In 1968 Ford began to produce what would become one of the longest running production engines ever. The Ford 302 has been used in quite a few Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models over the year including vans, pickup trucks and of course the popular Mustang. Most people know the 302 more commonly as the 5.0 liter engine mostly due to the fact that 5.0 emblems were placed on Mustangs starting in the early 80s. The actual liter displacement of these engines is 4,942 cubic centimeters which gives the engine an official displacement of 4.9 liters. Since the Ford 300 inline six already used the 4.9L emblem Ford decided to call the 302 a 5.0 liter to avoid any confusion. Plus telling someone that you have a 5.0 liter engine just sounds cooler than telling them you have a 4.9 liter.

In the first year of production for the 302 Ford decided to turn some heads by offering a high performance version for their new V8 that would be used in the Shelby GT 350. The high performance 302 engine block was produced in Mexico and had a higher nickel content therefore making it stronger. The engine however was not very popular due to the fact that it put out only 315 horsepower which was of course much weaker than engines like the Ford 427 and the Ford 428.

After 27 years of service, the Ford 302 (5.0) was phased out in the end of 1995 in North America and was replaced by the Ford 4.6 liter engine. Still today, many Ford enthusiasts prefer the 302 over the 4.6 liter due to the fact that performance parts are much cheaper and the engine is very reliable. Many racing enthusiast bore out their 302s out to a 331 or a 347 known as the 331 or 347 stroker which also provides a combination of reliable performance and a lot more horsepower.