Edsel Facts for Kids

1958 Edsel Pacer

The Edsel was a type of car and a new car-making part of the Ford Motor Company. It was launched on September 4, 1957. Ford called this day "E-Day." The car was named after Henry Ford's son, Edsel Ford. The Edsel is also known as one of the biggest failures in car history. It was sold for only three years, stopping in 1960.

Ford wanted to make its Lincoln brand more fancy and put another car brand below it. The design of the Edsel started in 1955. It was first called the "E-car," which meant "Experimental car."

Edsel Car Models
Edsel Sales and Production
Why Did the Edsel Fail?
Edsel as a Collector's Item
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Edsel Car Models

In its first year, 1958, Edsel made four main car models. These were the larger Citation and Corsair, and the smaller, more affordable Pacer and Ranger.

Here are the different types of car bodies that were offered:

Citation: 2-door hardtop, 4-door sedan, 2-door convertible
Corsair: Similar to the Citation, but without a convertible option
Pacer: 2-door, 4-door, 2-door sedan, 2-door convertible
Ranger: 2-door, 4-door, 2-door sedan, 4-door sedan

There were also station wagons called the Bermuda, Villager, and Roundup. These wagons were based on the two smaller Edsel models. They looked a lot like the Ford wagons from 1957-1959.

Edsel Sales and Production

In its first year, 63,110 Edsels were sold. This was the second-largest car launch for any brand ever. Only the Plymouth car, launched in 1928, sold more. However, Edsel sales were still not as high as Ford had hoped.

In 1959, only two Edsel models were made: the Ranger and the Corsair. Only 44,891 cars were sold that year.

For 1960, only the Ranger and Villager models were produced. These cars looked almost exactly like the 1960 Ford cars. Only 2,848 cars were built before the Edsel Motor Division was closed down on November 19, 1959.

Why Did the Edsel Fail?

The failure of the Edsel is very famous. This is because Ford spent about US$400,000,000 developing it. The car had many new features that are still used today. These included brakes that adjusted themselves and a very strong V-8 engine called the "FE-series." This engine was used for many years in later Ford cars.

However, the car did not live up to all the big promises made in its advertisements before it was released. Some people blamed the car's unusual look. Its front grille was shaped like a horse's collar. One famous car writer even said the Edsel looked like "an Oldsmobile sucking on a lemon."

The quality of the Edsel cars was also a problem. Even the name "Edsel" was disliked by some buyers. Worst of all, the U.S. economy was going through a tough time called a recession. This meant that car sales for all brands were generally low.

Many drivers also did not like the automatic transmission. Its push-buttons were placed on the steering wheel hub. This was usually where the horn was found. So, drivers sometimes accidentally shifted gears instead of honking the horn.

The Edsel Comet was a smaller car planned for 1960. But it was renamed the Mercury Comet instead. The Mercury Comet sold more cars in its first year than all models of Edsel ever produced.

Edsel as a Collector's Item

Today, fewer than 6,000 Edsels still exist. They are now considered valuable items for collectors. Convertibles in good condition can sometimes sell for over US$20,000. As with most classic cars, hardtop models are worth less. Station wagons are worth even less, and sedans are usually the least expensive. You might find a very good 1959 sedan for about US$3,000–$3,500.