Edsel Ford
Edsel Bryant Ford (born November 6, 1893 in Detroit - † May 26, 1943 in Grosse Pointe Shores , Wayne County , Michigan ), son of Henry Ford and father of Henry Ford II , was a president of the Ford Motor Company .
Edsel Ford was the only child of Henry Ford, the founder of the Ford Motor Company. His upbringing should prepare him to run the family business. He grew up in an environment that dealt with the development and production of automobiles.
In 1915, Edsel Ford became his father's secretary. He was more interested in design than Henry Ford. In 1922 he bought the Lincoln company . His interest in sporty cars showed in his private cars. He acquired the first MG that was imported into the United States. In 1932 he owned a Speedster with a V8 engine that had been specially developed for him.
Edsel Ford became President of Ford Motor Company in 1919. He was of the opinion that a more modern automobile should replace the Ford Model T , the so-called Tin Lizzy, which had been built since 1908, but could not prevail against his father for a long time. It was only after sales fell and Ford's market share declined that the new Model A was finally introduced in 1928 . During the development phase, Henry Ford ensured the mechanical quality and reliability; he left the body design to his son. Edsel Ford completed this with the help of the Hungarian designer József Galamb . He also convinced his father to use hydraulic brakes and conventional gears instead of planetary gears . The new model was a commercial success, selling over four million times from 1927 to 1931.
As president of Ford Motor Company, Edsel Ford often disagreed with his father on important decisions. Still, he managed to push through some permanent changes. He founded the Mercury brand in 1939 and greatly increased the overseas operations of the Ford Motor Company.
Edsel Ford died of stomach cancer before his father, at the age of 49 . His marriage in 1916 resulted in four children. On the basis of a will, his non-voting shares in the Ford Motor Company were transferred to the Ford Foundation , which he and his father had founded seven years earlier. The Ford Ranges in Marie Byrd Land in Antarctica bear his name, as does the Edsel automobile brand, which was introduced at Ford in 1957 .
Web links
- Newspaper article about Edsel Ford in the 20th century press kit of the ZBW - Leibniz Information Center for Economics .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Ford, Edsel |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Ford, Edsel Bryant (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American entrepreneur, son of Henry Ford and President of the Ford Motor Company |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 6, 1893 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Detroit , USA |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 26, 1943 |
| Place of death | Detroit , USA |