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Why Ford’s Edsel Was The Worst Car Brand In History
A forgotten brand now studied as what not to do in business
For every smashing business success, there is an abject business failure. However, in many cases, business failures do not rise to the size where they cause anyone to notice. Most businesses that fail are wonky start ups or new restaurants. Rarely do large businesses generate a ton of attention before quickly going belly up. In fact, a large car company hasn’t gone bunk in quite some time (though Chrysler is close.) That is what makes the failure of Ford’s Edsel division so spectacular.
Edsel was slotted to be a whole new brand, similar to Mercury, Lincoln, or Continental, and was allotted a stunning amount of money and resources. If you haven’t heard of the Edsel brand, you are not alone. It lasted just two short years before being scrapped.
The amount of money wasted, the quality of the cars manufactured under the brand, and the universally recognized failure of Edsel make it the worst car brand of all time.
At least DMC DeLorean, another car brand that lasted just two years, produced something iconic that still tickles the imagination and catches the eye. Edsel did no such thing. In fact, almost everyone agrees that the Edsel brand only produced trite and ugly models.
