Ford changed all of that in 1932 with the introduction of the 221 cubic inch flathead V8. Almost immediately upon its introduction, gearheads were racing Fords powered by the new flathead V8.

While the Small Block Chevy may be the most tunable and the Chrysler HEMI the most powerful, Ford’s Flathead V8 engine has been around for nearly a century and is the grandfather of every V8 ...