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hindsight
I was happy to find several Edsels parked in McLean – they are very ugly cars. They are ugly to the point that they become endearing, really.
I am not sorry that none of you saw my contortions while I was trying to get this shot. You know how it is: your mind thinks “Yes! That rear-view mirror. And a reflection. And the light bouncing on the fender. We’re not leaving until THAT shot happens.” and before you know it, you’re in danger of second-degree burns from all the chrome and metal you have to drape yourself across. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not regretting any of it.
(My friend Gerald has a collection of vintage Mercedes. I was very enthusiastic when I told him about the Amazing Edsel Graveyard I discovered. He tried to be nice about it, but I could tell maybe Mercedes People and Edsel People do not naturally co-exist.)
McLean, Texas
photographed 7.27.2026
an unpopular front grille design
I was pretty happy to find a stash of Edsels in McLean, Texas. They were, of course, unpopular and low-selling – and only in production for 807 days.
According the internet “The Edsel is famously described by automotive historians as the ultimate corporate and marketing failure. Its distinctive vertical grille inspired sharp contemporary mockery, with critics famously comparing its front end to a “toilet seat” or “an Oldsmobile sucking a lemon”.”
However, they are a lot of fun to photograph, with their weird lines, the details (little Es in the brake lights, for example), the colors (pink! turquoise!), and the history which shows up in every view.
Route 66
McLean, Texas
photographed 7.27.2026
