The Edsel Car at a Glance ...

The  first Edsel appeared to the public via a two page layout in Life Magazine in July 1957. The Edsel cars were shown "wrapped" in paper, and the images blurred with the idea being to create anticipation for the upcoming release. The Edsel was introduced with a advertising campaign spouting "More new Ideas, More You Ideas!"

The Edsels were shipped to dealers undercover, and much like the magazine layout, wrapped in paper. Some 2.5 million people showed up in dealer showrooms to check out the new line of Ford automobiles on "E-Day".

The Edsel name, was chosen after about 6,000 different names were considered, including the "Utopian Turtletop," "Mongoose Civique," "Pastelogram" and others. Over time the name "Edsel" has become synonymous with "failure" or "lemon car," but, somewhat unfairly. The car may have been a huge marketing failure, but it is now generally agreed that it was not an engineering failure. The top speed of Edsels' 303 and 345 hp V8 motors was kept hush hush, in deference to some state law makers who were considering establishing legal limits on horsepower. Unique features on the new Edsels included a Steering wheel mounted "Teletouch Drive" push button transmission, a "Cyclops Eye" rotating speedometer head, remote control door locks, self-adjusting brakes, and with the exception of the rear view mirror, power everything.

The Edsel was produced for three model years, 1958, 1959, and briefly in 1960, with the last car being produced in November 1959. In an effort to "make good" with any buyers of the 1960 Edsel, Ford offered a $300 discount coupon for a future purchase of any domestically produced Ford Motor Company automobile. There were no expiration dates on these coupons, and to this day, about 150 of them have never been redeemed. Almost Fifty years have gone by and now the Edsel is a highly collectible car, commanding huge prices at auctions, especially the rare Edsel convertibles.

Edsel History Timeline:

• 1954/55 Ford Execs first consider the "E-Car" Project to compete with the GM lineup of middle size cars
• 1957, September 4th, "E-Day", the introduction of the Edsel
• 1957, October 13th, The "Edsel Show" pre-empted the "Ed Sullivan" television show
• 1959, November 19th, Ford announced the end of the Edsel Program

Quick Facts about the Edsel:

• Ford Motor Company invested $250,000,000 + in development costs for the Edsel
• Less than 5,000 convertibles were produced 1958-1960
• Almost 15,000 Edsels were sold in the first month

Edsel Advertising Slogans:

• "Once you've seen it, you'll never forget it. Once you've owned it, you'll never want to change"
• "The car for the young man on his way up"
• "A car for the man whose taste is sure"
• "Its an open secret in Detroit, The Edsel is going to be copied"

Significant People in Edsel's History:

• Ernest R. Breech, Ford CEO who helpe to convince a reluctant Henry Ford to name the car "Edsel"
• Richard Krafve, General Manager Edsel Division
• Robert MacNamera, responsible for the Edsel "buy back" program
• Fairfax Cone, led the Ad Agency, Foote,Cone, and Belding promoting the Edsel
  

Popular Edsel Models and Body Styles:

• Ranger, Pacer, Citation, Corsair, Villager, Bermuda, Roundup
• 2 door sedan, 4 door sedan, hardtop sedan
• hardtop coupe
• station wagon, convertible

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