Editing Ford flathead V8 engine (section)

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox automobile engine  
| name          = Ford flathead V8
| image         = 1942 Ford Super Deluxe engine.JPG
| aka           = Ford L-head V8
| manufacturer  = [[Ford Motor Company]]
| production    = {{ubl
                  | 1932&ndash;1953 for the U.S. consumer car-and-truck market
                  | 1932&ndash;1954 for the Canadian consumer car-and-truck market
                  }}
| successor     = {{ubl
                  | [[Ford Y-block engine|Ford Y-block V8]]
                  | [[Lincoln Y-block V8 engine|Lincoln Y-block V8]]
                  }}
| configuration = [[Side-valve engine|Side-valve]] [[V8 engine|V8]]
}}

The '''Ford flathead V8''' (often called simply the '''Ford flathead''' or '''flathead Ford''') is a [[V8 engine]] with a [[flathead engine|flat cylinder head]] introduced by the [[Ford Motor Company]] in 1932 and built by Ford through 1953. During the engine's first decade of production, when [[overhead-valve]] engines were used by only a small minority of makes, it was usually known simply as the '''Ford V‑8''', and the first car model in which it was installed, the [[1932 Ford|Model 18]], was (and still is) often called simply the "Ford V-8" after its new engine. An automotive milestone as the first affordable V8, it ranks as one of the company's most important developments.<ref name="Sorensen1956p231">{{Harvnb|Sorensen|1956|p=231}}.</ref> The engine was intended to be used for big passenger cars and trucks;<ref name="K214">{{Harvnb|Kremser|1942}}. p 214</ref> it was installed in such (with minor, incremental changes)<ref name="Sorensen1956p229">{{Harvnb|Sorensen|1956|p=229}}.</ref> until 1953, making the engine's 21-year production run for the U.S. consumer market longer than the 19-year run of the [[Ford Model T engine]].<ref name="Sorensen1956p229"/> It was also built independently by Ford licensees.{{cn|date=May 2024}}. The engine was named on [[Ward's 10 Best Engines#20th Century|Ward's list of the 10 best engines of the 20th century]]. It was a staple of hot rodders in the 1950s, and it remains famous in the [[classic car]] hobbies even today, despite the huge variety of other popular V8s that followed.