Henry and Edsel

[Dave Mellor NJ]

Rare Model F

[old31]

Where is that car today?

[fried okra]

Interesting pic, thx!

[nkaminar]

Henry has been blamed for Edsel's early death. But I think Edsel's lifestyle had something to do with it.

[stickshift]

I saw a documentary on Henry Ford. He was very hard on Edsel...probably harder on him than a regular employee. Edsel was a drinker and liked to have people over socializing at his house. Henry used to go into Edsel's house and smash his liquor bottles. When Edsel developed stomach cancer, they weren't going to tell Henry but Edsel's wife spilled the beans during an argument with Henry. Henry refused to believe anything was wrong with Edsel until Edsel was on his deathbed...Henry demanded that the doctor save him, but nothing could be done. Edsel was brilliant and always lived in his Father's shadow and that's the way Henry wanted it.

[Gene F]

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It seems that Clara kept Henry under control as much as she could. Bennett did not help things.

[rotorwrench]

There is plenty of evidence that Henry was hard on Edsel but Edsel knew how to get what he wanted. He would have been the type to defend his father even though he wasn't always treated all that well. Henry bought out the Lincoln manufacturing concern partly to goad Henry Leyland (they had a history) and to give Edsel a marque that he could do whatever he wanted with. I think he hoped that it would keep his son from always wanting to change the Ford line. Henry was slow to admit when it was time to change things. Edsel likely dealt with a lot of anxiety when dealing with his father and about his decisions of the Ford company operations as a whole. Even though his father was there, he still had to keep the major body of the company functioning on a day to day basis. Edsel really got majorly involved with the building of the Willow run B-24 Bomber plant. This was about the time he really started having stomach problems. The alcohol consumption and the axiety are know risk factors for his type of cancer. He was an over achiever and took it personally if something didn't go right with the company so he likely would still have been affected even without his fathers adding to the fire.

Ford motors would definitely not been the same company without him. He was the good guy to the employees that his father lacked. His eye for good design made Ford what it became. Henry Ford II did OK at Ford but he would have been a lot better if his father had been there to help him. It just wasn't meant to be, unfortunately.

[Gene F]

Rotorwrench makes me think of something else. I guess Mercury was a little company that made modifications to a couple of car lines back in the day. Kinda like what Don Yenko did. Edsel liked the idea of offering a Ford that more more of a marquis offering, yet still Ford. I guess Edsel was the one behind the buy proposal for Mercury. I think Mercury at that time was based on Cincinatti, or Louisville, I can't remember.

When you think about it GM did something similar - Fisher Body was owned by the Fisher brothers...

[AzBob]

Originally Posted by Gene F

. I guess Edsel was the one behind the buy proposal for Mercury. I think Mercury at that time was based on Cincinatti, or Louisville, I can't remember.

Ford bought Mercury? This is news to me, I always thought Ford created Mercury as a step up from the standard Ford. Slotted between a standard Ford and Lincoln.

[Mulletwagon]

Another potential cause of Edsel's cancer was attribited to drinking unpasteurized milk from the family farm. The Willow Run plant was a huge accomplishment which contributed significantly to the war effort. Of all the B-24s made at that plant only one has survived and is on display at the museum at Barksdale AFB, LA.

[rotorwrench]

One of the things Edsel fought for during the 1930s was a longer plan form to be able to design in more pleasing to the eye changes. Henry wouldn't let him do it. He wanted to keep the cars as short as they could and they basically used the same frame all through the mid to late 30s. Bob Gregorie always said that they could have designed better looking cars with a longer body to work with but he knew better than to push for it. What is amazing is how well their designs came out despite the limitations. When Henry gave the OK to start the Mercury line he finally let them lengthen the cars but it sure wasn't much. The Mercury design that was the last one approved by Edsel was the one that finally came in 1949. He approved that just before he died in 1943. That's how far ahead of the game Edsel's design department was, and all this while tooling up & building tanks and airplanes.

[stickshift]

Originally Posted by Mulletwagon

Another potential cause of Edsel's cancer was attribited to drinking unpasteurized milk from the family farm.

This is true. Even though Edsel had terminal stomach cancer, many sources say that Edsel actually died of fever brought on by the bacteria in the milk. Henry encouraged that Edsel drink the unpasteurized milk from the Ford farm thinking it was a natural cure for Edsel's condition. Henry thought if Edsel would just change his lifestyle he would be fine.

[updraught]

I was brought up on milk straight from the cow. Didn't cure anything. Thought I would just let you know that.

[wrndln]

Same here, our family drank unpasteurized milk straight from the cows and all 5 of us kids are still alive, however my mom did pass away at 99, but I don't believe it was from unpasteurized milk!
Rusty Nelson