A recent study found that more than 20 percent of videos recommended to new YouTube viewers were low-quality content made from artificial intelligence (Down, 2025). This aligns with my anecdotal sense that there has been a boomlet in “AI slop” devoted to automotive history. Thus, I find it refreshing to come across a video that compares favorably with some of the better-written histories.
Consider the Hubcap Club’s (2025) recent episode on the 1958 Edsel, which asked: “Is it ugly?” The YouTube channel’s host, Rob, stated that he “once thought 1958 Edsels were ugly, but realized that his “opinion was poisoned by the majority opinion. I had never taken a really objective look at the car. After viewing it with fresh eyes, I now think it looks pretty good — especially compared to some of GM’s 1958 monstrosities.”
Rob’s thinking was informed by the designers’ rationale for the Edsel’s styling. The car’s most distinguishing feature — its vertical grille — was intended to be easily recognizable from a distance.
I can’t find fault in the quality of Rob’s thorough research about the Edsel’s development. However, I would beg to differ that the car looked good. It may have been less awful than competing cars from General Motors, but that was not a terribly difficult threshold to cross. Nineteen-fifty-eight was a particularly bad year for American automobile design.
The 1958 Edsel does have its defenders
We should acknowledge that Rob’s take has support. Historian Thomas E. Bonsall argued that the car’s styling was “far from bad.” Indeed, it had a “high degree of unity and integrity to it — far more, in fact, than many ‘successful’ cars of that era” (2002, p. 197). He suggested that the Edsel “may have been the best-looking car built by the Ford Motor Company” in 1958 besides the Thunderbird.
To bolster his case, Bonsall quoted GM designer David Holls: “I thought it a very imaginative car, not laughable at all. It was controversial, brash. But, you couldn’t run with the flock or you wouldn’t have anything” (2002, p. 197).
Also see ‘1958 Edsel with retractable roof hints at why the brand failed’
Given the difficulties of launching a new car brand, it made sense to try to stand out from the crowd. And as Rob shows in in his video, Packard had also been experimenting with vertical grilles. They showed up on some concept cars as well as a stillborn 1957 production model.
I would even agree that the Edsel did have some decent lines — at least in the lower-priced series. As the banner photo illustrates, the more rounded door sheetmetal that these Edsels shared with the Ford gave them a more lithe appearance than their higher-priced siblings. The latter shared boxier door sheetmetal with the Mercury (go here for further discussion).
Yes, but the devil is in the details. . .
A vertical grille could have worked okay with better proportions. Rob noted that the designers’ job was made more difficult by engineers insisting that the grille be widened for more air intake. Perhaps, but an alternative solution was to shrink the grille so that it better fit the shape of a late-50s American car.
Meanwhile, the bumper’s massive concave shape made the fascia look too tall. In addition, the bumper protruded so far forward of the side grilles that it had a bucktoothed quality.
Another weakness of the Edsel’s styling was that the taillights were positioned so high on the deck that they made the rear of the car both ponderous and overly plain. The 1959 models used a better approach, which was to move the taillights into the middle of the deck.
These kind of changes may have made the Edsel less “brash,” but they also might have reduced the potential for the public to turn against the car.
Of course, no matter how well the Edsel’s styling was received, the brand might have still faltered due to a variety of other issues. They included quality-control problems, a recession and a public tilt toward smaller, more economical cars.
Share your reactions to this post with a comment below or a note to the editor.
RE:SOURCES
- Bonsall, Thomas E.; 2002. Disaster in Dearborn: The Story of the Edsel. Stanford General Books, Stanford, CA.
- Down, Aisha; 2025. “More than 20% of videos shown to new YouTube users are ‘AI slop’, study finds.” The Guardian. Posted Dec. 27.
- Hubcap Club; 2025. “Is the 1958 Edsel Ugly? The True Story of the Vertical Grille.” Posted Oct. 27.
