Ford is one of those companies that seemingly gets it right with every release. The company’s trucks are considered some of the best in the industry, its sedans are highly trusted, and Ford makes some awesome sports cars such as the Mustang and the GT. However, even a company as big and as celebrated as the icon that is Ford, is prone to releasing failures every so often.

Enter the Ford Edsel. This car was introduced in 1957 and had the complete trust of the company behind it. However, this failed classic was discontinued only three short years later, in 1960. The Ford Edsel is the stuff nightmares are made of. The Edsel is a vehicle that has been significantly discussed and is often cited as one of the biggest automotive flops of all time. However, despite the overall negative reputation of the Edsel, many modern car fans don’t know precisely why Ford gave the vehicle the ax.

The car came in various body styles and had a great deal of money behind it, but even those stellar advances couldn't save the car, and many say it was doomed before it was ever released to the world.

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History Of The Ford Edsel

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When it comes to the Edsel, one of the things that many people don’t know is that it was more than just a car. Edsel was also a new division for Ford; at the time, the company had Mercury, Lincoln, and Continental. However, Ford discontinued the division after the car flopped. As for the car itself, it hit the market in 1958 after much hype from Ford and the company doing everything it could to keep its appearance a mystery. As part of its marketing strategy, Ford called the day it was unveiled, September 4, 1957, “E day.” There was also a promotional show called “The Edsel Show” to accompany the release.

The first generation of the Ford Edsel came in four different body styles; a 2-door coupe and hardtop as well as a 4-door sedan and hardtop. As for the engine, buyers could choose either a 3.7-liter, a 4.8-liter, or a 5.9-liter V8. The transmission came in either a 3-speed manual or automatic. There were four different Ford Edsels for the first year. The lower trims were the Ranger and the Pacer, whereas the more luxurious models were the Citation and the Corsair.

The car's sales were not promising, and Ford decided to trim the lineup. Because of this, the Citation and the Pacer were both discontinued. Also, the exteriors were toned down due to the general opinion that the Edsel cars were not attractive. After the continued disappointment, only the Ranger and the Edsel station wagons were sold in 1960 before the car line and the Edsel division ended.

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Why The Ford Edsel Failed

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One of the apparent reasons for the failure of Ford's Edsel line of cars is the appearance. People did not find the car attractive, and the semi-powerful engines under the hood didn’t change people’s minds. Simply put, the car couldn’t compete in this category with the other rides of the time. Another big reason for the car’s failure was out of the hands of the company. At the time, the country was experiencing an economic recession. Due to this, people were in the market for cheaper cars. It’s for this reason the VW Beetle took off so much. Many other higher-end brands suffered during this time.

One of Ford's biggest mistakes regarding the Edsel is the lack of market research. It has been said that there were almost no efforts to ensure people wanted these cars. This mistake cost the company about $250 million and a lifetime of embarrassment for all involved with Edsel. Overall, they lost about $350 million, according to Business Insider.

Perhaps the biggest reason for the Edsel's failure is a number of quality and reliability issues. For example, some of the trunks leaked, there were some welding issues, and also many damaged wires due to being installed too close to the exhaust. Also, the automaker sent some of the cars to dealers without having been finished.

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The Ford Edsel: One Of The Worst Automotive Flops

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Car companies want their products to be discussed for decades to come. However, we must assume that the people at Ford at the time had vastly different predictions about what people would say about the Edsel. The company called it “the car of the future,” according to How Stuff Works. However, people remember it for all the wrong reasons.

Though this was a spectacular failure, there is still a dedicated community of Ford Edsel appreciators. This appreciation for the Edsel shows that even the biggest flops have their fans and that, although limited, there is a market for everything.