What Automotive Titan Would You Meet?

"JR1" (type35bugatti)
03/27/2015 at 14:34 • Filed to: Edsel Ford, Lincoln

If I could meet an automotive executive I would want to meet Edsel Bryant Ford. The only son of Henry Ford who tragically lost a his battle with cancer in 1943. Edsel was 49 years old when he passed away.

Ahead of him would have been years of uncensored creativity at Ford Motor Company. Throughout his life Edsel was at odds with his father. He had a vision for Ford and it often contrasted with the vision his more conservative father had for the company. To stun Edsel's involvement with Ford Edsel was handed Lincoln in 1922 as a distraction from Ford. He turned the Lincoln Model L into a more extravagant car giving it a new body and advocating for mechanical brakes.

This desire for better brakes carried over to Ford when he became president of that company. Wanting the Model T to evolve Edsel pushed his father to create more appealing styling, a traditional transmission, and as stated already 4 wheel mechanical brakes. His father of course was against this and often humiliated his creative son Edsel in front of the executive board and in other public places. Edsel would eventually win out however when the Model T's market share began to go plummet. The Model A was a triumph and likely would not have been the attractive car we all know today without Edsel.

Channeling his creativity Edsel would go on to champion Lincoln and build some of the most beautiful cars of the 1930's with the help of Bob Gregorie. Some of his experimental personal cars would be masterpieces as well. During WWII Edsel would take over the majority of the roles at Ford. Often at odds with the executives that did not respect him and trying to work through the logistics of building one bomber per hour, Edsel had a very stressful job. This likely did not help his illness when he died prematurely in 1943.

The tragedy of Edsel is Ford Motor Company lost a visionary. He imported the first MG to America, his extravagant trips abroad allowed him to be be more open minded about automotive design than his father, and finally he cared about Lincoln in a way Henry Ford never did. If Edsel would have inherited the company and not had to deal with a micro managing father I doubt Ford would have ever created the Shoebox, the Continental would have championed American automotive luxury, the European sports car might have not been such a foreign idea in America, and finally the unloved Edsel would not have been one of Fords biggest marketing failures.

I would want to talk to Edsel because I believe his vision for the future of Ford would have made the company stronger. It would have made the company better. Finally Lincoln might not have become the conservative luxury car company for blue haired motorist. Lincoln might have been a pioneer. Edsel was an innovator, he would have made the Ford empire an innovator as well.

Here are some of the cars Edsel was a part of:

Under Edsel Ford would have had a very bright future.

TL/DR What Automotive Executive would you want to talk to?

DISCUSSION (28)

crowmolly > JR1
03/27/2015 at 14:37

Not an exec. But to me he's top of the list:

Kinja'd!!!

CalzoneGolem > JR1
03/27/2015 at 14:40

I'd want to meat Brt. Because ... just, wow man!

camaroboy68ss > crowmolly
03/27/2015 at 14:40

the rules didn't say I couldn't do it

camaroboy68ss > JR1
03/27/2015 at 14:42

tough choice but it's a four way tie for me and depends on the day but they would be either Vince Piggens, Harly Earl, Bill Mitchell or Zora Duntov.

crowmolly > camaroboy68ss
03/27/2015 at 14:42

I don't know how the basketball got into the fuel tank.

camaroboy68ss > crowmolly
03/27/2015 at 14:43

I can't even begin to list all the illegal changes to his 67/68 Camaro

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > JR1
03/27/2015 at 14:45

Ransom Olds, maybe.

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > JR1
03/27/2015 at 14:45

sochiero honda

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > JR1
03/27/2015 at 14:47

Rodger Smith, warn him about all the dumb shit he was about to do.

Kinja'd!!!

RallyWrench > JR1
03/27/2015 at 14:47

Good choice. Does it have to be an executive? If not I think I'd have to go with Dino Ferrari. He seems to have been similar to Edsel in many ways, and was a great talent who died too soon. If not Dino, then one of the other great engine designers, Vittorio Jano, Paul Rosche, Hans Mezger, etc. If it has to be an executive, Ferdinand Piech.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > JR1
03/27/2015 at 14:48

Kinja'd!!!

Mr. K, I never got to meet him, he only lived to be 105. I bet he would have been pretty cool to have a beer with.

this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata > CalzoneGolem
03/27/2015 at 14:54

Kinja'd!!!

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > JR1
03/27/2015 at 14:55

BECAUSE COCAINE!

Kinja'd!!!

CalzoneGolem > this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata
03/27/2015 at 15:02

Kinja'd!!!

EL_ULY > JR1
03/27/2015 at 15:03

Akio Toyota and Carroll Shelby

ranwhenparked > JR1
03/27/2015 at 15:17

Of all time, Edsel would be a great choice. I'd also say Bill Mitchell or Virgil Exner, since they presided over some of the best-looking postwar cars of all time.

Out of living titans, definitely Lee Iacocca. Would be amazing to pick his brain, and time is really running sort on that. Oh, also Bob Lutz, but he seems a lot healthier at the moment.

ranwhenparked > FJ80WaitinForaLSV8
03/27/2015 at 15:18

He would probably just think you were giving amazing suggestions and ask if it was OK to steal your ideas. Or, get afraid that his playbook had leaked somehow and go back to the drawing board and think up even dumber shit.