Edsel Bryant Ford (November 6, 1893 – May 26, 1943) was an American business leader and donor who was the only child of Henry Ford, a famous industrialist, and his wife, Clara Jane Bryant Ford. He served as president of the Ford Motor Company from 1919 until his death in 1943.

He worked closely with his father, as the only person who inherited the business, but wanted to create cars more exciting than the Model T ("Tin Lizzie"), which matched his personal preferences. Even when he was president, he had difficulty convincing his father to change the basic design of the cars. A shift in market conditions allowed him to introduce the more popular Model A in 1927. Edsel also started the Mercury division and was responsible for the Lincoln-Zephyr and Lincoln Continental. He added important features, such as hydraulic brakes, and helped expand the company's production in other countries.

Edsel supported the arts in Detroit and funded Admiral Richard Byrd’s polar expeditions. He died at age 49 from stomach cancer. After Edsel’s death, his father, Henry Ford, briefly returned to lead the Ford Motor Company. Later, Edsel’s eldest son, Henry Ford II, became president of the company in 1945.

He was also a member of the board of directors of American IG, the American branch of the German chemical company IG Farben.

Life and career

Edsel Ford was born in November 1893 in Detroit, Michigan. He was the only child of Clara and Henry Ford. His name honored Edsel Ruddiman, a childhood friend of Henry Ford.

Edsel was prepared to take over the family car business. He spent time working on cars with his father. In 1915, he became secretary of Ford Motor Company. On November 1, 1916, he married Eleanor Lowthian Clay, who was the niece of J. L. Hudson, a department store owner. Together, they had four children: Henry Ford II, Benson Ford, Josephine Clay Ford, and William Clay Ford. Their home was located at 2171 Iroquois Street in the Indian Village neighborhood of Detroit.

Edsel attended the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut, and the Detroit University School. His family supported both schools. The library at Hotchkiss is named the Edsel Ford Memorial Library.

Edsel was more interested in car designs than his father. He showed this interest by buying the Lincoln Motor Company in 1922. He owned the first MG car brought to the United States. In 1932, he had a special car made with an aluminum body and a new V8 engine, which was Ford’s first low-cost eight-cylinder engine. This car was sold at an auction in 2016 during the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.

After becoming president of Ford Motor Company, Edsel wanted to replace the Model T with a newer car. However, his father, Henry Ford, refused many of his ideas. As sales of the Model T dropped, a new car became necessary: the Model A.

During the design of the Model A in 1927, Henry Ford focused on making the car reliable, while Edsel worked on the car’s body with designer József Galamb. Edsel also persuaded his father to include four-wheel brakes and a sliding-gear transmission on the Model A. The Model A was a success, selling nearly five million units over four years.

As president, Edsel often disagreed with his father about important decisions. He was sometimes treated poorly in public by his father. Despite this, their relationship was close, though it had difficult parts. Edsel introduced lasting changes to the company. He created the Mercury division and was responsible for the Lincoln-Zephyr and Continental models. He also expanded Ford’s international production and updated the company’s cars, such as by adding hydraulic brakes.

World War II

Edsel Ford was a strong supporter of aviation and believed the Ford company should build airplanes, even though his father disagreed at first. His father did not see how planes could be used for business purposes. After the company had great success delivering mail for the United States Post Office by air, Edsel's ideas proved correct. Because of his vision, Ford was able to help meet the urgent need for airplanes during World War II.

The Ford Motor Company played an important role in helping the United States build weapons for the war, known as the "Arsenal of Democracy." Under Edsel's leadership, Ford aimed to build one bomber plane every hour at its large Willow Run factory, where the B-24 bomber was made. It is believed that the pressure of this task made Edsel seriously ill.

According to Max Wallace in The American Axis: Ford, Lindbergh, and the Rise of the Third Reich, letters from Edsel to Maurice Dollfus, the head of Ford SAF, sent in 1942, show that Ford knew about and supported the work of its French company, which helped produce items for the German military. Edsel was also at a celebration at the Manhattan Waldorf Astoria hotel hosted by Gerhard Alois Westrick after France fell to Germany. Other guests included Sosthenes Behn of ITT, Torkild Rieber of Texaco, James D. Mooney of General Motors, and Philip Dakin Wagoner of the Underwood Typewriter Company.

Death and legacy

Henry Ford developed metastatic stomach cancer and undulant fever. Surgery for the cancer was unsuccessful because the cancer had spread, and he died in 1943 at Gaukler Point, his lakeside home in Grosse Pointe Shores, at age 49 from stomach cancer. A part of his will stated that all of his nonvoting stock in the Ford Motor Company would be donated to the Ford Foundation, which he had founded with his father seven years earlier. He is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit.

Each of Ford’s children inherited large shares in the Ford Motor Company, and the three sons worked in the family business. After Edsel’s death, his father briefly returned to the role of president of Ford. Later, Edsel’s son, Henry Ford II, became president of the company on September 21, 1945.

Henry Ford was one of the most important art supporters in Detroit’s history. As president of the Detroit Arts Commission, he paid for the famous Diego Rivera Detroit Industry Murals at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA). He was an early collector of African art, and his collection became part of the original DIA African art collection. After his death, his family continued to support the arts.

He helped fund exploratory expeditions, including Admiral Richard Byrd’s 1926 flight over the North Pole. Byrd’s Antarctic expeditions, which were also funded by Edsel, led to the naming of the Edsel Ford Range of mountains in his honor. Other Antarctic landmarks named after him include Ford Massif, Ford Nunataks, and Ford Peak.

Interstate 94 in the Detroit area is named the Edsel Ford Freeway.

In September 1957, Ford Motor Company introduced a new car division called Edsel. The Edsel division included the Citation, Corsair, Pacer, Ranger, Bermuda, Villager, and Roundup models. The Edsel division is remembered as a major failure in business. The cars sold reasonably well in their first year, but the division was closed soon after the 1960 models were released.

Edsel and Eleanor Ford House

In September 1928, the Ford family moved into Gaukler Point, their new home designed by Albert Kahn, located on the shores of Lake St. Clair in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan. The estate’s landscape and gardens were created by landscape architect Jens Jensen, who used his traditional "long view" design. This design allows visitors to see the house only after driving through a long meadow.

Jensen also designed the gardens for Edsel and Eleanor Ford’s summer home, Skylands, in Seal Harbor on Mount Desert Island, Maine. He worked on their other Michigan home, Haven Hill, from 1922 to 1935. Haven Hill is now part of the Highland Recreation Area near White Lake Township in southeastern Michigan. It is recognized as both a Michigan State Historical Landmark and a State Natural Preserve. Jensen’s landscape design includes a variety of trees, plants, and wildlife, combining beauty, history, and nature.

Henry Ford died at Gaukler Point in 1943. His wife, Eleanor, lived there until her death in 1976. She wanted the property to be used for the public’s benefit. Today, the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House is open to visitors. The home sits on 87 acres (35.2 hectares) and includes many original antiques and art from the Fords. The grounds near the lake are also historically significant. The museum offers tours, classes, lectures, and special events. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.