Back in 1956, Ford Motor Company realized that there was a void in their selections of mid-size automobiles. General Motors could keep Chevrolet owners in their fold by offering a path of advancement to Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick and Cadillac, while the Plymouth owner could move up to Dodge, De Soto, Chrysler and Imperial. But Ford buyers were looking at Mercury, Lincoln and Continental. The perception was that Ford was losing customers to other manufacturers when the time came to trade-up. They needed a new car line between Ford and Mercury to compete on a level playing field.
In order to correct the problem, Ford instituted plans for an entirely new car division, and an entirely new car. The design of the car was to be completely unique - distinguishable from any angle. And the promotional build-up of the car would be like nothing else.
The 1958 Edsel came in two sizes. "Big and bigger" you might say, but they are actually two distinctly different designs. The "Senior" Series cars are Citation and Corsair models. They were built on the large Mercury-based frame. The "Junior" series cars are Rangers, Pacers and station wagons Bermuda, Villager and Roundup, which were built on the smaller Ford-based frame.
One of the most talked about feature was the "Teletouch" shifter, which controlled the automatic transmission selection electronically from push buttons in the center of the steering wheel hub. (A series of planetary gears in the column keeps the buttons stationary as the wheel turns.) Many other Edsel-original ideas are still found on today's cars.
The car was referred to as the "E" car (for Experimental) from its inception. The name "Edsel" was bestowed by Special Products Division General Manager Richard Krafve, after reviewing a list of nearly 8,000 suggestions from their advertising firm, Ford employees and renowned poet Marianne Moore who was solicited for ideas. (See the Edsel Ford page for more about the man for whom the car was named.)
After a massive promotional campaign, which included multi-page "teaser" ads in major national magazines, some 2.5 million Americans poured into Edsel dealerships on "E-Day", September 4, 1957. But it was quickly apparent that few cars were actually being sold. The public expectation was much higher than the car could live up to, and sales reflected the disappointment.
There was a combination of other factors that led to the name "Edsel" becoming synonymous with "failure" - By the time the first Edsel hit the showroom, the country was in a recession. (For comparison, 1958 DeSoto sales were down 54% from 1957. Buick was down 33%, Mercury 48%, Oldsmobile 18%, Dodge 47%, Pontiac 28%.. probably the worst year since World War II to unveil a new car line!) Car-buying habits had turned toward smaller and more fuel efficient cars. Edsel's styling was radical, and not to everyone's liking. On the assembly line, Edsel was run between Fords or Mercury's, causing the assembler to have to interrupt his routine and sometimes forget to install some parts. The Edsel also suffered from parts that wouldn't fit together correctly. Because of problems with suppliers, many of the early cars arrived at the dealerships with parts missing. Many dealers were poorly equipped to replace the parts or add on accessories. Ford Vice President Robert McNamara offered little support to the Edsel Division. The Edsel was more expensive than other comparable cars, and the price of the loaded, top-of-the-line models that were first on the showroom floor scared many buyers. There was no owner loyalty to count on. And, finally, it had a funny name.
The Edsel Division was in a death spiral. The more cars that failed to sell, the more dealers dropped their Edsel franchise. The more dealers that folded, the more the public was afraid to buy the car.
After three model years and just 110,847 Edsels later, Ford Motor Company threw in the towel, and went about trying to forget about the whole ordeal.
Today less than 6000 Edsels survive, and each one is a cherished classic. The 1958 Edsel advertising said it best - "Once you've seen it, you'll never forget it. Once you've owned it, you'll never want to change."
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