The Edsel stands as the greatest cautionary tale in modern automotive history. It was an albatross that Ford had hanging around its neck for years. The brand which was promised to be new and innovative and different was all three of those things but sometimes too much different is not a good thing. Ironically the ad touts the styling and the performance of the cars that potential customers have to experience. The performance was actually really good. The mighty MEL engines that powered these cars were not short on horsepower or torque. The styling is what sunk the brand.
While the brand suffered mightily in its infancy because of the ejection of the bolt front end and sides, and rear ends of the cars, Ford did not throw in the towel without a fight. They worked hard to try and make the brand into a lasting presence. When the growth …