Advertisement for the 1932 Ford V-8 Car, "Announcing the New Ford V-8 Cylinder"

Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company revolutionized the auto industry once again in 1932 with the introduction of a low-priced V-8 engine. By casting the crankcase and cylinder banks as a single unit, Ford cut manufacturing costs and could offer its V-8 in a car starting under $500. Ford's original V-8 design remained in production, with modifications, until 1953.

Henry Ford's V-8 engine was compact and powerful. It was light enough and cheap enough to put into his inexpensive automobiles. The 1932 Ford with a V-8 engine cost between $460 and $600, depending on options. Its closest price competitor with a V-8 engine was the 1932 LaSalle, which cost about four times as much at $2395.

Henry Ford and Edsel Ford introduced the Model A on December 2, 1927. After 19 years of Model T production, the public was eager for Ford Motor Company's new car. It took six months of intensive design work and plant retooling, but the Model A was a hit. Ford sold nearly five million cars over the Model A's four-year production run.