The Edsel brand debuted as the ‘the car of the future’ and was introduced with great fanfare as an ‘entirely new kind of car’
William Clay Ford senior, Benson Ford and Henry Ford II at the launch of the Edsel brand and car in 1957. (All photos from Ford PR archives)
Ford Motor’s initial “E Day” had nothing to do with electrification, though it was hoped to be electrifying. Sept. 4, 1957, marked the infamous launch of the Edsel brand.
The brand was named for Edsel B. Ford, scion of company founder Henry Ford. The new division was intended to be a fourth selling channel for the carmaker, along with Mercury and Lincoln. Ford spent big on the debut. A reported $250 million went into development, manufacturing, and marketing on the model line, according to its page on Wikipedia.
1958 Edsels on test track for a press event.
The expansive fleet of 1958 Edsels for a press event.
Marketed as “the car of the future,” the “mid-priced” Edsel lineup was introduced with great fanfare as an “entirely new kind of car.”
The distinctive dome speedometer.
The Edsel would introduce multiple advanced features for the time. Among them:
•The speedometer was a rotating dome, not the traditional horizontal strip or a round dial. The dashboard adopted warning lights such for conditions as low oil level, parking brake engaged and engine overheating. The format was in line with aircraft design.
•Edsel introduced a speed warning on the speedometer if the driver exceeded a preset speed. But it was not cruise control.
The Tel-A-Touch transmission selector.
•A column-mounted transmission shifter was standard. But Edsel offered the Tel-A-Touch push-button shifting system that was mounted in the steering wheel hub.
“The Edsel also integrated many elements of the Ford Lifeguard safety package into its design. Along with optional seatbelts, the Edsel featured a deep-dish steering wheel, double-latch doors and childproof rear door locks.
“The model line was among the first to introduce remote-operated trunk opening and self-adjusting brakes.”
The brand debuted with a seven-model lineup. Shown are 1959 Edsels.
In its inaugural model year, Edsel introduced a seven-model product line, including four sedans and three station wagons.
“The lower-trim Edsel Ranger and Edsel Pacer shared bodies with Ford sedans (118-inch wheelbase) while the higher-trim Edsel Corsair and Edsel Citation shared bodies with Mercury sedans (124-inch wheelbase).
A 1959 Fordor Sedan.
“Sharing its body and 116-inch wheelbase with Ford station wagons, Edsel offered the two-door Edsel Roundup and the four-door Edsel Villager and Edsel Bermuda.
According to Wikipedia, the brand was also promoted by the top-rated television special, “The Edsel Show,” on Oct. 13. But the promotional effort was not enough to counter the adverse initial public reaction to Edsel styling and unconventional build.
Three across seating for the Ford executives.
A reborn LaSalle
“After the launch date, Edsel was described as a ‘reborn LaSalle,’ a General Motors brand that had disappeared in 1940. For months, Ford had been telling the industry press that it ‘knew’ (through its market research) that there would be great demand for the vehicles.
“Ford also insisted that, in the Edsels, it had built exactly the ‘entirely new kind of car’ that Ford had been leading the buying public to expect through its pre-introduction publicity campaign for the cars.
1958 Edsel’s 410 cubic-inch (6.7-liter), OHV V-8.
“In reality, however, Edsels shared their engineering and bodywork with other Ford models, and the similarities were apparent once the vehicles were viewed firsthand.
The Edsel brand was introduced in a recession that catastrophically affected sales of medium-priced cars. Edsels were considered overhyped, unattractive (distinguished by a vertical grille), and low quality.
1958 Edsel chassis.
Ford’s damage control moved quickly. In January 1958, the free-standing Edsel division was added to Lincoln-Mercury, according to the Wiki report. The re-christened Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln Division adopted Edsel sales and marketing operations.
A 1958 Edsel dealer showroom.
“As the model year progressed and sales fell below expectations, multiple Edsel-only dealers closed or expanded their brand offerings with the encouragement of Ford Motor Co. The alternate brands included Lincoln-Mercury or imported Ford of Britain and Ford of Germany franchises.
Ford design VP George Walker attends the 1958 Edsel introduction in the Styling Rotunda.
But the Edsel brand was not be saved. Ford quietly discontinued the Edsel brand before 1960.
Here are a few more Edsel photos too good to not share:
1958 Edsel and 1932 Ford Phaeton with V8 engines.
The top-line 1958 Edsel Citation hardtop.
And the infamous horse-collar grille.
