Volume XLIX, Issue 1 Edsel Owners Club Inc. January 2016 T HE B IG E The Edsel Citation - Serial #700001 at the Henry Ford Museum By Phil Skinner INSIDE THIS ISSUE: The Citation at 1 the Henry Ford Museum President’s 2 Letter The Citation 3 continued New reproduction 4 E-Day pennant Among the many cars proudly displayed at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, is a pristine original 1958 Edsel Citation 4-door hardtop, in the colors of Spring Green and White. It streamers has only been driven 1,948 miles and has been stored by the museum since it was brand new. The Citation 5 It was later put on display in the 1980s. There are many unique features of this particular Edsel as it is the top-of-the-line Citation model, and it is well equipped with a number of desirable continued options. Its options include: power-windows, power front seat, and a factory tachometer. How- ever, the most unique feature of this Edsel is its serial number. It is the very first production- Agenda for 6 model Edsel to have rolled out of the Somerville, Massachusetts, assembly plant. Hence it upcoming “Rollin’ wears a data plate with the serial number X8SX700001 as pictured below. (Continued on Page 3) to the River” Event Calendar of 7 Events and welcome new members Green Line Edsel 8-9 Action Ads About The Edsel 10 Owners Club IN THIS ISSUE: New reproduction Edsel pennant streamers are now available! - See page 4 The Big E Page 2 Hello Everyone! Being trapped in the clutches of winter often means no time spent on the Edsel, but thanks to the computer, Edsel entertainment is everywhere. Many Edsel friends are collectors of vintage "Kodachrome" postcards, and many of these cards show parking lots and street scenes that contain Edsels. New discoveries keep showing up, and there are also vintage photographs that are offered for sale on eBay and other places that feature Edsels. Here is a picture dated 1956 and named "Edsel Test Mule." And another shot shows a family pulled off to the side of the road, looking through the trunk of their 59 Ranger with Kentucky plates. It's fun how such pictures enable us to do a bit of "time travel." I've recently discovered a couple of "Movie Edsels" I'd not known of before. There is a 59 Corsair featured in "The Bat," and a very early Terri Garr movie named "Where's The Bus?" shows a lot of traffic on Hollywood Boulevard, includ- From the President’s Desk! ing a Citation 4-door, among other gems. Keep counting the minutes until spring! Regards, George Volume XLIX, Issue 1 Page 3 By now you all should have received your copy of the 2016 EOC Calendar. If you wish to order extra copies of these calendars, they are $15.00 each, which includes postage Please contact Lois Roth, Phone: 503-492-0878 or e-mail: [email protected] (Citation at the Henry Ford Museum, continued from Page 1) The date code stamped on the data plate reads “29G” which indicates that the car was produced on, or about, July 29, 1957. This was a little over two weeks after the Louisville plant had begun production of the Edsels. The docent at the museum graciously allowed us to examine the Citation more closely. I opened the door and found the interior to be as fresh and pliable as the day it was built. Since this was a special-order car, there was probably extra care in the detailing and installation process at the factory. The gold mylar on the bottom of the door panels was perfect and it reflected like a mirror. The rubber weather stripping was still soft to the touch. I opened the hood to view the engine bay, which is pretty much just as it was when it left the Somerville plant. Another treasure chest of originality information. However the washer jar appears to have been replaced with a NOS unit at one time, as it is wearing a Mercury decal that dates from around 1952-1954. I walked around to the front of the Citation and noted that the center grille is a perfect original example of how the "impact ring" (better known as the “horsecollar”) looked during production. The grille mesh behind the impact ring is painted argent silver in the center inside the ring, whereas, the mesh is painted black on the outside. Some Edsels, when being restored, have their grille mesh incorrectly repainted all black, instead of having the center section, inside the impact ring, painted argent silver. (Continued on Page 5) The Big E Page 4 NEW ITEM ANNOUNCEMENT— Reproduction E-Day dealership pennant streamers: “START THE YEAR WITH . THE NEWEST OF THE NEW!!" Available now: the popular E-day dealership pennant streamers