ADVERTISING & BROCHURES
- fordheritagevault.com: Edsel (1958)
- oldcaradvertising.com: Buick (1958); Oldsmobile (1958)
- oldcarbrochures.org: Edsel (1958, 1959)
I’m one of those that likes the 1958 GM cars, especially because they were one-year only. I also don’t have serious issues with the ’58 Edsel. Even before the linked video, I knew what that vertical grille was supposed to represent. I prefer the existing grille to your narrower example. I like the side view and my only real complaint is with the ’58’s taillights. I agree that the ’59 was an improvement there, although it looks like a Chevrolet treatment. The front of the 1960 was even more attractive and I like the vertical taillamp treatment on it.
Late Fifties cars could be strange. And none stranger than the 1957 Hudson & Nash. Designers were trying hard to create a new profile and it eventually paid off in the Sixties. The Edsel’s problem was less it’s appearance than it’s timing during a recession. I’m not a supporter of badge-engineering and have always thought that trying to create two or three marques from the same core was a cheesy idea that would eventually collapse in on itself.
The Edsel is not horrible, but the design has several shortfalls. Not to be missed is that by the time the Edsel was introduced Exner’s Forward Look was out and had changed where contemporary aesthetics were and would be.
The body side cross section is too flat going nearly strait to the bottom. That makes the body appear even taller than it is. Proportions are critical.
I don’t have a problem with the vertical grill. My take is that the nose suffers from too many competing themes with bulging headlights further accented with oversize chrome surrounds and with bumpers trying to make their own statement. The original sketches all want to have less vertical height that would have really helped the proportions.
I have a particular issue with The horizontal edge coming off the vertical grill at the edge of the hood is a nice concept but then dies into nothingness at the headlight surrounds. For this I think the comparison for a better treatment is with the Packard Predictor where the horizontal line continues into the bodyside as design element. Or even the proposed Packard production models where the headlight surrounds sat above the horizontal line so the design theme of the horizontal element continued the full width and supports the importance of the vertical grill instead of competing with it.
The original rear end deserves criticism. Nothing wrong with the wing look taillights but the trunk lid is too high and that leaves a massive unadorned void to the rear bumper. The 2nd year solution at least dealt with the void but those taillights are really cheesy and look cheap.
I always thought the 58 Edsel grille should be more bladelike like the Predictor. I never noticed the horizontal grill under the headlights until you compared it to the predictor. Lower the front wheel well opening and continue the horizontal line around the side, and you could have something like the Predictor. Now, I was only six when the Edsel came out but I was something of a gearhead already. This and reading old car mags and such in later years, my sense was people were expecting a lot more than a badge engineered Ford and Mercury.
Kim is right: The pre-introduction hype for the Edsel promised something more than an updated 1956 Packard or a Cadillac Eldorado, and yet what Edsel delivered was a rebodied 1957-1958 Ford and a 1958 Mercury. Instead, the Edsel, as both Warnock and Bonsall noted in their analysis, the Edsel was just another car in the Detroit tradition. In retrospect, Robert McNamara probably realized this and believed that the Edsel would ultimately fail.
The picture with the smaller vertical grill would look even better if the entire grill was completely off the hood. Place the top of the chrome accent trim that is around the opening about where the ‘d’ is in the edsel badge, and then make the now even smaller Edsel badge fit that new & improved grill opening. The hood? Put a small bullnose or Pontiac peak where the original grill was. The bumper is fine.
Hey, I always wondered. Did the ‘edsel’ letters light up when the headlights were on? I’ve never seen one IRL.
It was the first time in a long while that the executives weren’t filled with a sense of dread as they filed into the mahogany-paneled, glass-walled conference room. Even though the kid had been in the big chair for nearly a decade, he could still go off on tangents like a toddler and tear someone a new one right in front of all the other suits, just to make a point. But they knew today wasn’t going to be one of those days. For once, the news looked like it was going to be all good.
Indeed, when he walked in, Hank the Deuce had a smile on his face that nobody had seen in a long time. Not while he was sober, anyway. He was actually kind of glowing. Not the glow he took on when he started hitting the bottle in the bottom right-hand drawer of his desk, or the glow that came from someone new showing up in the secretarial pool. This was the kind of glow that only came from finally hitting one out of the park after countless turns at the plate.
