“Then, in a postscript — and as if adding insult to injury — the most successful Edsel of all, the Comet, was built as a Mercury. The Mercury Comet was virtually indistinguishable from the Edsel version; only the name had been changed, as they say, to protect the innocent.
The Comet, in Mercury guise, was announced to the public on March 17, 1960. A grand total of 116,331 were built during the few months the series was on sale in the 1960 model run.
This was more than total Edsel production in all three model years combined (110,810) and one is left to wonder what the future of the Edsel might have been had the brand somehow survived long enough to sire its compact offspring.” (p. 175)
— Thomas E. Bonsall, Disaster in Dearborn (2002)
RE:SOURCES
- Bonsall, Thomas E.; 2002. Disaster in Dearborn: The Story of the Edsel. Stanford General Books, Stanford, CA.
ADVERTISING & BROCHURES
- oldcaradvertising.com: Comet (1961)
Also see review for ‘Disaster in Dearborn: The Story of the Edsel’
Perhaps Ford Executive Vice President Robert McNamara’s ultimate “slap across the faces” of the Ford senior executives who supported the “E-car” project was the relative success of the Comet ! I have read in several places that the failure of the Edsel was mitigated by the fact that after 1958, Ford had the production capacity to manufacture the Falcon and later in the 1960 production year, the Comet.
Edsel Comet theme was unique up front.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/forgotten-future/forgotten-future-1960-edsel-comet/
The Edsel brand had such a “loser” image by late 1959 that it could very well have hindered the Comet’s success. Compact cars were high demand, and the Comet was perfectly sized for people who wanted something a little bigger than an American, Corvair, Falcon or Valiant, but few people want to broadcast that they are driving a loser.
In the end, Ford didn’t need another medium-price brand. It didn’t even know what to do with Mercury. It was ultimately a blessing for Ford that the Edsel failed. Ford thus wasn’t faced with the “too many brands” dilemma that plagued GM in the 1980s.
The Comet was a huge success, when one considers that it debuted late in the 1960 model year, so I doubt that Ford executives wasted any time worrying about the fate of the Edsel.
It could be interesting to know what if Ford called the new division, Comet instead of Edsel? Doubtful if it would have made a big difference during the “Eisenhower recession”.
Popularity of the name Edsel peaked in the 1920s and dropped way off after that. Were Ford execs simply kissing up?
http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/1/Edsel
Have always liked the Ranger/Pacer’s styling. With a longer axle-dash and the inner grill enlarged to cover the outer opening, might have been a nice ’57 Mercury. A ’58 or ’59 Lincoln/Continental body share with the Continental getting a similar classic grill would have helped the Merc.
The 1960 Edsel was attractive. If Edsel was going to be saved, that should have done the trick. It was too late, with the negative stigma of the name itself. It might have killed the Comet. Ford executives made a good call. I M H O