The Story of Ford’s Iconic Kent Inline-4 and Its Major Road and Track Influence 12 Jan 2021, 13:05 UTC ·
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Over the years, the American manufacturer has built some of the most legendary V8s the world has ever seen, including the Y-Block, 385 Big-block, 427 SOHC, or the Coyote. The Blue Oval is also responsible for one of the most important engines in the history of the industry, the multifaceted ‘Kent’ inline-four. 9 photos
The engine family can be divided into three basic sub-families; the original pre-Crossflow Kent, the Crossflow that became the most prolific version of them all, and the transverse-mounted Valencia.
It all starts more than half of century ago in Europe, where Ford began the development of a new powerplant that would replace the outdated lineup of four-cylinders to meet the growing demand for new, dependable vehicles.