Edsel
Edsel was a make of car and a new car making division introduced by the Ford Motor Company on September 4, 1957. The company called that day, "E-Day." It was na…
Edsel was a make of car and a new car making division introduced by the Ford Motor Company on September 4, 1957. The company called that day, "E-Day." It was named after Henry Ford's son, Edsel Ford. The Edsel was also one of the biggest failures in history. It was sold for only three years, ending in 1960.
Ford planned to move their Lincoln brand upmarket and put another make in beneath it. Design of the Edsel began in 1955 under the name "E-car" which stood for "Experimental car".
Edsel produced four models their first year, the 1958 model year. These were the large Citation and Corsair, and the smaller, easier to buy Pacer and Ranger.
These were the different body styles offered:
- Citation: 2 door hardtop, 4 door hardtop, 2 door convertible
- Corsair: Same, no convertible
- Pacer: 2 door, 4 door, 2 door sedan, 2 door convertible
- Ranger: 2 door, 4 door, 2 door sedan, 4 door sedan
The Bermuda, Villager and Roundup were station wagons based on the two smaller Edsel models. They were basically the same as the 1957-59 Ford wagons.
63,110 Edsels sold the first year, which was the second largest car launch for any brand in history. Only the Plymouth introduction in 1928 was better, but still not as many cars as Ford hoped would sell.
There were only 2 Edsels in 1959, the Ranger and the Corsair. Only 44,891 cars were sold in that model year.
Only the Ranger and Villager were produced in 1960. These were almost exactly like the 1960 Ford cars. Only 2848 cars were built before the Edsel Motor Division was closed on November 19, 1959.
Edsel's failure
Edsel's failure is very famous due to Ford putting US$400,000,000 into its development. It had many innovation engine called the "FE-series" that would be used for many years in later Fords. Also, the cars did not live up to all of the promises in the advertisements before it was released. Some people blamed the look of the new car because of its very unusual grille shaped like a horse's collar. One famous quote from an auto writer said that the Edsel looked like "an Oldsmobile sucking on a lemon." Quality of the Edsel was a problem as well. Even the name was a problem to some buyers. Worst of all, the U.S. was entering a period of recession. All car sales were down.
Many drivers did not like having the automatic transmission as push-buttons mounted on the steering wheel hub. Since this was the place the horn was normally found, drivers ended up shifting gears instead of honking the horn or vice versa.
The planned 1960 Edsel Comet compact car was renamed the Mercury Comet and sold more cars in its first year than all models of Edsel ever produced.
Fewer than 6,000 Edsels survive and today they are considered collectors’ items, with convertibles sometimes selling for over US$20,000 if in good condition. As usual with classics, hardtop models are worth considerably less, station wagons less than that, and sedans least of all. It is possible to get a very good 1959 sedan for about US$3000–$3500.
Other websites
- Edsel.com History, specifications, resources for owners.
Content Disclaimer
Informasi ini disarikan dari Wikipedia dan disajikan kembali untuk tujuan edukasi. Konten tersedia di bawah lisensi CC BY-SA 3.0. Kami tidak bertanggung jawab atas ketidakakuratan data yang bersumber dari kontribusi publik tersebut.
- The information displayed on this website is sourced in part or in whole from Wikipedia and has been adapted for the purpose of restating it. We strive to provide accurate and relevant information, however:
- There is no guarantee of absolute accuracy. Wikipedia is an open, collaborative project that can be edited by anyone, so information is subject to change.
- It is not intended to constitute professional advice. The content displayed is for informational and educational purposes only. For important decisions (e.g., medical, legal, or financial), please consult a professional.
- Content copyright. Wikipedia is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (CC BY-SA). This means that content may be reused with appropriate attribution and shared under a similar license.
- Responsible use. Any risk arising from the use of information from this website is entirely the responsibility of the user.