“You know why we’re here, boys,” he said as he sat down. “The numbers are in.” He had files in front of him, each stuffed with reports and a few pertinent automotive magazine articles, hand-picked for each of the various managers and department heads seated around the table.
On cue, two of the prettiest women from the typing pool wheeled in a large cake. Circling the top were 57 candles, symbolizing 1957. In the middle was a perfect representation of a 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner driving over a giant bow tie, leaving it wrecked and ruined.
“We beat those bastards this year!” Hank proclaimed.
A round of applause broke out around the table.
“America bought 170,000 more Fords than the Chevys those turd blossoms across town were able to pump out of their factories. We’re Number One!” He shouted that last sentence and looked as though he might even get a little teary.
The men around the table glanced at one another, half-expecting this to be some kind of staged trick. But the emotions were as real as the sales numbers. Ford was the number-one brand for the year.
“All those naysayers who scoffed at me being brought back to take over the reins of this company when my grandfather was on his last legs thought they’d have the last laugh. But look at us now. Number one brand. Sure, it hasn’t been easy. I mean, until I brought in the Whiz Kids to help turn this giant ship around, they were guesstimating what our accounts payable were by weighing the invoices, for God’s sake. Look at us now!”
Of course, nobody mentioned that the Ford family no longer owned the whole company—that half of it had been sold off and was now publicly traded. No need to focus on anything but the moment they were there to celebrate. The men sitting around the table couldn’t help but feel good about what they’d achieved.
Even stoic old Bob McNamara seemed to be smiling. The brash Lee Iacocca was whispering things to the men on either side of him, probably trying to take credit for more of the success than he deserved—but that was just Lee. People were used to the self-promotion.
The young women who’d wheeled in the cake now placed fine crystal stemware in front of each executive and poured champagne. Once every glass was full, Hank stood and raised his.
“Here’s to 1957. Next year will be even better—not just for the Ford brand, but for the entire company. I’m going to have several of you stand and explain how your area will make 1958 an even better year. A banner year, in fact. A year that takes the inroads we made in ’57 and pushes even further.”
He pointed. “Hal, start us off with the ’58 Fords and why they outdo the ’57s.”
Hal stood and cleared his throat. He wasn’t a gifted public speaker, but he knew enough to hit the high notes and move on.
“I can sum it all up with one word: MORE. We took what made the 1957 models winners and added MORE. More headlights up front. More taillights in the back. More trim down the sides.
More engine choices under the hood. We even added a hood scoop to the hood. Why? No reason! We just thought the hood needed MORE!”
There was muffled applause around the table.
“Good job, Hal,” Hank said. “The Ranchero and the Skyliner models had a strong start, and we expect demand for those innovative Fords to continue to grow—especially since the competition doesn’t have anything like them. Bob, tell us about the Thunderbird for 1958.”
Bob, more polished and smoother in delivery, explained, “The same philosophy applies to the Thunderbird as the regular Ford line. We believe in MORE. The Thunderbird will be a bigger, four-seater this year—a totally new car. More passengers inside. More sheetmetal outside. More power under the hood. With all these changes, we expect MORE of them to go out the door. We’re projecting sales to double, and every one of them at a high profit margin.”
Hank smiled. Bob sat back down.
Some of the men pulled out cigars and lit them. The women refilled glasses. The room grew smoky.
“I asked someone from the Lincoln Division to come in and tell you about the ’58 models they’re bringing to market,” Hank said. “Bill, tell us what we have to look forward to.”
Bill stood. He was the best-dressed of anyone who’d spoken so far, with a casual manner that belied his cutthroat reputation.
“In keeping with the theme here, the Lincoln and Continental Division is all about MORE in 1958 as well. Imperial beat us in sales this year—the first time ever. And the last. Our offerings for 1958 will be bigger, bolder, wider, and wilder than anything Chrysler or General Motors has ever built. Canted headlights. Back windows that lower for ventilation. More colors and options than ever offered on an American car. And ALL of it in a unibody package!”
