It’s not every day that you get to see 20 or more Edsels on display in one place. Alright, insert the “never wanted to” joke here, but although these iconic vehicles were an enormous marketing failure for Ford, they were creatively designed and the Edsel offered several innovative features, among which were its “rolling dome” speedometer, warning lights for such conditions as low oil level, parking brake engaged, and engine overheating, as well as its push-button Teletouch transmission shifting system in the center of the steering wheel. Other Edsel design innovations included ergonomically designed controls for the driver and self-adjusting brakes. You can surely learn more about the Edsel when you meet the Southlanders Edsel Owners Club, who will be the Featured Car Club at the June 1, 2014 Pomona Swap Meet & Classic Car Show.

Southlanders Edsel Owners Club was established in 1968 making it the first Edsel club in the nation. They currently have 75 members mostly from Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire of Southern California, but have members from as far away as Finland and Australia, all of which are dedicated to the preservation of the Edsel legacy. Southlanders is an Edsel Club, however everyone is welcome and Edsel ownership is not a requirement. Club member, William Cooke III states, “We greatly enjoy 50’s and 60’s Mercury’s and Lincoln’s, as Edsel was part of the MEL (Mercury Edsel Lincoln) division of Ford. We also have people with all other makes and models of cars, we even have a ’55 Chevy highly active in the club.” Southlanders enjoy at least one event each month, including car shows, visits to car museums, tours of historical places, camp-outs and even car crushing events. Their largest annual event is their Rollin’ to the River Run, each May, where they stop at many Route 66 attractions along the way.

The Southlanders website is easily found at www.edselowners.com. There you can enjoy all sorts of photos, classifieds, Edsel and Southlanders information, including membership info, which is very inexpensive, just $25.00 per year and includes monthly editions of their “Around The Horsecollar” newsletter. To join, simply fill out a membership application and send in a check payable to Southlanders Edsel Owners Club to Sue Rands, 467 Lee Ave., Claremont, CA 91711.

The club is a fun, family oriented and busy group who enjoy the camaraderie of like-minded individuals who can’t wait for the next occasion to get their cars out and spread their enthusiasm for the Edsel automobile. Visit with them at the Pomona Swap Meet & Classic Car Show on June 1 on the Main Aisle in the Classic Show/Sale Section, where they will be showing off their vehicles and spreading knowledge and would love to talk with fellow enthusiasts.

If you are a car club member and would like your club to enjoy a day at a future Pomona Swap Meet & Classic Car Show as our guests, please contact Matt by email or at (714) 538-7091.

-Matt Zarzana