When you’ve been around as long as Ford, you end up creating a whole lot of engines. These are the most underrated ones the company has made over the years.
Ford established itself as a market force when it introduced the Model T in 1908. The country’s first mass-produced car stayed in production through 1927 and sold more than 15 million units. The assembly line process and Model T’s four-stroke water-cooled T-4 four-cylinder engine were key elements in the car’s success. In the nearly full century since the Model T was discontinued, Ford has brought us auto industry icons like the best-selling F-150, the Mustang, and the sleek, LeMans-dominating GT40. The GT40 was powered by a 427 cubic inch V8 developed by engineer Bob Lunn. That engine was also used in the Shelby Cobra, the Fairlane, and the Torino, and is generally regarded as one of Ford’s best.
Not all Ford’s engines are as beloved or storied as the 427; in fact, many of the automaker’s finest motors don’t get the respect they earned powering some of Ford’s most interesting cars, trucks, and SUVs. SlashGear is here to do our best to right decades of wrongs regarding these undervalued powerplants.Supercharged 312 V8 (1957 Thunderbird)
Any discussion of Ford’s coolest vehicles must include the 1955-57 Thunderbird. Perhaps one of the era’s most beautiful cars, and undoubtedly the one with the coolest name, the Thunderbird was unveiled at the 1954 Detroit Auto Show and went on sale that fall as a 1955 model. The first year, the only engine available for T-Bird buyers was a 292 cubic inch V8, but for 1956 a 312-inch motor was added to the list of options. The next year was the last for the original two-seat Thunderbird design, and an F-code supercharged engine option was available for an additional $340 (via Christie’s). That pushed the cost of a supercharged Thunderbird with all the available factory options to a little over $3,700 (about $40,600 today).
Those add-ons included power steering, brakes, and windows and the Ford-o-Matic transmission. This was a three-speed gearbox that was usually started in second, essentially reducing it to a two-speed unit. The 1955-57 Thunderbird outsold the Corvette over that three-year span by about 4.5 to one, and the supercharged ’57 model could go from zero to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds (via Automobile Catalog). The F-code’s expense and racetrack power made it a rare choice for buyers; according to Bring a Trailer, only about 200 supercharged ’57 Thunderbirds left the lot.2.0 liter four-cylinder (Escort RS2000)
The Escort is known in North America as one of Ford’s less interesting econoboxes, with a production run from 1981 through 2003, when it yielded to the Focus. The name had been used previously in Europe for a sportier model, which debuted in 1968 and saw success on the rally circuit thanks to the 1,558 cc Lotus engine that was also used in the Cortina. Updates in 1970 and 1975 saw that engine replaced by 1.6 and 1.8 liter fours of Ford’s own design, topped with a 16-valve Lotus cylinder head.
