The Rest of the Edsel Affair

The Rest of The Edsel Affair is the second of two books that tells the story, from a highly publicized beginning to a barely noticed ending, of the Edsel automobile, introduced by Ford Motor Company in 1957. The Edsel was unusual in that it introduced a vertical front design with wide, horizontal tail lights. The engineers designed brakes that could be tightened by reversing the car while pumping the brake pedal (still a feature of cars today) and shifting the transmission by pushing buttons on the steering wheel.


C Gayle Warnock, the Division's Public Relations Director and responsible for the car's public introduction, told the first part of this interesting story in The Edsel Affair published in 1980. Now, he returns with the rest of the story, beginning with why and when the car's abolishment was first recommended to the Company's Executive Committee, and who made the suggestion. The author then traces the beginning and the rapid growth of the three Edsel Clubs, the popularity of the car as a "collectible" and the car's Golden Anniversary party in Dearborn, MI in 2007.


The Rest of The Edsel Affair is entertaining and reads like a personal letter from home. Even if you don't have an Edsel, or ever heard of it, you will enjoy the surprising details and enduring stories in this historical tale.