Ford motor company advertising

The Edsel was a make of automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company during the 1958, 1959 and 1960 model years. The car brand is best known as one of the most spectacular failures in the history of the United States automobile industry.

History

Background

In the early 1950s, Ford Motor Co. became a publicly-traded corporation that was no longer entirely owned by members of the Ford family and was able to sell cars without being hindered by Henry Ford's antiquated preferences following the sellers' market of the post-war years. Ford Sinks More Than $100 Million into New Ad Campaign. The new management compared the roster of Ford makes with that of General Motors, and noted that Lincoln competed not with Cadillac, but with Oldsmobile. The plan was developed to move Lincoln upmarket and put another make in beneath it, with yet another (Continental) at the very top. Research and development had begun in 1955 under the name "E-car" which stood for "Experimental car". This represented a new division of the firm alongside that of Ford itself and the Lincoln-Mercury division, whose cars at the time shared the same body. Continental was also sold in the latter division.

Launch

The Edsel was introduced amidst a considerable amount of publicity on "E Day" — September 4, 1957. As a global company focused on delivering superior value to its customers, the management team at the Ford Motor.