Most people over the age of 35 will remember the National Lampoon movie “Vacation” starring Chevy Chase.
It was based on the classic baby boomer nostalgia scenario where a bunch of kids were stuffed into a big station wagon for a summer vacation.
‘The original short story was set in 1959 so this ’59 Edsel really comes from the Family Truckster era.’
This means no DVD players, no video games, no GPS, no cell phones-just Mom, Dad, assorted kids a few comics and a road map.
That’s how Daniel Canfield travels in the 21st century with this vintage 1959 Edsel wagon. Incredibly it was his wife who found and purchased this piece of history just north of Atlanta.
She actually had to push Dan into ownership of this classic late 50’s turnpike star. Edsel was one year away from extinction at this point in the short punchline called Edsel history but this version was all 50s style… and Mrs. Canfield saw the magic in this vintage Ford product.
If there’s a Bridal Hall of Fame, Mrs. Canfield has to be a charter member.
Imagine this.
Instead of saying something like “Honey, it’s not an old wreck and I promise not to park it in the driveway”. Dan’s only response was “you mean you don’t want a Ford Expedition for that trip to Omaha?”.
Dan has a lot of fun with this Edsel wagon and he does a lot of Edsel wagon driving with his family in the summer to various car shows. That’s his fully grown “left home a long time ago” family but he still hauls his wife daughter, son in law and various grandkids to shows all over the place.
It shows the wear and tear of 50 years because Dan gets so much fun out of the Edsel that he hasn’t done much restoration on the old baby boomer hauler.
There’s no time because even Chevy Chase had to stick to a driving schedule.
Jerry Sutherland
