What's in a Name? New Biography Portrays the Enigmatic Edsel Ford As Respected Leader

    WARRENDALE, Pa., Feb. 6 -- In all the books written about the
Ford Motor Company and the famous Ford family, little has been written about
Edsel Ford.  He was, after all, the son of Henry Ford, and more importantly
president of the Ford Motor Company for a quarter of a century.  Who was this
man?  What was he like?  And why has he been ignored?
    Henry Dominguez, who has studied Ford Motor Company for over a quarter of
a century, says Edsel Ford's enduring legacy is dubiously tied to the
introduction of the unsuccessful automobile that bore his name.  He depicts
Edsel Ford as a remarkable and successful leader in his book, "Edsel: The
Story of Henry Ford's Forgotten Son," (SAE Publications; $39.95) available at
http://www.sae.org/store.
    "The fact remains that the Ford Motor Company the world knows today would
have been far different had it not been for the strong leadership and
influence of Edsel Ford," says Dominguez, the quintessential "Fordophile," who
ironically has spent most of his working career working for Ford's arch rival
General Motors.  Dominguez also wrote "The Ford Agency" and "Edsel Ford and
E.T. Gregorie: The Remarkable Design Team and Their Classic Fords of the 1930s
and 1940s."
    The book chronicles Edsel's life from his early days of growing up in and
around his father's company, through the controversy of his World War I draft
notice and eventual exemption, the design change from the Model T to the
Model A, and the creation of the Ford Foundation.
    Dominguez studied Ford Motor Company history for over a quarter of a
century, reliving much of it through the many old Fords that he has owned over
the years.
    "Henry Dominguez has written the definitive biography of an extremely
important historical figure.  Edsel Ford had never gotten the credit due him
-- until now," said automotive author and book publisher Michael Lamm.
    Crafted from thousands of Ford archives, written interviews, and first-
hand accounts told by people who new the man, "Edsel: The Story of Henry
Ford's Forgotten Son" helps to shed light on the life of a man who preferred
to spend most of his time outside the limelight.

    "Edsel: The Story of Henry Ford's Forgotten Son" by Henry Dominguez
    ISBN Number: 0-7680-0920-0
    Pages: 425

    For more information or to purchase "Edsel: The Story of Henry Ford's
Forgotten Son," please visit the SAE website at http://www.sae.org.