1958

1959

1960

The die was already cast for the disposition of the Edsel at the Ford Motor Company before pen was ever put to paper in the planning of the 1960 model. Were it not for contractual obligations to suppliers and dealers alike the "Sixty" would not have happened at all. The anemic sales of the 58 models only added ammunition to the "kill the Edsel" forces in Dearborn.

Once the final decision was made to terminate, the most important thought in everyone's mind was how to produce an automobile at the very least cost. Having dissolved Edsel as a separate division in early 1958 and folded it into the new "M.E.L." division; the new product planning team was essentially given plans for a 1960 Ford and were told to modify it enough to make it distinct but not to spend too much money doing it.

Rumor of Edsel's demise continued to circulate across the country despite official statements of denial from the highest levels at Ford.

Sales of the 60 started out at a crawl and went downhill from there. In early November, the announcement that everyone knew was coming was made; the Ford Motor Company will discontinue production of the Edsel. This spurred a brief increase in sales orders by some brave speculators but the general public knew better than to collar a dead horse.

As early as 1957 certain 

executives at Ford, led by 

Robert Strange Macnamara, 

were calling for the cancellation of the entire Edsel project.

Once one becomes an Edsel driver and a member of the International Edsel Club, "Why" doesn't seem to matter. You're just glad that they did, and the question changes to where, as in where is the next Edsel meet so we can get together with more friends and share parts and stories. So join today and let's go for a ride.

Was it the recession, the design, or the quality that defeated the Edsel, who knows? The answer probably lies somewhere in a combination of all of those factors and more.

What Happened??  This is one of 

the most frequently asked questions put to Edsel lovers and drivers. 

There is no simple answer.