Last fall, Ford dealers were twitching in anticipation of the new Edge, a “crossover” to compete with the luxury car-based SUVs made by Lexus, Mercedes and BMW.

The company that introduced the horseless carriage was scrambling for a foothold, projecting a 14 percent market share and looking at 2006 losses of more than $12 billion. The sleek Edge, with its panoramic receding sunroof and carlike ride, was going to be the foxy new schoolmistress in a dustbowl town.

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