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A Story I Remember*
The Edsel Success Story
You know about the Edsel Success Story, don't you?
Most people related "Edsel" with failure, rather than success,
... because they left at intermission.
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Act One
Back in the mid 1950's, the Ford Motor Company convinced itself that what it and America needed was a new line of heavy automobiles.
The economy was good. Cars were selling well. Ford wanted to compete more completely with General Motors and Chrysler.
At that time, the Ford Motor Company had these lines of automobiles: Ford, Mercury, Lincoln, and Continental.
The company president requested, the board of directors authorized, and the engineers proceeded to build a brand new plant for making this new line of automobiles.
Ford located a suitable location and built the plant. They designed the new car. They designed and installed new tooling, they hired and trained new workers.
Heavier, beefier, pricier than a Ford, the new car was named "Edsel" after one of Henry Ford's sons. They organized a dealer network. They started building the new automobiles. They were in business.
After the initial sales excitement wore off, sales floundered. They did not meet company expectations.
Within three years, Ford pulled the plug on the Edsel.
Act Two
By the time the Edsel had actually entered the market, a recession had developed in the U.S.
Meanwhile, the Japanese had quietly entered the American automobile market and were making steady in-roads with their smaller, lighter weight, more fuel efficient, and less expensive cars.
At this point, Ford introduced the Ford Falcon, the first Ford "small car." It was a huge success.
Had it not been for the availability of
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an existing manufacturing facility (the Edsel plant),
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already installed tooling and other capital equipment,
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a work forced already trained in the manufacture and assembly of automobiles,
... Ford would have missed this extrodinary "window of opportunity."
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Epilogue
So, you see, the Edsel story did end in a success.
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