Cherokee County man loves his famous Edsels - Tyler Morning Telegraph
Shelley Cleaver fell in love with the Edsel as soon as he experienced its Teletouch Drive, which allowed the driver to shift gears from the steering wheel with the touch of a button. The new Ford Motor Co. line was released on Sept. It was named after Edsel Ford, the only son of the company’s founder Henry Ford and released on the 40th birthday of Edsel’s son, Henry Ford II. The product line was designed to fit between a Ford and a Mercury, but the car failed to find a niche... Cleaver said the car was ahead of its time and parts of the Edsels were later used in Thunderbirds and other cars. “We were turning around before they got to New Summerfield, and I said, ‘Man, I have got to get one of these,’” said the 79-year-old Cherokee County resident. The Teletouch Drive came in handy that year on his honeymoon, allowing him to shift the car with his left hand while never taking his hand away from his new bride Janell. Cleaver has owned a number of Edsels over the years, and even made his own “Ed-Chero” using the body of a Ranchero and the front of a 1958 Edsel. The lines matchup perfectly, and even made Ford executives do a double take at a 1972 convention in Dearborn, Michigan. Source: www.tylerpaper.com
