He had big shoes to fill. His father, Henry had made automobile production practical with his Model T. Through hard work and stubbornness, Ford had become a household name. Sons of such self-made men are often less assertive, but perhaps more sensitive. Edsel Ford fit this profile.
In 1916, he married Eleanor Lowthian Clay, a cultured woman, raised on fine art and antique furniture. It was clear that the heir apparent to the Ford legacy would bring fresh ideas. And after twelve years of “any color so long as it is black,” even the stylistically indifferent Henry Ford recognized the need to polish his “Tin Lizzie.” Reluctantly, Mr. Ford offered his customers the cavalier option of dark green, or maroon.
“My father made the most popular car in the world; I want to make the best,” Edsel said. In 1923, his consultation helped improve the appearance of the recently acquired Lincoln. The cars had been well-engineered, but the former coachwork (leftover Leland designs) failed to sell, and Ford purchased the mark for just $8 million.
At that time, carmakers received handsome commissions for one-off, custom bodies. Edsel Ford blurred the line between custom and production bodywork by hiring independent firms to produce custom bodies in short series, maybe ten at a time. These designs were not as exclusive, but still very special, and available to a wider variety of client.
Edsel Ford functioned like Harley Earl did at GM, approving the ideas of his staff, instead of actually designing the vehicles himself. But in 1927, when Ford introduced the Model a, his fingerprints were all over it. Edsel created Ford’s first design studio in 1935, headed by Bob Gregorie, yielding the Lincoln Zephyr and Continental.
Also in 1935, the UAW was formed and soon recognized by Chrysler and GM as a bargaining agent. Henry Ford resisted with the muscle and questionable ethics of security chief Harry Bennett and his motley crew of ex-cons, and assorted bullies.
Meanwhile, success at Lincoln created a niche. The price gap between Ford and Lincoln warranted an intermediate make. Edsel chose to name it Mercury, after the Roman messenger god.
By 1941, the labor problems at Ford became undeniable. On the third day of a debilitating strike, which closed the largest American plant, and on the eve of World War II, Edsel defied his father, and opened negotiations with the union.
In the following years, he became increasingly involved in his family’s industrial diversification, which included aircraft, and real estate development, but never truly reconciled with his father. And in 1943, Edsel died of cancer, possibly complicated by discouragement and despair.
By Adam Icenogle