So what did the magazines have to say about the Edsel when it was a NEW car? Here are a few excerpts from Popular Mechanics, March 1958. They asked 1,000 Edsel owners what they thought about the car:
Illinois owner: "I like its quick getaway. It does 120 miles per hour easily. It's best cruising speed is 90 miles per hour."
Indiana automobile plant employee: "It has power to get around traffic. Plenty of speed. I have had six new cars in the last two years and this Edsel has them all beat in performance".
Apparently, back in 1956, Ford Motor Company realized that there was a void in their selections of mid-size automobiles. While Chevrolet owners could "move up" to a Buick, Pontiac or Oldsmobile (and Dodge owners could advance to a Plymouth or Chrysler), Ford buyers were looking at Mercury alone. The perception was that Ford was losing customers to other manufacturers when the time came to trade-up.
1960 Edsel Convertible
In order to correct the problem, Ford instituted plans for an entirely new car division, and an entirely new car. The design of the car was to be completely unique - distinguishable from any angle. And the promotional build-up of the car would be like nothing else. The 1958 Edsel came in two sizes - big and bigger! The "Senior" Series cars are Citation and Corsair models. They were built on the large Mercury-based frame. The "Junior" series cars are Rangers, Pacers and station wagons - Bermuda, Villager and Roundup. These were built on the smaller Ford-based frame.
One of the most talked about features was the "teletouch" shifter, which controlled the automatic transmission selection electronically from push buttons in the center of the steering wheel hub. (A series of planetary gears in the column keeps the buttons stationary as the wheel turns.) Many other Edsel-original ideas are still found on today's cars.
So, why, then, did the Edsel fail? The car was referred to as the "E" car (for Experimental) from its inception. The name "Edsel" was bestowed by Special Products Division General Manager Richard Krafve, after reviewing a list of nearly 8,000 suggestions from their advertising firm, Ford employees and renowned poet Marianne Moore, who was solicited for ideas. After a massive promotional campaign, which included multi-page "teaser" ads in major national magazines, some 2.5 million Americans poured into Edsel dealerships on "E-Day", September 4, 1957. But it was quickly apparent that few cars were actually being sold. The public expectation was much higher than the car could live up to, and sales reflected the disappointment.
There was a combination of other factors that led to the name "Edsel" becoming synonymous with "failure". By the time the first Edsel hit the showroom, the country was in a recession. (For comparison, 1958 DeSoto sales were down 54% from 1957. Buick was down 33%, Mercury 48%, Oldsmobile 18%, Dodge 47%, Pontiac 28%.. probably the worst year since World War II to unveil a new car line!) Car-buying habits had turned toward smaller and more fuel efficient cars.
Edsel's styling was radical, and not to everyone's liking. On the assembly line, Edsel was run between Fords or Mercurys, causing the assembler to have to interrupt his routine and sometimes forget to install some parts. The Edsel also suffered from parts that wouldn't fit together correctly. Because of problems with suppliers, many of the early cars arrived at the dealerships with parts missing. Many dealers were poorly equipped to replace the parts or add on accessories. Ford Vice President Robert McNamara offered little support to the Edsel Division.
The Edsel was more expensive than other comparable cars, and the price of the loaded, top-of-the-line models that were first on the showroom floor scared many buyers. There was no owner loyalty to count on. And, finally, it had a funny name. The Edsel Division was in a death spiral. The more cars that failed to sell, the more dealers dropped their Edsel franchise. The more dealers that folded, the more the public was afraid to buy the car.
After three model years and just 110,847 Edsels later, Ford Motor Company threw in the towel, and went about trying to forget about the whole ordeal. Today less than 6000 Edsels survive, and each one is a cherished classic. The 1958 Edsel advertising said it best - "Once you've seen it, you'll never forget it. Once you've owned it, you'll never want to change."
In 1852 Henry and Clem Studebaker opened a blacksmith shop in South Bend, Indiana. By the Civil War the shop was supplying wagons to the U.S. Army. In 1868 four of the brothers established the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company. Despite setbacks, the Company grew to be the largest wagon factory in the world, delivering on its motto, "Always give more than you promise."
