Wednesday 4th September 1957

The Ford Motor Company proclaimed this day ‘E-day’ to celebrate the introduction of the ‘Edsel’, 5 years after its conception. As far as customers were concerned, though, the Edsel’s low price and V8 engine simply failed to overcome its ‘ugly horse-collar grille’. In its first year, Ford sold just 64,000 of the cars and lost $250 million (the equivalent of $2.5 billion today). Overwhelmed by negative press and lack of sales, the Edsel faded into history as Ford’s famed ‘ugly duckling’. Ironically, the low numbers produced have made the Edsel a valuable collector’s item in recent years.