Disaster in Dearborn: The Story of the Edsel Hardcover - 2002 - 1st Edition
by Thomas E. Bonsall
From the rear cover
Few cars in history have grabbed the public's fancy as much as the ill-fated Edsel--the Titanic of automobiles, a marketing disaster whose magnitude has made it a household word. Remarkably, there has never before been a book that tells the whole story--how the Edsel was planned, created, produced, and marketed.
This richly illustrated book is the result of years of research by an award-winning automotive historian with access to the dark reaches of the Ford Motor Company's archives. The author also interviewed most of the original key Edsel design team stylists, who have supplied additional archival material. The result is a unique history of the Edsel program from the initial discussions in the late 1940s, through the first sketches in the mid-1950s, to the last, unlamented 1960 models.
The Edsel story, however, deals with much more than a new brand of car. It was a key component in a deadly serious corporate undertaking at Ford Motor Company following World War II. Ford wanted to remedy years of mismanagement and return the company to parity with General Motors by dramatically expanding Ford's presence in the burgeoning medium-priced field. The Edsel was the most spectacular failure in that effort, but was only one pawn in a complex, high-stakes chess game that was a thoroughgoing disaster from start to finish.
In the case of the Edsel, the failure was the result of almost too many factors to count: poorly conceived marketing, contentious internal corporate politics, bad quality control, and, ultimately, lack of support at the higher reaches of the corporation. The greatest irony of all, though, is that the Edsel--as this book demonstrates in its surprising conclusion--was actually a modest success that deserved continued management support.
From the jacket flap
Few cars in history have grabbed the public's fancy as much as the ill-fated Edsel--the Titanic of automobiles, a marketing disaster whose magnitude has made it a household word. Remarkably, there has never before been a book that tells the whole story--how the Edsel was planned, created, produced, and marketed.
This richly illustrated book is the result of years of research by an award-winning automotive historian with access to the dark reaches of the Ford Motor Company's archives. The author also interviewed most of the original key Edsel design team stylists, who have supplied additional archival material. The result is a unique history of the Edsel program from the initial discussions in the late 1940s, through the first sketches in the mid-1950s, to the last, unlamented 1960 models.
The Edsel story, however, deals with much more than a new brand of car. It was a key component in a deadly serious corporate undertaking at Ford Motor Company following World War II. Ford wanted to remedy years of mismanagement and return the company to parity with General Motors by dramatically expanding Ford's presence in the burgeoning medium-priced field. The Edsel was the most spectacular failure in that effort, but was only one pawn in a complex, high-stakes chess game that was a thoroughgoing disaster from start to finish.
In the case of the Edsel, the failure was the result of almost too many factors to count: poorly conceived marketing, contentious internal corporate politics, bad quality control, and, ultimately, lack of support at the higher reaches of the corporation. The greatest irony of all, though, is that the Edsel--as this book demonstrates in its surprising conclusion--was actually a modest success that deserved continued management support.
Details
- Title Disaster in Dearborn: The Story of the Edsel
- Author Thomas E. Bonsall
- Binding Hardcover
- Edition number 1st
- Edition 1
- Pages 240
- Volumes 1
- Language ENG
- Publisher Stanford General Books, Stanford, CA, U.S.A.
- Date 2002-08-09
- Illustrated Yes
- Features Illustrated
- ISBN 9780804746540 / 0804746540
- Weight 1.28 lbs (0.58 kg)
- Dimensions 10.35 x 6.88 x 0.9 in (26.29 x 17.48 x 2.29 cm)
-
Themes
- Chronological Period: 20th Century
- Library of Congress subjects Product management, Edsel automobile - History
- Library of Congress Catalog Number 2002009080
- Dewey Decimal Code 629.222
Media reviews
Citations
- Booklist, 11/15/2002, Page 554
- Library Journal, 11/01/2002, Page 102
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Disaster in Dearborn The Story of the Edsel (Automotive History and Personalities)
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