Roy Brown Jr., the infamous designer of the ill-fated and short-lived Ford Edsel, died on Feb. 24 in the company of his family. Brown Jr. was 96 years old.
In 1957, Roy Brown Jr. was responsible for the latest Ford model known as the Edsel, intended to be an entry-premium level car that slotted between Ford and the Lincoln luxury brand.
Extensive marketing research was performed during the Edsel's development. In 1955, under the internal code name "E car," Ford subjected the Edsel to cutting edge product development and market research strategies during the vehicle's design process.
In fact, Ford was brimming with confidence during the product development process as the company boasted the Edsel's styling and specifications were the result of sophisticated market analysis and research, ensuring broad acceptance from the buying public.
However, due to a combination of factors, the Ford Edsel was wildly unpopular during its debut, and later even became an example of product marketing failure.
According to the Washington Post, the Edsel failed because it was out of sync with American tastes, a surprising explanation given Ford's investment to ensure the Edsel was everything Americans ever wanted. The Edsel bowed at a time when conspicuous consumption and showmanship was no longer popular.
"It's almost grotesque," said industry analyst Maryann Keller. Particularly unhappy with the Edsel bumper, Keller pointed out that the Edsel suffered from "hundreds of pounds of unnecessary weight in bumpers."
All in all, Ford Motor Company lost approximately $250 million due to the Edsel's three years of failure, an astronomical sum for 1958. The Edsel was cut in 1960 after Ford produced 118,000 examples, just half the amount Ford initially intended to build.
Despite the criticism, Roy Brown Jr. still drove the Ford Edsel for much of his life. "I'm proud of the car," Brown told The Sun-Sentinel of Florida in 1985. "There is not a bad line on the car."
When people would ask where they could have an Edsel, Brown would reply, "Where were you in 1958?"
Roy Brown Jr. died in a hospice after a battle with pneumonia. He was 96.