The engineers exchanged uneasy glances. A few looked genuinely panicked.
“We’re going to take back the luxury market by storm and do to Cadillac and Imperial what Ford just did to Chevy!”
The applause this time was louder—yet somehow more cautious. No one had ever built a unibody car this large, and nobody was quite sure it would work.
“And saving the best for last,” Hank said, “Tom, tell us about the new mid-range model that’s going to take the market by storm.”
Tom stood, confident and deliberate.
“We’ll be launching the Edsel with the biggest promotional campaign this company has ever seen. By the time the public lays eyes on the first one, they’ll be lining up to put down deposits—hoping they can get the color they want.”
Some of the men who’d seen early previews had reservations. Half thought the cars looked like warmed-over Fords. The other half thought they were so strange no one would buy them. But they assumed Marketing and Research had tested it to death and knew what they were doing.
The applause was polite. Restrained.
“If that’s not enough, boys,” Hank added, “the small compact Ford we’re working on for 1960 is coming along nicely. We think it’ll kill off the import market completely.”
The party went on for quite some time.
At the meeting’s conclusion, Hank reached into his pocket and pulled out a dozen envelopes—one for each man at the table. He walked around, clapping backs and handing each executive an envelope with his name neatly typed on the front.
“A little something from the family,” he said. “Call it gratitude. We know 1958 will be even better, but here’s a bonus for your 1957 efforts.”
As they drifted back to their offices, most were slightly drunk. Some not so slightly. Making their way to company-provided vehicles, many felt life was good—and on its way to being even better. The hard work had paid off. The sacrifices had been worth it.
Only a couple of them felt an uneasy knot settle in the pit of their stomach.
Wonderful story, Captain – thanks for the work.
The Hubcap Club video is also quality – well researched, and a narrative that moves and does not keep repeating itself.
I remember reading once that a possible contributing problem with the Edsel launch was that it was slightly before other 1958 models (of FoMoCo? the industry?) and had the dubious distinction of revealing noticeably higher prices for all ’58 models (in a recession!).
No, it doesn’t look too bad. I may have tone-downed the horse collar a bit (the ’59 is fine). I do have a problem with the severe undercut of the horizontal grilles in the corners. The headlights seem to thrust forward way too much. A different but still bad idea – like the bulging eyes of the ’57 Ford. To each his own. At least the 1959 Edsel (unlike the 1959 Ford) lowered the headlights to the grille – like the 1959 GMs, thus beating CryCo by a year because they were still face-lifting again in 1959.
I do give 1958 GMs some slack. Harley J. was obviously chasing up his last tree and couldn’t be questioned when they were styled, but I am wondering if all of the chrome & do-dads were added in part because it was GM’s 50th birthday in 1958? Too bad they didn’t just go with a nice horn button! (Didn’t Ford do that in 1953?)
The well told story is that the GM 1958s were too far along to change when Chuck Jordan discovered the early production ChryCo 1957s. This led to the completely new direction of the 1959s and the solidification of Bill Mitchell leading that change.
Upon Mr. Earle’s return from his European trip all he could do with the in-work 58s was to trowel on the chrome brightwork in an attempt to dazzle the public with the chrome while it hid how Exner had beat GM in actual design leadership.
Jeff, that is a clear narrative on the thru-the-fence discovery + Earl before retiring transition.
Wow, Captain! Enjoyed that very much!
CaptainMyCaptain: Great story and very enjoyable as stewdi said.
I knew Hank the Deuce had a drinking problem at least later in his career; was he a lifelong alcoholic?
About the 1957 Ford vs. Chevy sales war, my understanding is that Ford won the 1957 model year race but lost in the ’57 calendar year because ’58 Chevy sales took off while ’58 Ford sales were not so hot. As we know, the ’58 Chevy was all new, but the ’58 Ford suffered because of poor workmanship of the ’57s and a facelift that was underwhelming.