Why the Ford Edsel Failed

[@richardrice8076]

1:06 that's what makes the Edsel story so sad, they had such high hopes for this car including a 1 hour TV special.

[@jerry3890]

I've always thought that the biggest problem with the Edsel was it's position in the lineup. Mercury was introduced for the 1938 model year to compete with the Pontiac, GM's lower mid range car. The Edsel needed to be an upper mid range car to compete with Buick and Oldsmobile. People thought of Mercury as a Pontiac equivalent, so was Edsel a Ford plus or Mercury minus. There was no room between Ford and Mercury, but a huge gap between Mercury and Lincoln.

[@houseofbusiness69]

This is a great analysis, thanks for contributing!

[@lancasterritzyescargotdine2602]

When the first Mercury appeared, it was the "Ford Mercury", a luxury model above the Ford Standard and Ford De Luxe lines. For 1940 it was its own line, standing between Ford and Lincoln.

[@RickTBL]

I love the '58 Edsel. I think the problem was the name. Edsel sounds old-fashioned for 1958. In '59, Buick had Electra and Invicta, much more space-age sounding.

[@lancasterritzyescargotdine2602]

That's true, but neither Electra nor Invicta were actual words of any substance, having a myriad of unfocused meanings. Edsel was simply the man's name. And yes, it was indeed awkward. The problems were three-pronged: styling, quality, recession.

[@nykolehodges2736]

These cars do have style... I believe the Edsel would make it in today's world. As a compact car. Yes. I like the Edsel .. unique styling. America missed this one ...

[@richardrice8076]

Fun fact: the '60 Comet was to be the '60 Edsel. But by that time the decision had been made to pull the plug on the Edsel. The Comet was a stand alone model until 1962 when it became the Mercury Comet.

[@wilburross9709]

Dad told me that the cars didn't live up to the hype. Maybe he and his friends were expecting too much, but with all of the ads about the 'car of tomorrow' etc., they remembered the Lincoln Futura show/concept car from a few years before that and were hoping for something that looked more like it. So when the Edsel was unveiled and it looked like this, they were disappointed to say the least!

[@chuckinnc4184]

Great, informative video! Many of these reasons for failure are sounding very familiar to Ford's current failures with EVs.

[@houseofbusiness69]

Good point! Perhaps I should make a video on their current EV focus?

[@lancasterritzyescargotdine2602]

Ford's failed EVs? What about GM's EVs? Name one that didn't go over like a turd in a punch bowl.

[@Loki91-hc6js]

You just earned yourself a new subscriber, sir!

[@houseofbusiness69]

Awesome, thank you!

[@kevinguitar1224]

Not a FORD EDSEL, just Edsel! It was it's own make, same as Mercury.

[@houseofbusiness69]

So.. What? The Ford Edsel is not a Ford? The car was an Edsel, without any influence from Ford?

[@selwocc]

@@houseofbusiness69 - If you tell your neighbor that you like his "Ford, Lincoln" - he’s likely to give you a bloody nose! It’s not a Ford, Edsel. Just like it’s NOT a Ford, Mercury.... NOT a Ford Lincoln.... Get it, now!?

[@dma124]

@@houseofbusiness69Right.. It is just as the same as not being a General Motors Buick.. or a Chrysler Dodge. If you’re calling it a Ford Edsel, you’re just illustrating your own ignorance of the subject, and people are responding to you and your content based on that.

[@1940limited]

The Ford Edsel failed because most people didn't buy the right car. The Pacer and Ranger were available with conventional shift mechanisms and even stick shift. Had more of those ben turned out the troublesome Tele-Touch drive wouldn't have been so prolific. In the area of the Citation and Corsair, Tele-Touch was standard. It should have been optional. Might have saved a lot of headaches. I'd love to have a red Pacer convertible, stick with OD. I wonder if one was ever built?

[@johntracy72]

Edsel: Every Day Something Else Leaks

[@richardrice8076]

Yes sir.

[@theprinceofsnj]

Very good, well put together. One point you failed on was Robert McNamara's involvement with it's disconsolation. He didn't want it from the get go. Many years ago I had the pleasure of meeting Roy Brown. Yes it was at a Edsel convention. And yes I own an Edsel. And did you know the Falcon and Comet were originally designed to be Edsel's.

