Edsel Story in the paper

Richland man receives gift 50 years in the making
By Michelle Dupler, Herald staff writer
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Jack Hurst has been in love with the Edsel ever since he laid eyes on his first one in 1957.
He'd have bought one, but being a family man he needed something more practical. So he got a station wagon instead.
He even belonged to an Edsel club for 23 years without ever owning one.
More than 50 years later, Hurst's son and daughter made his dream come true by handing him the keys Saturday night to his own cherry '58 Edsel Pacer as a surprise Christmas gift.
"I love it," the Richland man said, his eyes glistening with tears. "It's beautiful."
Hurst's daughter, Gayle Garvie, lured her father to what he thought was just a Christmas party at Columbia Valley Luxury Cars in Richland.
Garvie and her brother, Gregg Hurst, who lives in Texas, bought the car on eBay from an owner in West Virginia about a month ago, but had to hide it until they could spring the gift on their dad.
Garvie enlisted the help of friend Nathan Merz, who owns the car company. Merz stored the car and had his detailer clean and polish it.
But the real challenge was trying to prevent Hurst from buying a car on his own.
Hurst said he had been looking for an Edsel on eBay lately, and almost bought one in October but was outbid by $50.
Garvie said about a week ago, her Dad mentioned buying himself a truck, and she had to talk him out of it without trying to spoil the surprise.
But she managed to do it and Hurst looked forward to driving his vintage white-and-chrome car home, and to showing it off at the Cool Desert Nights annual classic car event next summer in Richland.
There are about 6,000 Edsels left of more than 100,000 manufactured between 1957 and 1960, according to a letter Gregg Hurst wrote about his search for the perfect car for his dad.
The Edsel was considered a marketing disaster for Ford Motor Co., and the line was discontinued after just three years. But the cars now are considered collectible classics.