To call a car or any product an “Edsel” is to provide the worst of insults. The Edsel was a car designed and manufactured by the Ford Motor Company of Dearborn ? in the late 1950′s. 157, 1958, 1959 to be exact. The debacle of the Edsel was both one of the most spectacular and worst failures to befall the vibrant American automobile industry of that day. To call a car or any product an “Edsel” is to provide the worst of insults.

Some authorities will state that the reason for the Edsel’s failure was just poor market timing, not a poor product. Timing can be said to be most everything ? vital for the success of failure of any product. In those days, before computerization allowed for rapid sharing an interchanges of design and the car design process ? everything was done on paper. It took great amount of physical logistics and delays for the paperwork and blueprints to be sent and coordinated among the various players in the automobile design process. On top of that it seemed that “everyone “seemed to despise and those further down the line. The designers disliked their bosses and the engineers. The engineers hated the parts people etc etc etc. On top of that the name “Ford “was on the door signifying the ultimate authority in the car designs and marketing process. The Edsel project was initiated during a time of big cars ? from G.M. the market leader , yet introduced many years later when the concept of a second car , a compact car, for the wife to drive the family and kids around was beginning to be established in the automobile marketplace

Other authorities will state that the reason for the poor market showing and demise of the Edsel was that it was just a poor product ? poorly designed and poorly built. To further corroborate this viewpoint it is now known that the actual workers building the Edsels were none too happy building this model. The Edsel was not built on its dedicated Ford Division production line but rather the Edsel was built (or shared space) on Ford Mercury Division production line. These Mercury Division employees considered themselves as the luxury end of the Ford Car company entities and indeed saw themselves as a cut above the run of the mill Ford employee and workers.

They both resented the intrusion into their turf as they say it and as well felt that a Ford product was muscling into their terrain ? that of more prestige vehicles. In the end the marketing and sales failures of the Ford Edsel can be said to be a combination of both factors.

Interestingly enough the unspoken order from the Ford family was that the new product ? the “1958 Edsel” was to be named anything but Edsel. The late Edsel Ford was the founder Henry Ford’s only son and the grandfather of the then current patriarchs commanding and directing the Ford Empire. The senior Ford even stated that he did not want to see his late grandfather’s name spinning around on hubcaps. The design development process had worked with the “E” or “Experimental” Car. Since it was such a major and revolutionary product of Ford many assumed that the designation “E” car had of course stood for Edsel. How better to honor such a major figure in the Ford family and empire. Imagine if the name had not stuck. Would it of made a difference in the ultimate success or failure of the sales and marketing of this automobile product.

In an article published January 26, 2008 (? Today is the 21st?), Consumer Guide Auto rated several SUVs on various features and ranked the 2008 Isuzu Ascender better than the class average in four separate categories: Acceleration, Fuel Economy, Controls, and Cargo Room.

ChrisThe September 7, 2007 review of the 2008 Isuzu Ascender by staff at Cars-dot-com praised the mid-size SUV for its standard side-impact airbags, body on frame construction, and rack-and-pinion steering. U.S. News & World Report noted, “The 2008 Isuzu Ascender base model comes with manual driver and front passenger seats, height-adjustable front headrests, a second row folding bench seat, power windows and door locks, a tilt steering column, air conditioning with CFC-free refrigerant, manual dual-zone climate control with rear switch, and an AM/FM stereo and CD player with six speakers. Buyers who choose the Preferred Equipment Package also get an 8-way power driver’s seat with lumbar support, remote keyless entry, cruise control, and a cargo cover, among other conveniences.”

Editors for Kelley Blue Book wrote this about the 2008 Isuzu Ascender, “Have you been itching to get a new GMC Envoy or Chevrolet TrailBlazer, but you’re waiting for some big event to ensure you get the most bang for your buck? We’re going to let you in on a little secret: The deal you’ve been waiting for is at this very moment sitting at the Isuzu dealership. It’s the 2008 Ascender, a carbon copy of the GMC and Chevrolet twins, with a nearly-identicalnearly identical price tag but with an additional two years added to the powertrain warranty (seven-years/75,000 miles vs. five-years/100,000 miles). The Ascender is not available with a V8 engine, but it has the same suspension, same interior features and same seating capacity as the GMC and Chevrolet offerings. How can you go wrong?”

Kelley Blue Book isn’t the only one to notice the superior warranty of the Isuzu Ascender. In a report comparing the top 25 mid-size SUVs, U.S. News & World Report pointed out that the Ascender has an “excellent warranty compared to competitors.” And we’re hard pressed to find an SUV that can prove otherwise. Even the popular 2008 Honda Pilot only offers a powertrain warranty for five years or 60,000 miles. The Isuzu Ascender’s powertrain warranty is good for seven years or 75,000 miles.
In addition to the superior powertrain warranty, the 2008 Isuzu Ascender also offers a 3-year/50,000-Mile Basic Limited Warranty with no deductible, a 6-Year/100,000-Mile Corrosion Limited Warranty, and a 7-Year/100,000-Mile Roadside Assistance package.
No other SUV offers that combination of warranties to its customers.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded the 2008 Ascender five out of five stars for front- and back-seat occupant safety in side-impact crashes. The excellent rating can be attributed to the head-curtain, side-impact airbags that now come standard in the SUV.
While above-average ratings from entities like the NHTSA and U.S. News & World Report are certainly something to be proud of, Isuzu is most proud of the above-average ratings it receives from the folks who drive it. With exceptional safety and performance features, considerable cargo and passenger space, and available luxury packages and accessories, the Isuzu is easy to customize for individual drivers and their needs.

In its own history, Volvo is a Swedish world leading manufacturer of commercial vehicles, buses, and construction equipment, drive systems for marine and industrial applications, aerospace components and service, and this group also provides complete solutions for financing and service. Volvo Cars, however, which is the manufacturer of automobiles that we know at present, has since been owned by the Ford Motor Company starting the year 1999.

The name Volvo is a Latin word that means “I roll”. This name surely fits well as a description of their products ? vehicles ? that the company crafts. However, originally, it is a name for a ball bearing that was being developed by the company which, at that time, provided funding to a small number of employees for them to be able to set up the car manufacturing business. Today, the Volvo Group has been manufacturing vehicles in twenty five countries with its sales in more than 185 markets around the globe.

Some of the reasons why Volvo had took the initiative to sell the automobile manufacturing was because of the increasing development costs for new car models, added up with the fact that at that time it was a relatively small producer of such. Its strategy was then to grow as a truck manufacturer where it had a stronger market position. Now, Volvo the line of vehicles is included and part of the Ford Motor Company’s line up.

The list of Volvo models could look seemingly endless with new models coming up out in the market regularly. A part of the list includes the Volvo 140 which consists of the models Volvo 142, which is a two door vehicle, the Volvo 144, which has four doors, and the Volvo 145, which is an estate wagon. This model was first introduced in 1967. The Volvo 140 series was the start of using a three number system for their crafts. It is some sort of acronym for the first number indicates the series, the second number displays the number of series, and the third number shows the number of doors.

The very first Volvo to feature the classic boxy look is the Volvo 140. This provided a lot of interior space, as compared to the Volvo Amazon. It also bore a radical new design with the only similar features to the Amazon being the split grill and some parts of the interior. The basic shape of the Volvo 140 lived into the 1990s with the 200 series. It used the same 85 hp engine, and then later was changed to the B20 engine. A 115 hp engine was also made available. Going back to 1966, the Volvo 140 had been awarded and had been named as the Car of the Year for that year by the Swedish magazine Teknikens Varld.

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