R I G H T C A R A S T U D Y O F F O R D M O T O R C O M PA N Y ’S
EDSEL DIVISION
WRONG TIME
T E X T E XC E R P T S F ROM
TOM DICKE T H E E D S E L : F O R T Y Y E A R S A S A S Y M B O L O F FA I L U R E
R I G H T
THOMAS BONSALL DISASTER IN DEARBORN: THE STORY OF THE EDSEL
JOHN BROOKS
C A R
T H E FA T E O F T H E E D S E L A N D O T H E R B U S I N E S S A D V E N T U R E S
A S T U D Y O F F O R D M O T O R C O M PA N Y ’S
EDSEL DIVISION
WRONG TIME
T H E S T O R Y O F F O R D M O T O R C O M PA N Y
in the first two decades of the reign
of Henry Ford II (1945 – 1979) is the story of the massive effort undertaken to return the company to a position of leadership in the industry.
6
1956 MERCURY MONTCL AIR
1956 LINCOLN PREMIERE
9 1,4 3 4 S O L D
4 1, 5 3 1 S O L D
E D S E L
There is no great difference between a Chevrolet and a Cadillac.
TH ERE’S G OT TO B E
S O M E T H I N G in the makeup of a certain number of people that 1 9 5 6 C A D I L L AC S E R I E S 6 2 134,502 SOLD
gives them a yen for a Cadillac.
D AV I D WA L L A C E M A NAG E R O F M A R K E T I N G RESEARCH, EDSEL DIVISION
C A R WRONG TIME
Nevertheless,
R I G H T
A V E R A G E P R I C E
$ 5,0 0 0
$ 4, 5 0 0
$ 4,0 0 0
1958 MODEL YEAR
$ 3, 5 0 0
$ 3, 0 0 0
$2,500
$2,000
$ 1, 5 0 0
8
$ 1,0 0 0
$500
FORD $2,530
CHEVROLET
P O N T I AC
MERCURY
$2,695
$2,700
$2,770
The price gaps
E D S E L
between FORD C A D I L L AC
LINCOLN
$ 4, 8 0 0
$ 5,1 0 0
to MERCURY to LINCOLN
too BUICK
OLDSMOBILE
$ 3, 2 5 0
$ 3, 2 6 0
wide.
C A R WRONG TIME
were
R I G H T
9
EDSEL R ANGER
E D S E L PA C E R
S TA R T I N G P R I C E :
S TA R T I N G P R I C E :
$2,500
$2,700
COMPETITION:
COMPETITION:
P O N T I AC
B U I C K C E N T U R Y, OLDSMOBILE SUPER 88
MODELS: 4 - D O O R H A R D T O P,
MODELS:
4-DOOR SEDAN,
4 - D O O R H A R D T O P,
2 - D O O R H A R D T O P,
4-DOOR SEDAN,
2-DOOR SEDAN
2 - D O O R H A R D T O P, 2-DOOR CONVERTIBLE
10
E D S E L
E D S E L C I TAT I O N
S TA R T I N G P R I C E :
S TA R T I N G P R I C E :
$ 3, 3 0 0
$ 3, 5 0 0
COMPETITION:
COMPETITION:
BUICK SUPER, OLDSMOBILE 98
B U I C K ROA D M AS T E R
MODELS:
MODELS:
4 - D O O R H A R D T O P,
4 - D O O R H A R D T O P,
4-DOOR SEDAN,
2-DOOR CONVERTIBLE,
2-DOOR HARDTOP
2-DOOR HARDTOP
C A R WRONG TIME
EDSEL CORSAIR
R I G H T
11
We in the automobile business have ahead of us S O VA S T A N OPPORTUNIT Y that it is almost impossible to believe the statistics.
