The Edsel Bermuda is a station wagon that was produced and sold by Edsel in 1958. Like the Edsel Villager and Edsel Roundup station wagons, the Bermuda was built on a 116-inch (2,946 mm) wheelbase shared with Ford's station wagons, as well as core body stampings.
| Edsel Bermuda | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Edsel (Ford) |
| Model years | 1958 |
| Assembly | Mahwah, New Jersey Louisville, Kentucky San Jose, California |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Full-size |
| Body style | 4-door station wagon |
| Related | Edsel Pacer Edsel Ranger Edsel Villager Edsel Roundup Ford Fairlane Ford Custom Ford Country Squire |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 361 cu in (5.9 L) FE V8 |
| Transmission | 3-speed manual 3-speed automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 116 in (2,946 mm) |
| Curb weight | 4,100 lb (1,860 kg) |
Overview
edit
The Bermuda represented the highest trim level available within the Edsel brand for a station wagon, and was only available during Edsel's introductory year of 1958. In addition to deluxe interior appointments, the Bermuda also was outfitted with simulated wood panels and frames, a hallmark of premium station wagon models produced by Ford and Mercury. The Bermuda came in six and nine-passenger configurations.[1] To separate the Bermuda from Ford models, the Bermuda received Edsel's front fascia and vertical grille assembly as well as unique boomerang-shaped taillights. The shape of the taillights posed a problem when used as turn indicators – the left hand taillight appeared as an arrow pointing right and vice versa from a distance.
All station wagons shared the Edsel Ranger's engine availability with a 361 cu in (5.9 L) V8 as standard, as was a three-speed manual transmission. Buyers also had the option of a three-speed automatic transmission with a standard column-mounted gear selector, or could choose Edsel's highly promoted but trouble-prone Teletouch automatic, which placed its drive-selection buttons in a stationary steering wheel hub that the steering wheel rotated around.
While their roll-out was highly publicized in the fall of 1957, Edsels were a marketing disaster for Ford. Total Bermuda station wagon was 2,235 units, of which 1,456 were six-passenger models with a base price of $3,155 ($34,227 in 2023 dollars [2]) and 779 were nine-passenger versions priced at $3,212 ($34,845 in 2023 dollars [2]). This made the nine-passenger Bermuda the rarest 1958 Edsel model.
For the 1959 model year, the Bermuda and Roundup station wagons were dropped (as was the trouble-prone Teletouch system), leaving only the Villager as Edsel's sole station wagon model.
Production numbers
edit| Body Style | 1958 |
|---|---|
| 6-Passenger Station Wagon | 1,456[citation needed] |
| 9-Passenger Station Wagon | 779[citation needed] |
| Total | 2,235[citation needed] |
References
edit- ^ "Directory Index: Edsel/1958_Edsel/1958_Edsel_Foldout". Oldcarbrochures.com. Retrieved 2011-11-09.
- ^ a b 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- Bonsall, Thomas E. (2002). Disaster in Dearborn: The Story of the Edsel. Stamford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-4654-0.
- Duetsch, Jan G. (1976). Selling the People's Cadillac: The Edsel and Corporate Responsibility. Yale University. ISBN 978-0-300-01950-6.
- Gunnell, John, ed. (1987). The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975. Krause Publications. ISBN 978-0-87341-096-0.
- Heasley, Jerry (1977). The Production Figure Book For U.S. Cars. Motorbooks International. ISBN 978-0-87938-042-7.
External links
edit- Edsel Spotters Guide
- Edsel.com History, specifications, resources for owners.
- Smith Motor Company Virtual Edsel Dealer
- The International Edsel Club
- Edsel.US Restorer's discussion group