The Edsel: Why It was Necessary, and Why It Failed

Instructor: Dave Tarrant

The Edsel was a revolutionary approach to solving an intractable business problem at Ford. This course will trace the roots of this problem, the alternatives for solving it, and show why the Edsel became the archetype of failure—including important cultural implications. It will also show the value of evolutionary versus revolutionary approaches to solving institutional problems and—at the end—present a silver lining to the Edsel's dark cloud. This class features prominently the role of Henry Ford II, the biography of whom is the subject of the afternoon class.

About the Presenter: Dave Tarrant was educated in the history of technology and worked professionally in the automotive industry throughout most of his business career. Along the way he maintained a strong avocational interest in aviation and automotive history. In addition to these interests, he is also a student of naval architecture, military history generally, and contemporary developments in science and technology. He enjoys practicing his management skills through service as president of his flying club as well as director of the MORE program.