Q. What vehicle do you drive?

A. Edsel Corsair Convertible 1959, 332 cubic inch (about 5.4 litres).

Q. How long have you had it?

A. I bought it in April this year.

Q. How much did it cost?

A. My wife reads the Oxford Mail so I’d rather not say.

Q. What work have you done to the vehicle? How much did it cost to repair?

A. When I bought the car it was in a roadworthy state. It is basically sound but there’s quite a lot about it that isn’t perfect. I drive it gently and, when I’m not driving it, it’s stored in the dry.

As long as I don’t let it deteriorate, every time I fix something I will have a better vehicle. So far I have not had to spend much to keep it on the road but there are quite a few improvements that I would like to make. A lot of the parts are common with Fords of its era so many are still readily available.

My intention is to rebuild it a bit at a time to get it back to really good condition.

Q. Why did you get this particular vehicle?

A. Ever since I can remember I have liked American culture, especially from the ’50s and ‘’60s.

For a while I had been looking for a 1959 Chevrolet Impala. Because of other commitments, I needed a vehicle that didn’t require too much work to get it on the road, but my budget was limited. I was aware of the Edsel brand but I hadn’t considered it as an option until I saw this one advertised. I don’t usually like convertibles but, to me, the soft top looked right on the Corsair. Better still, my wife liked it!

I didn’t buy it to impress anyone but I’m glad if people enjoy seeing it about.

Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. As Andrew Smith noted in his column ‘The Worst Cars Evah’ (Oxford Mail, September 10), many people hated the Edsel when it hit the streets in 1958. Actually, the fins are not as exaggerated as on many cars of that time and the amount of chrome is comparable. In many ways it is similar to a ’59 Impala. What always seems to offend people is the large vertical ‘horse collar’ feature in the front grille. On my ’59 it’s smaller than it was on the ’58 and it had virtually disappeared on the 1960 model but by that time it was too late to save the brand.

Edsel Ford was Henry Ford’s son. He died in 1943. In 1945, his son, Henry Junior, became president of Ford.

In the mid ’50s, Ford set up a Special Projects Division that started work on a new vehicle called the E-Car. Originally, the E stood for Experimental. A couple of years later, Special Projects was renamed the Edsel Division and the Edsel brand was born. The Edsel cars were such a flop that they were discontinued at the end of 1960. Only 110,000 Edsels were made. According to the owners’ club in America, 50 years after production ceased about 6,000 of them are still around – not bad for a ‘Worst Car Evah!’ Q. What do you like most about it?

A. I like everything about it. It’s from an era when motoring was more simple. No engine management system to fail and a really basic two-speed automatic transmission. With its over-zealous power steering, soft suspension and crossply tyres, it handles like a boat. I love it.

Q. What irritates you most about it?

A. It has a lot of quirks, such as the temperamental vacuum-operated windscreen wipers. I find most of its faults rather endearing, but on a hot summer’s day I could do without the PVC seats!

Q. Is it good value for money?

A. In my view, yes. My long-term plan is to keep the car. However, if I need to sell it, I would expect it to have held its value fairly well.

Q. Does it have a name?

A. No, I don't name my cars.

Q. What is your favourite memory of the vehicle?

A. I bought the car without telling my sons. My wife and I went to collect it one day when they were at school. We will always remember hiding behind the living room curtains and watching their reactions when they came home and saw it parked on the drive.

Q. And your worst?

A. Finding out how much fuel it had drunk when the engine stopped on the Banbury Cross roundabout. The first thing I repaired was the fuel gauge.

Q. If you could own any vehicle what would it be?

A. My favourite car that I have owned was a Mk IV Zodiac. There are many cars that I would like but there’s a limit to what I can store. I’m happy with what I have.

Q. What was your first car? How much did it cost and how long did you own it?

A. My first car was a 1968 Ford Cortina Mk II Estate automatic. I remember my parents buying it new and I started driving it in 1977. I can’t remember how much I paid them for it, but I still have it, although it’s not on the road at the moment.