12
The market for new cars will be at least
40
PERCENT
GREATER
within the next ten years. HENRY FORD II PRESIDENT OF FORD M O T O R C O M PA N Y
13
THE EDSEL LO O KED
A M I LE LO N G. And in the early Fifties, mile-long cars were what the motorists wanted. C . G AY L E WA R N O C K
14
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC REL ATIONS, EDSEL DIVISION
E D S E L
R I G H T C A R WRONG TIME 15
1 9 5 8 C A D I L L AC
16
1958 BUICK
E D S E L
EVEN THE GENERAL MOTORS PRODUCTS
used horizontal themes that tended to
blend with everything else on the road from a block away.
1 9 5 8 P O N T I AC
17
18
JAG UA R
DUESENBERG
MERCEDES-BENZ
MK. VII
MODEL J
W-130
E D S E L
R I G H T C A R
SILVER PHANTOM
WRONG TIME
R O L L S - R OYC E
19
20
N
W E
F
T A
R U
ES
You can shift without taking a hand from the wheel; only the Edsel’s
R I G H T C A R WRONG TIME
E F
E D S E L
exclusive TELE TO U C H D R I V E buttons are correctly placed in the center.
21
Put your Edsel into reverse and touch the brakes; they A U T O M AT I C A L LY A DJ US T when needed.
22
E D S E L
R I G H T
You simply set
to the cruising speed of your choice;
WRONG TIME
the warning dial
C A R
when you exceed it, SPEEDOMETER D I A L L I G H T S U P.
23
SMART CAR:
YO U N G E R :
EXECUTIVE OR
RECOGNITION BY OTHERS OF
APPEALING TO SPIRITED BUT
PROFESSIONAL:
T H E O W N E R ’S G O O D S T Y L E
RESPONSIBLE ADVENTURERS.
MILLIONS PRETEND TO THIS
A N D TA S T E .
S TAT U S, W H E T H E R T H E Y C A N A T T A I N I T O R N O T.
24
FA M I LY:
O N T H E WAY U P:
N O T E XC L U S I V E LY M A S C U L I N E ;
T H E E - C A R H A S FA I T H
A WHOLESOME “GOOD” ROLE.
I N Y O U, S O N ; W E ’ L L H E L P YO U M A K E I T !
25
26
E D S E L
THE PUBLIC was getting to be
R I G H T
HYSTERI CAL to see
C . G AY L E WA R N O C K
our car.
REL ATIONS, EDSEL DIVISION
C A R
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC
WRONG TIME
O N E - D AY,
more than 6,500 Edsels were either delivered to eager customers or
ordered for future delivery. A conservatively estimated 2,500,000 people stopped to see an Edsel that day.
28
2, 50 0,0 0 0 people
S TO PPED TO S EE an Edsel.
8 4,
0 0 0, 0 0 0 Americans COULD
IDENTIFY an Edsel.
Very few of them BOUGHT ONE.
U S
$450 BILLION
G R O S S D O M E S T I C
$440 BILLION
P R O D U C T
$430 BILLION
A P R I L 1 9 5 7— O C T O B E R 1 9 5 8
$420 BILLION
APRIL 1957
J U LY 1 9 5 7
OCTOBER 1957
JANUARY 1958
$430 BILLION
$439 BILLION
$434 BILLION
$422 BILLION
$410 BILLION * 1 M O N T H A F T E R T H E EDSEL WENT ON SALE
$400 BILLION
34
$390 BILLION
E D S E L
THOMAS BONSALL AUTHOR, DISASTER IN DEARBORN
…the industry was
across the board. O N LY O N E
C A R WRONG TIME
reeling almost
R I G H T
BRAND recorded a APRIL 1958
J U LY 1 9 5 8
OCTOBER 1958
$425 BILLION
$435 BILLION
$445 BILLION
sales gain:
R AMBLER. 35
We don’t consider C O M PA C T CARS a good investment and we won’t until the public buys imports at a rate of
4 0 0,0 0 0
A YEAR.
ERNEST BREECH CHAIRMAN OF FORD M O T O R C O M PA N Y
36
E D S E L
R I G H T
B Y 1 9 5 9,
C A R WRONG TIME
I M PO RT C A RS W ER E S ELLI N G OVER
6 0 0,0 0 0
A YEAR.
