I don't think the Edsel and Ford styling was any better or worse than what GM was putting out at the time. One thing that seems to have hurt Ford was quality control. GMs quality was much better then and Ford's wasn't. It was better than Chrysler perhaps, but GM was the best at the time. I read an interview in Hemmings a few years ago with some retired autoworkers. In their efforts to overtake GM, Ford executives and managers churned out product without worrying about quality. Ford and Edsel dealers reported having, in some cases to almost rebuild cars before they could go on the showroom floor.