kernals12
Banned
Henry Ford II was sitting in his office. Named after his legendary grandfather, he had led the family company since his father Edsel died in 1947. His secretary informed him that Robert MacNamara, the Vice President of vehicle production needed to meet him urgently. "Send him in", Henry said.
"Hello Mr. Ford"
"How are ya Bob? What can I do for you?"
"I have come to a decision to stop production of Lincoln-Mercury and Continental for the 1960 model year"
"Seriously?"
"Yes, we've been losing money on this for years now and given the way the economy is, I think it is best to cut back."
"Well I didn't think things were that bad. Have you told Ben Mills (General Manager of Lincoln-Mercury)?"
"Yes I have, and he was as shocked as you. I believe that focusing on our core brand is best for future, especially given the Edsel debacle. It'll also give us a lot more freedom, we won't have to worry about a new Ford encroaching on Lincoln sales."
"Okay, Bob, I'm trusting you on this. I'll put out a press release."
So it was the unceremonious end for Ford's upmarket division. Lincoln was bought by Henry Ford in 1922 as a competitor to Cadillac, Duesenberg, and Pierce Arrow. Mercury was founded by Edsel Ford in 1938 to go between them. In 1945, Lincoln and Mercury were merged. Throughout the 50s, L-M struggled against the GM juggernaut of Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, and Cadillac. In 1956, the famous Continental nameplate was spun off into its own brand offering a coupe that was comparable in price to Rolls Royce. In 1958, the economy fell into a nasty recession that wiped out demand for expensive cars.
1958 was a catastrophic year in general for the Blue Oval, coming off half a decade of successes such as the 1955 Thunderbird and the 1957 Ford managing to outsell Chevrolet. As a middle market competitor, the Edsel brand was rolled out. Despite the most expensive ad campaign in American history, people did not flock to the new brand. Some of this was beyond Ford's control. The 1958 recession damaged the entire middle market and forced the end of Chrysler's DeSoto brand. But much of it was Ford's own doing. The name, from Henry Ford's son, was unpopular. The model range overlapped with Mercury and more expensive Fords. Worst of all was the grille which some said looked like a horse collar and others said looked like a woman's private parts.
Ford's Thunderbird was redesigned. It went from being a Corvette competitor to being a 2+2 boulevard cruiser. Enthusiasts scoffed but buyers took to it, sales rose from 21,000 in 1957 to 37,000 in 1958, despite the economy.
"Hello Mr. Ford"
"How are ya Bob? What can I do for you?"
"I have come to a decision to stop production of Lincoln-Mercury and Continental for the 1960 model year"
"Seriously?"
"Yes, we've been losing money on this for years now and given the way the economy is, I think it is best to cut back."
"Well I didn't think things were that bad. Have you told Ben Mills (General Manager of Lincoln-Mercury)?"
"Yes I have, and he was as shocked as you. I believe that focusing on our core brand is best for future, especially given the Edsel debacle. It'll also give us a lot more freedom, we won't have to worry about a new Ford encroaching on Lincoln sales."
"Okay, Bob, I'm trusting you on this. I'll put out a press release."
So it was the unceremonious end for Ford's upmarket division. Lincoln was bought by Henry Ford in 1922 as a competitor to Cadillac, Duesenberg, and Pierce Arrow. Mercury was founded by Edsel Ford in 1938 to go between them. In 1945, Lincoln and Mercury were merged. Throughout the 50s, L-M struggled against the GM juggernaut of Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, and Cadillac. In 1956, the famous Continental nameplate was spun off into its own brand offering a coupe that was comparable in price to Rolls Royce. In 1958, the economy fell into a nasty recession that wiped out demand for expensive cars.
1958 was a catastrophic year in general for the Blue Oval, coming off half a decade of successes such as the 1955 Thunderbird and the 1957 Ford managing to outsell Chevrolet. As a middle market competitor, the Edsel brand was rolled out. Despite the most expensive ad campaign in American history, people did not flock to the new brand. Some of this was beyond Ford's control. The 1958 recession damaged the entire middle market and forced the end of Chrysler's DeSoto brand. But much of it was Ford's own doing. The name, from Henry Ford's son, was unpopular. The model range overlapped with Mercury and more expensive Fords. Worst of all was the grille which some said looked like a horse collar and others said looked like a woman's private parts.
Ford's Thunderbird was redesigned. It went from being a Corvette competitor to being a 2+2 boulevard cruiser. Enthusiasts scoffed but buyers took to it, sales rose from 21,000 in 1957 to 37,000 in 1958, despite the economy.
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