Title: Edsel History – Why The Ford Edsel Failed
Headings: The Edsel Proved Why You Should Never Design a Car by Comittee
The Edsel Proved Why You Should Never Design a Car by Comittee
Ford had big ambitions for Edsel. Unfortunately, they were too big.

Content: This group, dubbed the Whiz Kids, wanted to increase Ford's market share in the U.S. with a new brand to slot between Ford and Mercury. Only trouble is, they couldn't come up with a good name. After literally thousands of names were suggested, they eventually settled on Edsel, the first name of Henry Ford's son, Henry II's father–"settled" being the key word here. They threw lots of new technology at the Edsel too, but no one really had a clear vision for what the car was supposed to be. To make matters worse, the first Edsels built were plagued with production problems, enraging dealers. The public didn't really understand this bizarrely-styled, badly-named, poorly-conceived car either. Whatever small chance of success the Edsel had when it debuted in 1958 was killed by an economic recession. To their credit, Ford executives realized how much of a failure they had on their hands, killing the Edsel brand at the end of 1959. Bad circumstances played a big role in the Edsel's demise, but in hindsight, it seems the car was doomed from the start. Ford had a wealth of smart executives at the time, but with too many hands working on the Edsel, the project had no direction.