In the car writing game, there’s a general rule that you don’t buy press cars. To those not familiar with the term “press car,” it’s a vehicle that’s loaned to a member (or, usually, members) of the media for review and assessment. That generally means that the car is pushed to its limits and not treated the same exact way as a car sold to someone who spent their hard-earned money. This Edsel, however, is a press car that’s absolutely worth buying.

According to the seller, this Edsel Pacer was reviewed by the press during the car’s launch. The seller thinks that Harold Monroe for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram was the person who reviewed it, which would make sense considering it did spend time in Texas and newspapers also tend to have automotive sections.

The 1958 Edsel might not be the most beloved cultural staple given its horse collar grille has received complaints about looking like a toilet seat in the past, but it has aged well. Most importantly, it shares most of its styling with the attractive 1957-58 Ford.

Powering this Edsel Pacer is the E400, which was part of Ford's FE engine series. While it only displaces 361 cid, the folks in the Edsel marketing department thought using the engine’s torque rating for its name would make it sound bigger and more powerful; considering the short-lived nature of the marque, they were probably wrong.

This Edsel has been repainted close to its original finish, but it’s not an exact match. The rest of the car looks like an OK driver, with some other parts that need a good workover to be in top-notch condition.

The seller says there’s a flat spot on acceleration, which likely means it’s time to rebuild the carburetor. The seller also mentions that he thinks it’s a preproduction carb, so it might make even more sense to just slap on a replacement from Holley or Edelbrock and stash the vintage piece if that’s the case. It’s currently just over $12K with its reserve not met, making this the press car to buy.

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