reproduced in high quality, weather resistant vinyl. The alternating green and white pennants each measure 12" x 18" with an overall length of 14'. There are six total pennants per streamer (three green and three white). The pennants are one-sided (as were the originals) and form the center 10' section of the streamer. At either end is 2' of line useful for tying/fastening. An inconspicuous "REPRODUCTION" note appears on the reverse of the green pennant. While every attempt has been made to reproduce these streamers as historically accurate as possible, 1957 production methods and materials no longer exist. Up close, the pennants may appear slightly grainy, but this is un-noticeable when seen (as intended) from a distance. Please refer to the attached photographs. These streamers would look great in your garage, man cave, or at chapter meetings or car shows. Now's your chance to have your very own! Please send $45 U.S. via PAYPAL ([email protected]) or mail a check payable to Jonathan Fox for $45 U.S. for each set of pennant streamers (postage paid). Jonathan Fox, 235 Martha Anne Drive, Shreveport, LA 71115. Questions or comments, please call (318) 798-5906 or e-mail [email protected] Volume XLIX, Issue 1 Page 5 (Citation at the Henry Ford Museum, continued from Page 3) Then I walked to the rear of the Citation and noticed that the factory did a less-than-perfect job masking the line between the two colors. The factory took a little short - cut in masking the cut - line between the taillight and trunk - lock bar, marking it straight across rather than from tip-to-tip. The trunk - lid was opened, which revealed its original Firestone spare tire, jack and jack-handle/lug nut wrench. The trunk floor rubber mat looks like it has never carried a suitcase, golf - bag, or even a briefcase. However, we did notice some Spring Green paint overspray on the inside right panel by the trunk hinge, which might indicate problems and repairs to the trunk hinge when new. The base price of this Citation was $3,580.00 when new, and with the addition of options, came to $4,396.00, not including the dealer preparation charges and the cost of shipping from the factory. The Big E Page 6 Rollin’ to the River Laughlin, Nevada Edsel Event March 18 -19, 2016 Riverside Hotel & Casino Contact Riverside Hotel & Casino to reserve your room by calling 800-227-3849 option 1 Use reference group code C/M.E.L.16 Room prices are: Mid-week-(Sun-Thurs) $40.00 per night plus tax and Weekend-(Fri & Sat) $60.00 per night plus tax Friday March 18, 2016 Oatman, AZ-Friday Morning Cool Springs Service Station Laughlin River Dinner Cruise-Friday Evening (You need to contact Laughlin River Tours to reserve your seating and place your meal selection at the following link): https://reservations.laughlinrivertours.com/reserve/res5337-edsel-group-dinner-crui or by phone at 800-228-9825. Inform them you are with the Edsels in Laughlin. Last year was a sellout, make your reservation ASAP. It will sell out again. Menu and prices (includes taxes and tip): $50.20 Prime Rib of Beef Choice of prime rib, cooked to perfection, served with roasted red potatoes $47.20 Breast of Chicken Marsala Tender breast of chicken, smothered with mushrooms and marsala wine sauce, served with garden wild rice and vegetable medley Captain’s Catch of the Day Salmon filet, prepared with lemon pepper and dill butter, served with garden wild rice and vegetable medley Pasta Tri-colored tortellini, served with marinara sauce and vegetable medley There is a NO HOST bar. All dinner selections are prepared fresh on board. Advanced reservation is required for the dinner cruise. Boarding begins at 5:45 PM at the Aquarius boat dock. The boat leaves the dock promptly at 6:00 PM unless otherwise noted. No refunds will be made for no-show guests. Call 1-800-228-9825 for reservations. March 19, 2016 Awards Banquet-Saturday evening 5:00 – 9:00 pm (NOTE NEW TIME) Banquet is $35.00 per person in the Harbor Port Rooms on the second floor. Please register early so we can let the Riverside Hotel & Casino know how many to expect. Banquet must be paid when you send in your registration for the car show. T-Shirt Purchase The picture on the front of the flyer is our logo for this year’s T-Shirt. If you are interested in a T-Shirt order by February 29, 2016. There will not be any orders taken for T-Shirts after this date. Small, Medium, Large, and X Large $25.00 each 2 XL, and 3 XL $28.00 each ***For registration form, or if you have any questions, please contact: Larry and Kristina Nopper 517 S.