Episode 12 - The Fords: A Legacy of Cars and Conflict

While the Rockefellers pursued public influence, the Ford dynasty remained a closed, private, and often dysfunctional kingdom. This episode delves into the tumultuous history of the Ford family after its patriarch, exploring the bitter conflicts, power struggles, and personal tragedies that nearly destroyed the company. At the center of the drama is the tragic relationship between Henry Ford and his only son, Edsel. Edsel, a man of refined taste and forward-thinking design, was constantly undermined and humiliated by his domineering father, who resisted any change to his beloved Model T.

After Edsel’s premature death, an aging and erratic Henry Ford was forced to resume control, nearly running the company into the ground until his grandson, Henry Ford II, was released from the Navy to stage a corporate coup. "Hank the Deuce" wrested control from his grandfather's cronies and modernized the company, saving it from bankruptcy. We explore the high-stakes corporate drama of the 1950s and 60s, including the disastrous launch of the Edsel car and the triumphant creation of the Mustang under the leadership of Lee Iacocca, who would himself later be famously fired by an insecure Henry II.

The story of the Ford dynasty is a gripping Shakespearean tale of fathers and sons, of jealousy, and of the immense pressure that comes with inheriting a name and an empire. It reveals that the greatest threat to a family business often comes from within the family itself. Their legacy was not just one of cars, but of deep and enduring conflict.