Known as the World’s Largest Edsel Collection, Hank Davis and his family have amassed an incredible collection of Edsel cars and memorabilia. We touched on this collection a few newsletters back, but thought bringing more coverage of it would be a good idea. Afterall, how many collections are out there dedicated to Edsels? Not many collections even have an Edsel, let alone are centered around them. (cover photo: Michael Davis Moto Lenz Photos – A lovely steel building, Hank’s Garage is dedicated to the various cars produced by the Edsel Division of Ford Motor Company. A spectacular collection, while the building is sizable, at some point, it looks like they’ll need an addition.)
The flank of a rare Edsel Bermuda station wagon amid a busy corner dressed up with neon and lights, porcelain and more set the stage walking into the Edsel collection.
The Edsel collection is the world’s largest amassment of Edsel cars and memorabilia. Celebrating all-things-Edsel, it’s a remarkable blast to the past, with seemingly every kind of Edsel imaginable on display. With no prejudice at all, everything from lowly commuter sedans to highly sought after convertibles are within. On top of that, the collection boasts rare signs and neons.
Possibly the rarest part of the Edsel collection is the Edsel-branded car care products seen here. Not many even knew those existed. The Edsel project was a huge undertaking at Ford Motor Company as they sought to build a more futurist brand of car, something more upscale than Ford, but sadly, with too many cooks in the kitchen, the Edsel brand floundered on the showroom floor and few were sold. Without proper development, many of the futurist elements such as the push-button transmission selector in the center of the steering wheel and spinning dashtop speedometer proved to be problematic. But here, they live on, celebrated and cherished.
A car museum in ever sense of the word, the Edsel collection houses a number of signs advertising not only Edsel cars, but also batteries, gas, and oil among other brands.
Look closely, there’s a lot to see.One of the crown jewels of the collection, an Edsel Pacer convertible complete with fender skirts is a total throwback to the stereotypical 1950s vision – enthusiasm, hope, optimism, and maybe a burger and a shake along the way. Nose-to-nose with a Ranger two-door coupe, the duo is striking – but in the company of so much more, it’s mind boggling.The family has worked hard bringing together such a well-focused collection of Edsels, ranging from examples that look like unmarked police cars to flamboyant convertibles fit for the likes of Marilyn Monroe amid a massive selection of signs.
Not everything within is Edsel, as seen here, and not all the Edsels are restored. Some, like the one in the foreground, are awaiting the service.
