Edsel Ford II, Wm. Clay Ford Added to Board

Edsel B. Ford II and William Clay Ford Jr., both Ford Motor Co. executives and great-grandsons of founder Henry Ford, have been elected to the company’s board of directors.

The two were elected at a meeting Thursday, but Ford Chairman Donald Petersen delayed making an announcement until company officials were notified, said Ford spokeswoman Mary Joseph in Detroit.

“As members of the founding family, no one could have more of an interest in the continuing success of the company,” Petersen said of Edsel Ford II, the only son of the late Henry Ford II, and William Ford Jr., whose father is the board’s vice chairman and owner of the National Football League’s Detroit Lions.

Outsiders have long speculated on whether the two great-grandsons someday might lead the company that Henry Ford II rescued after World War II and converted into a major public corporation.

Edsel Ford II, 39, has been general sales manager of Ford’s Lincoln-Mercury Division since June. He joined the company in 1974 as a product analyst and then worked in several district sales office positions.

From 1978-80, he was assistant managing director of Ford Australia. He returned to the United States in 1981 and became advertising manager of the Ford Division in 1983. In 1985, he became general marketing manager of Lincoln-Mercury.

William Clay Ford Jr., 30, has been chairman and managing director of Ford Switzerland since September. He joined the company in 1979 as a product planning analyst, worked in a district sales office and then served on Ford’s bargaining team during 1982 negotiations with the United Auto Workers.

After working in Ford advertising, finance and car product planning, he became director of commercial vehicle marketing for Ford of Europe in 1986.

In other moves, Ford announced that James W. Ford, executive vice president and president of the Ford Financial Services Group, will retire March 1. Ford is no relation to the family of Henry Ford.

He will be succeeded by Kenneth Whipple, chairman of Ford of Europe since 1986.