37
E D S E L D I V I S I O N S A L E S S E P T E M B E R 1 9 5 7— N O V E M B E R 1 9 5 9
38
6 0,0 0 0
5 0,0 0 0
1958 MO D EL YE AR:
6 3,11 0
SOLD
4 0,0 0 0
3 0,0 0 0
2 0,0 0 0
1 0,0 0 0
RANGER
PA C E R
CORSAIR
C I TA T I O N
WA G O N S
1 9, 8 1 4
1 9, 0 5 7
9, 1 9 2
8,577
6, 4 7 0
E D S E L
1959 MO D EL YE AR:
4 4, 8 9 1 S O L D
R I G H T
1960 MODEL YEAR:
2 , 8 4 6 SOLD
C A R WRONG TIME
RANGER
CORSAIR
WA G O N S
RANGER
WA G O N S
28,418
8,653
7, 8 2 0
2,571
2 75
39
40
T I M E M AGA Z I N E NOVEMBER 1959
The Edsel,
E D S E L
in particular the grille‌ resembled an OLDSMOBILE sucking a
R I G H T C A R WRONG TIME 41
The very market the car had been built for had completely R E J E C T E D I T.
E D S E L
R I G H T C A R
What they’d been
WRONG TIME
buying for several years encouraged the industry to build E X A C T LY this kind of car…
AN D
THEY
WOULDN’T
TAKE
IT.
I don’t get it! L A R R Y D OY L E GENERAL SALES AND M A R K E T I N G M A NAG E R, EDSEL DIVISION
45
‌research would have better served the division if it had studied whether the public wanted another car
A N D I F S O,
W H AT K I N D O F C . G AY L E WA R N O C K DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC REL ATIONS, EDSEL DIVISION
46
E D S E L
R I G H T
WRONG TIME
CAR?
C A R
47
D
REAM Cars are the means to a sort of dream fulfillment. D AV I D WA L L A C E M A NAG E R O F M A R K E T I N G RESEARCH, EDSEL DIVISION
BIBLIOGR APHY
I M AG E SO U RC E S
Bonsall, Thomas. Disaster in Dearborn: The Story of the Edsel. Stanford: Stanford General Books, 2002 .
Montclair 2 -Door Turnpike Cruiser. Digital image. 1958 Mercury. Dearborn: Ford Motor Company. 1957. The Old Car Manual Project. Web. 12 March 2012 .
Brooks, John. The Fate of the Edsel and Other Business Adventures. New York: Harper & Row, 1963 . Print. Daines, Robert. Edsel: The Motor Industry’s Titanic. London: Academy, 1994 . Print. Dicke, Tom. “The Edsel: Forty Years As A Symbol Of Failure.” Journal Of Popular Culture 43.3 (2010): 486 – 5 02 . OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 10 Oct. 2011. Warnock, C. Gayle. The Edsel Affair. Paradise Valley: Pro West, 1980. Print.
“The $250 Million Flop.” Time.com. Time Magazine, 30 Nov. 1959. Web. “On the Slow Road.” Time.com. Time Magazine, 12 May 1958 . Web. “Slowdown in Detroit.” Time.com. Time Magazine, 10 Mar. 1958 . Web. “Conspicuous Consumption is Waning.” Time.com. Time Magazine, 31 Mar. 1958 . Web.
Super 6 or Rebel V8. Digital image. Presenting Rambler for 1980. Southfield: American Motors Corporation. 1957. The Old Car Manual Project. Web. 12 March 2012 . The Bel Air Sport Sedan. Digital image. Chevrolet 1958 . Detroit: General Motors. 1957. The Old Car Manual Project. Web. 16 February 2012 . Dynamic 88 Holiday Sedan. Digital image. ’58 Oldsmobile. Detroit: General Motors. 1957. The Old Car Manual Project. Web. 16 February 2012 . They’ll know you’ve arrived when you drive up in an Edsel. Digital image. 1958 Edsel. Dearborn: Ford Motor Company. Old Car Advertising. Web. 2 February 2012 .
