Dead-Brand Madness! 10 Classic Edsel Ads

1960 Edsel, Classic Edsel Ads — 1960 Edsel

By now we all know the Edsel story. It’s a brutal tale having to do with market timing, a recession, and a bunch of bad luck. If you’d like to read more about the Edsel end days, click here.

Without going into the Edsel story, it’s worth noting that most of the American cars brands we’ve seen die in the past 50 to 60 years have been step-up and near-luxury marques.

For whatever reason, it’s the mid-market lines that take the heat when economic times turn ugly, or when parent companies need to prune operations. Gone, for example, are DeSoto, Edsel, Mercury, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac, all of which sat squarely in the middle of their respective corporate lineups.

Sure, Dodge survived after Plymouth’s execution, but only to be repositioned as the Chrysler Corporation’s entry-level brand–a role for which it had been preparing since 1960.

While you consider the fate of your favorite American car brand, please enjoy these classic Edsel ads. We’ve amassed ten cool print advertisements, and one TV spot. If you remember seeing any of these back in the day, or in some old magazine, please tell us about it—the place to leave comments is below the last ad.

More classic car ads