged from US $ 2,700 to US $ 2,993. Even in 1958 with 26,500 and 1959 with 30,000 vehicles sold, they were far behind the targeted sales figures. In 1960 the Edsel Pacer only found 2,800 buyers.
In the 1959 model year, the Pacer was phased out, although it sold best of all Edsel models in 1958; The top model Citation and the Teletouch automatic transmission, which was only introduced in autumn 1958, also disappeared .
Web links
- Edsel.com history, specifications and parts lists for owners
- Smith Motor Company (Edsel Virtual Dealer)
- The International Edsel Club (English)
- "Auto Biography" - Failure Magazine examines the history of the Edsel , (March 2002)
- Discussion forum of Edsel restorers in the USA (English)
literature
- Bonsall, Thomas E .: Disaster in Dearborn: The Story of the Edsel , Stamford University Press (2002), ISBN 0-8047-4654-0 .
- Duetsch, Jan: The Edsel and Corporate Responsibility , Yale University (1976), ISBN 0-300-01950-5 .
- Gunnell, John (editor): The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975 , Krause Publications, Iola (1987), ISBN 0-87341-096-3 .
- Heasley, Jerry: The Production Figure Book For US Cars , Motorbooks International (1977), ISBN 0-87938-042-X .
- Triplett, Ty: The Edsel Owner's Handbook , 2nd Edition, International Edsel Club (1990)
Individual evidence
- ↑ CARS: The $ 250 Million Flop on time.com November 30, 1959, accessed July 21, 2017