[@houseofbusiness69]

Thanks! That is a good point, and should probably have been included. Appreciate you filling in some gaps though :)

[@djimiwreybigsby5263]

It was a victim of a gullible society in bad press

[@JohnnyFox-je3fr]

Interesting, subscribed!

[@houseofbusiness69]

Welcome aboard!

[@MaiBenteHansson]

Great video with lots of interesting facts 🤔

[@houseofbusiness69]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@iainholmes2735]

It was certainly a learning curve.

[@kurtnilsson6960]

There´s no car named Ford Edsel! It´s Edsel Ranger,Pacer,Corsair,Citation,Bermuda e.t.c. Ford is one car make and Edsel is another.There´s no Ford emblem on an Edsel!

[@richardrice8076]

Which was one of a myriad of factors that killed the Edsel. They had no dealer network. Fomoco tried to remedy that in '59 by selling them at Lincoln- Mercury dealers.

[@lancasterritzyescargotdine2602]

@@richardrice8076 I don't know where you got your baloneyous information, but it's all wrong. By announcement day, Edsel had 1,200 dealers signed up, stocked and ready for business. They consisted of existing Ford and L-M franchises, other makes, used-car lots and newbies. When the car failed, it was merged with Lincoln-Mercury, effective January 1, 1958.

[@richardrice8076]

@lancasterritzyescargotdine2602 baloneyous? Wow, will I find that in the dictionary? Merged with Lincoln Mercury? I have to admit I never heard that before.

[@lancasterritzyescargotdine2602]

@@richardrice8076 You won't find 'baloneyous' in the dictionary for a few thousand years yet! The Lincoln-Mercury Division became the M-E-L Division, or Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln Division. After the Edsel was discontinued, it reverted back to Lincoln-Mercury.

[@richardrice8076]

@@lancasterritzyescargotdine2602 MEL were the 3 brands sold at the dealer starting in the fall of '58. Before then Edsels were sold at Edsel dealers. The brand soldered on until Nov. of '59. You might have a little more credibility if you weren't making up stupid words. BTW Why would they sell new cars at a used car lot? No manufacturer has ever and never will sell their cars at some shady corner lot.

[@ChuckNorris-yo3hu]

The Edsel Ranger was produced 1958 1959 and 1960 not just 58-59

[@1940limited]

What Ford Motor Company lost on the Edsel as a drop in the bucket compared to the bath they've taken on EVs. I guess they haven't learned anything.

[@user-zx8de8op9l]

My mom's uncle had a 1958 station wagon

[@David-yw2lv]

The grille looked like a toilet seat.

[@karancarnwright4312]

I remember everybody made fun of the Edsel!

[@houseofbusiness69]

Perhaps for a valid reason? :)

[@davidrandall7436]

I like them. They. Look. 1950s

[@gmck91204]

The best book on the subject is “Disaster in Dearborn: The Story of the Edsel” by Thomas Bonsall.

[@lancasterritzyescargotdine2602]

A lot of trusting people paid for Bonsall's book, but he failed to deliver. I am one of those unfortunate victims. When I finally wrote, I received a snotty response from his boyfriend, chastising Edsel owners as ''greedy, uncaring; all they care about is their money," which he said he wouldn't return because he used it to pay for Tom's funeral.

[@houseofbusiness69]

I would also recommend “Business Adventures” by John Brooks - an excellent book!

[@lancasterritzyescargotdine2602]

@@houseofbusiness69 Brooks' book is among the most authoritative in print.

[@chrisjeffries2322]

Ugly from any Angle

[@mirzaali3309]

Wheel classic book

[@glennmorris1807]

Edsel was very unattractive - and didn't survive in a Chevrolet World.

[@richardrice8076]

That was the least of Edsels problems. When the blue oval gang realized that people who wanted to step up from Ford but couldn't afford a Mercury were taking their business elsewhere. The Edsel was to be a bridge car. Problem was the cheapest Edsel cost the same as the most expensive Ford and the most expensive Edsel cost the same as the cheapest Mercury. Whoops. Also there was a depression in'58 affecting car sales industry wide.

[@DMBall]

All you have to do is look at the ugliest grille in U.S. auto history to understand why the Edsel failed.

[@UsefulAlien]

I can never like the Ford Edsel, way too ugly!