Edsel: Fifty years since Ford's fabulous flop
Fifty years ago this year, Ford spent a lot of money on consultants who told them car buyers would pay a premium for "the smart car for the younger executive or professional family on its way up."
We all know what happened. Ford designed what was internally known as the "E-Car," and set about trying to name it. After more expensive consultants failed to aptly name the car, Ford asked poet Marianne Moore for ideas. She suggested Mongoose Civique and Utopian Turtletop, which were less than acceptable for Ford's super secret new car.
No, Ford's "revolutionary" new car, designed by focus groups, committees and market research, deserved a name that could come from only one method. Brown-nosing.
An employee of Ford's ad agency had suggested the name Edsel for the car in tribute to Henry Ford's son, who had died in 1943. Edsel wasn't considered a candidate, however, until Ford's chairman of the board, Ernest Breech, asked at a meeting, "Why don't we just call it Edsel?" Ford's PR director at the time now says it wasn't a stroke of genius, but instead an attempt to win favor with the Ford family.
The Washington-Post story is a fascinating read, with little tidbits of automotive history you may never have heard and insight into how cars were designed and marketed in the late 1950s.
[Source: The Washington-Post]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Nick 1:35PM (9/06/2007)
Maybe they thought guys would buy it since it has a vagina for a face.
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Icon149 1:58PM (9/06/2007)
You need to read the comments about Alpha Romeo coming to the USA, if the Italian design a vagina into the face of a car, it looks like sex on wheels... maybe women are just shaped different in italy.
Larry 2:17PM (9/06/2007)
That grille was mocked as a "horse collar," yet a late '60's Pontiac Bonneville, 68 or 69, not sure, had virtually the same look....I don't know if anybody else noticed that!
Matt 1:48PM (9/06/2007)
...I like my cars like I like my women...
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Bill 1:59PM (9/06/2007)
Built for comfort, or built for speed?
Rob 2:49PM (9/06/2007)
Covered in bees?
K 2:48PM (9/06/2007)
with a vagina.
calebe 8:38AM (9/07/2007)
Take that grill off and the rest of the car wasn't that bad looking.
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Aaron 3:28PM (9/06/2007)
I love the car. I think the Edsel is one of the best looking cars of all time. If I could find one for sale close, I would probably buy it.
-Aaron
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dave0mary 3:46PM (9/06/2007)
Red Skelton said it best: "It looks like a Ford sucking a lemon!" How true, as it turned out to be the poster-child of lemons.
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Whiplash 3:54PM (9/06/2007)
I've always liked the look of the edsel myself. I think it was just too radical for the times. Forget the push button shift though... *ugh*
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Stephen Glauser 4:36PM (9/06/2007)
You've linked to Page 3 of the WP article. The link to Page 1 is here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/03/AR2007090301419.html
You don't need to log in to view.
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Bryan 4:36PM (9/06/2007)
I am with you Aaron. I think the car is awesome. I would like this, a Fairlane 500, and a Mustang. Oh well, maybe one day!
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Ryan Jensen 5:57PM (9/06/2007)
I love my 58 Edsel... when it's not broken... which is often...
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MoonRover 7:01PM (9/06/2007)
I really like the Edsel, my neighbor across the way has a 1958 Pacer and it is a stunning car an almost purple brown and tan. When he takes it out for a drive all heads turn, it was too far ahead of its time in both engineering and styling.
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gary 7:12PM (9/06/2007)
Actually the nice looking Continental MkII in 1956 was a far more costly blunder for Ford per vehicle sold.
These rolling works of art were very costly. The $10,000 sticker price was equivalent to a Rolls-Royce. Top-of-the-line American luxury brands, such as Cadillac, were selling for around $5000. Even at these high prices, Ford still lost an estimated $1,000 per car. At the time Ford was a private company and was willing to incur these losses but when Ford became a public company, losses were not permitted. A stock Mark II was $10,000 in 1956. Derham and Hess & Eisenhardt both estimated a convertible conversion to cost $18,000 to custom build. That's why there were so few Mark II convertibles.
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iPhoneResidentObssesive 3:02PM (9/07/2007)
heh heh heh
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