Ford rocked the automotive industry on 31 March 1932 with the introduction of its V-8 engine, the first in the low-price field.

Henry Ford, convinced of the need for something more powerful than four cylinders (and disdainful of sixes), secretly gave orders for the development of a V-8 in 1929.

The 221 cubic-inch V-8 produced an advertised 65 horsepower.

Over the years, output grew and the venerable engine served in Ford Motor Company products until 1953.

Featuring aluminum pistons and a single-barrel carburetor, the block was cast as a single unit—key to keeping the cost competitive at just $50 more than a four-cylinder Ford.

Nicknamed the “Flathead,” the famous engine was the darling of hot-rodders for years.

In 1932, Edsel Ford hired yacht designer E.T.

“Bob” Gregorie, who quickly became head of Ford’s first in-house styling department.

Ford the younger and Gregorie became a force to be reckoned with as the dynamic pair revamped the styling of the 1935 Fords.

For 1936, the ...