Unexpected Look! Digital image. Ford Mustang. Dearborn: Ford Motor Company. 1964 . Web. 15 March 2012 .
You Can Tell a Block Away This is No Ordinary Car. Illustration. This is the Edsel. Dearborn: Ford Motor Company. 1957. Print.
The Edsel Ranger 2 -Door Sedan. Illustration. This is the Edsel. Dearborn: Ford Motor Company. 1957. Print.
1956 Volkswagen Beetle. Digital image. “VW Beetles through the
The Edsel Corsair 4 -Door Hardtop. Illustration. This is the Edsel. Dearborn: Ford Motor Company. 1957. Print.
The Edsel 4 -Door 6 -Passenger Villager. Illustration. This is the Edsel. Dearborn: Ford Motor Company. 1957. Print.
The Edsel Pacer 4 -Door Hardtop. Illustration. This is the Edsel. Dearborn: Ford Motor Company. 1957. Print.
Edsel Ranger 4 -Door Hardtop. Illustration. 1959 Edsel: The car that makes history by making sense. Dearborn: Ford Motor Company. 1958 . Print.
ages.” CNNMoney. Web. 14 March 2012 . 1958 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible Coupe. Digital image. Plan 59.
Web. 16 February 2012 . 1958 Cadillac. Digital image. Plan 59. Web. 16 February 2012 .
The Edsel Ranger 4 -Door Hardtop. Illustration. This is the Edsel. Dearborn: Ford Motor Company. 1957. Print.
February 2012 .
Hardtop, Convertible, Fastback 2 +2 . Photograph. The Total Performance 1965 Mustangs. Dearborn: Ford Motor Company. 1964 . Print.
1957 Cadillac. Digital image. Plan 59. Web. 16 February 2012 .
All other Edsel photography taken on-site by Jonathan Bulava.
1958 Buick Convertible, Model 756 . Digital image. Plan 59. Web. 16
Jones, Laurence. 1958 Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight. Digital image. Flickr. Yahoo, Inc., 27 Mar. 2011. Web. 5 Apr. 2012 . Kratochvil, Petr. “Lemon.” Digital image. Public Domain Pictures. Web. 21 Mar. 2012 . Sedelmeier, J.J. “How Ford built the ultimate lemon.” Salon. Imprint Mag., 16 Nov. 2011. Web. 27 November 2011. The Fairlane Crown Victoria. Illustration. 1956 Ford Fairlane. Dearborn: Ford Motor Company. 1955. Print. Lincoln Capri: The Coupe. Illustration. Lincoln for 1956 . Dearborn: Ford Motor Company. 1955. Print.
COLOPHON
THIS BOOK
is set in Luz Sans and ITC Century.
Completed as partial fulfillment of the requirement of GDES 402, Design Studio, under the direction of Chris Myers, Sherry Lefevre, and Nancy Mayer, critic, in the Graphic Design department of the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
SPECIAL THANKS
M A N Y T H A N K S to Kim Bravo, Curator of the Automobile Reference Collection at the Free Library of Philadelphia. Her patience and generosity in scanning countless photographs, brochures and posters was a godsend.
To Matt Dorschug, for lending his time and, of course, his beautiful 1958 Edsel Pacer to the project. To Jonathan Bulava, for taking
Designed by Nick Porcaro, May 2012.
a break from his coding sorcery to visit Southern NJ and photograph every possible angle of this car. To Bob Ellsworth, Henry Klinger, Dom Rullo, Rich Jump and Bruce Peterson, for sharing their impressive Edsel expertise and helping me track down a car. To John Elliott, for many late night pep talks and unwavering faith in my abilities. To Angela Iannarelli, for questioning my design decisions week after week and inspiring me to take risks. To Chris Panico, for sharing his gift of music with me this year despite my hectic schedule. To Donald Swain, for reminding me that it’s important to laugh, especially when you’re hard at work. To Judy Sobko, for practically forcing me to apply to the University of the Arts. I don’t know where I’d be now without your guidance. To my father, mother, and sister, for their unconditional love and support throughout my college education and beyond.