As the 20th Century dawned, Studebaker began building both electric and gasoline powered automobiles. After supplying wagons for the Allies during World War I, Studebaker put all its resources into automotive manufacturing. From the 1920s until its closing in 1966, Studebaker Automotive was a leader in styling and engineering. Many of the famous designs that rolled off the South Bend assembly lines are now an important part of America's automotive history.
The legacy lives on. Studebaker was the only company to span the time from settlers' wagons to high performance automobiles. The 114 years of Studebaker history is preserved and on exhibit at the Studebaker National Museum in Indiana. This historic collection will give the visitor a unique insight into our country's transportation history.
While no cars had been produced during World War II, the late 1940's saw a huge rush in production as the American car companies tried to fill the postwar demand for vehicles. One of the most popular types of vehicle was the sports car. American soldiers in Europe during the war had seen Italian, German, French, and English sports cars and had brought some of these vehicles home with them. At the same time, interest in motorsports increased and car racing gained popularity. Given these influences and the burgeoning American economy it was no surprise that the introduction of the 1955 Thunderbird was a huge success, easily filling a market niche.
The 1955 model had a removable hardtop with a 102 inch wheelbase chassis that was 175.3 inches overall. The engine was a Mercury 292 cubic inch V-8, exclusive to the Thunderbird line, which had 198 horsepower with the automatic and 193 horsepower with the manual transmission. The first Thunderbird came off the Dearborn assembly line October 22, 1954 and had at least 4,000 orders waiting on the first day of production. Over 16,000 units of the 1955 Thunderbird were ultimately sold. The car sold for a base price of $2,695 with the convertible selling for $2,765 and was available in five colors: Thunderbird Blue, Raven Black, Snowshoe White, Goldenrod Yellow, and Torch Red. All cars had vinyl upholstery matching the exterior paint color.
The 1956 Thunderbird was very similar to the 1955 model with some notable exceptions. Portholes were now being offered as an option with the hardtop, a move designed to increase driver visibility, but that went on to become one of the more distinctive features of the Thunderbird. Other design changes included the relocation of the spare tire from the trunk to the exterior of the car right above the newly extended bumper. The 1956 Thunderbird also saw an increase in price with the hardtop now selling for $2,944 and the convertible selling for $3,019. With options however, the price jumped all the way to $3,800.
The 1957 Thunderbird included a restyled front grille, rear deck and new bumpers. New features included a Volumatic Radio System which automatically increased the radio volume as the car's speed increased. There was also the Dial-O-Matic seat which provided a memory setting. When the ignition shut off, the seat returned to the rear position, allowing for easier entry to and exit from the car, and the seat then returned to its pre-set position when the ignition was started. The rear deck was restyled once more with the spare tire returning to the trunk which had a new wheel well. This allowed the tire to be stored in a new vertical position that left adequate trunk space for travel and leisure activity equipment, correcting a complaint from the earlier model.
Other design changes included a minor flared fin and new larger 14" tires. List price for the 1957 Thunderbird was $3,607 for the hardtop and $3,681 for the convertible. A total of 21,380 Thunderbirds were produced, a significant increase from 1956. And many ore would roll off the assembly line for decades to come. No doubt T-Bird aficianados have anxiously anticipated the 2001 T-Bird concept car.
TIMELINE FOR THE OTHER MODELS
1948: the new step-down Hudson is introduced with modern lines and a low-center of gravity. The redesigned 1948 Cadillac sprouts aircraft-inspired tailfins. B. F. Goodrich offers the first tubeless tire in late 1947. The new Tucker automobile debuts -- only 51 are built. A 1948 Ford V-8 Deluxe coupe costs $1230; a '48 Lincoln Continental V-12 coupe costs $4662.
1949: Chrysler automobiles feature key starting. The first VW Beetles appear in the U.S. Two are imported. GM offers the first production pillarless hardtop-convertibles with the Buick Riviera, Cadillac DeVille and the Oldsmobile Holiday. The '49 Ford has totally new styling and engineering and is later proclaimed as 'the car that saved Ford.' In September, Motor Trend appears at newstands.
1950: the automatic transmission finally is available in the low priced field, now optional on the 1950 Chevrolet. A new Chevy business coupe costs $1329 and weighs 3025 pounds. Goodyear offers puncture-sealing tires. 60% of American families now own a car; 6,657,000 cars are sold.
