Ford Had to Have a V-8
March 9, 1932, is a date familiar to hardcore Ford fans. This date marks the introduction of Henry Ford's V-8 engine, originally called the Model 18, but better known today as the Flathead. Ford didn't invent the V-8, nor was he the first auto manufacturer to build one. His accomplishment lies in the fact that he (his engineers, technically) was the first to figure out how to mass-produce a cheap, light V-8 built from a one-piece casting.
The concept was an obsession for Ford, no doubt fueled by the desire to promote the performance benefits of his cars, and by the fact that Chevrolet's V-6-powered cars were outselling Ford's four-banger Model As. As a competitive businessman and an obsessive person, Ford needed to one-up Chevrolet, not only in sales but in cylinders.
In 1931, Ford assembled a few small teams of engineers to turn his vision into a reality, which many critics said could not be done. Ford almost proved them right with his constant interfering, but ultimately his engineers proved them wrong. The team that succeeded in developing the first Flathead engine consisted of Carl Shultz and Ray Laird, later joined by Emil Zoerlein. They worked in secret, in Thomas Edison's old laboratory. Ford, a close friend of Edison, had moved the facility from Fort Myers, Florida, to Dearborn, Michigan.
The 221ci, 65hp engine created by Shultz, Laird, and Zoerlein was a hit with the public, but the rush to get the engine into production made the first years' version not exactly bulletproof. The '32 V-8 had a reputation for burning oil, overheating, and cracking. Ford continued to refine the flathead. The following year, heads went from cast-iron to aluminum, compression was increased from 5.50 to 6.33, and the horsepower jumped from 65 to 75. Although the body style of the Deuce existed for only one brief year, the engine introduced with it stayed in production for 22 years. By the mid '50s, OHV engines were replacing Flatheads as the preferred mill among hot rodders. In the last few years, we've been glad to see these early V-8s work their way back into popularity.