1932 Ford Model 18 2-Door Truck
2019.0024.0001, Savoy Collection
Engine: 221 cu. in. (3.6) Cast-iron block, L-head, V-8
Output: 65 HP@ 3,400 PRM
Transmission: 3-Speed Manual
Wheelbase: 106 in.
Weight: 2,476 lbs.
Top Speed: 76 MPH
No. Produced: Unknown
Original Price: $485
Manufacturer: Ford
Chevrolet’s first D-Series 8-cylinder engine was released in 1917. It quickly disappeared in 1919 and did not re-emerge until 1955. However, in 1929, the 6-cylinder “Stovebolt Six” was available in both passenger cars and trucks. Chevrolet advertised this new motor as “A Six for the Price of a Four”, perhaps being a subtle dig at Ford’s 4-cylinder engine. More powerful and in the same price range as Chevrolet’s 1931 4-cylinder engine, the upgrade was a hit.
Unwilling to be outdone, Henry Ford decided to up the ante and develop an 8-cylinder engine. Secreted away, a small team worked tirelessly to accomplish the task. When upper management discovered Henry’s plan, the company was almost broke, but Henry’s personal fortune kept the doors open. Released in 1932 at the height of the Depression, the engine was initially panned: “Double the cylinders means double the gas!” However, when the economy recovered, Ford’s gamble paid off handsomely.