1951: the 180 horsepower, 331 cubic-inch Firepower Hemi V-8 engine in the 1951 Chrysler marks the beginning of 'the Horsepower Race.' Kaiser offers a padded dashboard and pop-out windshield for safety. A Plymouth business coupe costs only $1,537 - less than 53 cents per pound.Custom Mercury, circa '50's. Coolsville!
1952: Packard offers power brakes. Lincoln's gadget-filled Continental 195X show car features a phone, dictaphone, hydraulic jacks at each wheel and a sliding Plexiglas roof that closes automatically if it starts to rain. Over 2 million cars are sold with automatic transmissions. Cadillac and Oldsmobile offer Electric-Eye headlight dimmers. Crosley goes out of business.
1953: the Chevrolet Corvette debuts with a wraparound windshield but no side windows. Studebaker offers low, swoopy restyled models, featuring 'the European look.' Motels now outnumber hotels - two to one.
1954: Buick, Oldsmobile and Cadillac offer wrap-around Panoramic windshields on all production models. Ford finally offers an overhead-valve V-8 in Ford and Mercury models. Nash merges with Hudson; Studebaker merges with Packard. GM showcases several new concept cars at the 1954 GM Motorama, including the 370 horsepower turbine-powered Firebird I.
1955: the two-seater Ford Thunderbird debuts. Imperial separates from the Chrysler brand and is offered as a separate nameplate. Some manufacturers, like Dodge, offer three-tone paint jobs. Kaiser ceases production. It's a record sales year - 7,915,000 cars are sold in 1955.
1956: Ford Motor Company introduces the Continental Mark II, priced at almost $10,000. Packard and Chrysler Corporation offer pushbutton automatic transmissions. Packard offers power door locks. Chrysler offers an in-car record player - the 'Hiway Hi-Fi.' 80% of all new cars sold have a V-8 engine. Congress approves construction of the 41,000 mile Interstate highway system.
1957: the Ford Skyliner is the first production retractible hardtop. The Ranchero pickup debuts, too. Chevy, Pontiac and Rambler offer fuel injection. Chrysler Corporation offers cars sleek, futuristic styling and giant tailfins; Plymouth ads tout "Suddenly, it's 1960!" The average car price this year is $2749; two-thirds of all cars are now bought on credit.
1958: the Edsel makes its first appearance. The Ford Thunderbird grows into a four-seater and becomes America's first 'personal luxury car.' GM offers air suspension on several models. Practically all makes now have quad headlights. An economic recession causes car sales to plummet 31%. Packard ceases production. The first Toyotas and Datsuns are imported.
1959: Cadillac takes styling to a new baroque level with its models which have giant fins with rocket pod taillights. A Caddy Eldorado convertible costs $7401. Studebaker introduces its new compact car - the Lark. Chrysler offers non-glare rear-view mirrors.
1960: Ford introduces the compact Falcon; Chrysler offers the small Plymouth Valiant. Chevrolet debuts a rear engine, air-cooled compact - the Corvair. Cadillac offers self-adjusting brakes. The last Edsel is produced. 80% of families now own at least one car; 6,669,000 are sold in 1960.
1961: a totally-redesigned Lincoln Continental appears. With graceful, tastefully-finless lines, it is selected as the base for John F. Kennedy's new Presidential limousine. Manufacturers extend warranties to 12 months/12,000 miles. The DeSoto brand is discontinued.
1962: Chevy, Ford and Chrysler heat up the Horsepower Race again. The Beach Boys sing, "She's real fine, my 409 ..." which immortalizes the Chevy with 409 cubic inches of displacement, 409 horsepower and crossed checkered flags on the front fenders. A pumped-up Plymouth Fury hits 190 miles per hour - a new record for a production car. A 1962 Ford Falcon two-door sedan costs $2243 and weighs 1985 pounds. A Corvette costs $4038; only 14,531 are produced in 1962.
1963: Chevrolet debuts the all-new Corvette Stingray with independent rear suspension. Buick introduces the Riviera, a personal luxury car to challenge the Thunderbird. GM offers tilt steering wheels as an option. 7,627,000 cars are sold in 1963. The first emissions controls are installed in cars - an ominous sign.
