tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5034791890201777099.post47011253830665944..comments2024-02-23T03:38:04.874-05:00Comments on The Public "I": EDSELKimit Mustonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03809428003905885379noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5034791890201777099.post-1157246993221707842015-09-11T07:41:19.714-04:002015-09-11T07:41:19.714-04:00Okay, guys. I do not dislike the Edsel. Never owne...Okay, guys. I do not dislike the Edsel. Never owned one, never drove one. But lets get real here. It was a major disaster WHEN IT WAS INTRODUCED. Did you read the Time Magazine comment about the Model T? The Edsel was a marketing disaster. Not a design disaster. It was badly made, but then most American cars built in the 1950's - 50's were badly built, with reliability standards that would not be acceptable today. You bought a car expecting to have to do a lot of maintaining. Unlike today. The Japanese invasion brought us that. If you like the romance of the Edsel, you must know, in part, that is because, it was a marketing disaster. I draw your attention to Dick Van Dyke show about Rob witnessing robbers escaping from a robbery. One of the biggest laugh lines in the show was when he suddenly recalled they were driving an Edsel. Guys, you may love the car, but you must know it was a laugh line for decades. There was a reason for that.And that is what I was writing about. And seriously, if you can look at that front grill and not smile, you have no imagination. It can't be as bad a car as the critics say. It can't be the Donald Trump of cars. But a lot of people thought it was. Haven't you ever wondered why? That is what I was writing about.Kimit Mustonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03809428003905885379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5034791890201777099.post-48378449998435208602015-09-10T12:59:58.298-04:002015-09-10T12:59:58.298-04:00The writer is what is wrong with journalism today,...The writer is what is wrong with journalism today, few facts and opinionated. There is no one today that doesn't love to see Edsels at cruise nights and car shows. My 58 Pacer Convertible generates lots of discussion about how todays cars all look alike and have zero style. The claim that the transmission was installed backwards at the factory is an absurd statement. It is physically impossible to do so with ANY car. The claim that the Edsel was supposed to compete with the Cadillac is totally untrue. The Edsel was to be in competition with Olds/Buick/De Soto for the mid to upper income market. The 'Small Edsel' was built on the Fairlane 500. These cars were the entry level Ranger and the next level Pacer. The 'Big Edsel' was built on the longer, wider Mercury frame and even had the Mercury roofline look. These were higher priced Edsels, Corsair and the top of the line Citation. Mercury would be the higher level car than it was until 57. So, Ford was filling a void in it's line to allow the upwardly mobile customer start with a Ford, Small Edsel, Big Edsel, Mercury and Lincoln. BTW, as a regular cruise night participant, I rarely see a 58 Ford. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5034791890201777099.post-46272411133787154862012-08-08T17:04:27.699-04:002012-08-08T17:04:27.699-04:00The writer seems obsessed with the "vagina wi...The writer seems obsessed with the "vagina with teeth" and presents the concept as common. I have never heard that expression and I have been a Edsel fan for 30 years. Many things led the Edsel to demise. Sigmond Freud would like to meet this writer and help him to explain his underlying issues.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5034791890201777099.post-75791487628987075502011-11-02T01:40:21.869-04:002011-11-02T01:40:21.869-04:00Honestly, I would rather have one or more of those...Honestly, I would rather have one or more of those classic American beauties before any of these new pieces of plastic s--- that are being passed for cars now at days. The Edsel was not an ugly car. Have you seen most of these new "cars" people are driving today? I bet that all the people that were thrashing the Edsel back then, have all changed their minds after seen all these ugly cheap plastic crap that the American car companies have been shoving down our throats since the late nineties. -James From MiamiAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5034791890201777099.post-68985673998070360772010-05-07T13:12:06.203-04:002010-05-07T13:12:06.203-04:00A few things on your Edsel piece. Ford expected to...A few things on your Edsel piece. Ford expected to sell 200,000 of the 1958's, not 2 million as stated. They only ended up selling about 68,000 including Canadian-built models.<br /><br />Barney Fife's car which had the steering wheel problem was not an Edsel. That was in a much earlier episode, when the show was still black and white, I believe. The Edsel came later after Barn went to Raleigh to become a detective and only periodically returned to Mayberry. The car seemed to fit Don Knott's personality as he also drove one in "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken."<br /><br />Lastly, Mr Brown's comments that the Edsel was a success were meant to convey that the Edsel had achieved its goal of being unique, not that it was in any way a successful seller. Even today I cannot drive my Edsel without someone wanting to talk about the Edsel. Usually they like the styling now and find the various features to have been before their time. Where were they all in 1958! :)Jimhttp://edsel.netnoreply@blogger.com