Ford’s Thriftpower inline-six powered the Falcon, Mustang, and Bronco for 24 years

Before Ford’s turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engines became the brand’s go-to entry-level powertrains, the rugged Ford Thriftpower inline-six did the heavy lifting for decades. Introduced in 1960 under the hood of the compact Falcon, this cast-iron six-cylinder engine started life as a 144-cubic-inch unit. By 1961, Ford had stroked it to 170 cubic inches for the Special Six variant, which became an optional engine in the Falcon and Comet. The 170 briefly served as the standard inline-six in the earliest Mustangs before being replaced by a more refined 200-cubic-inch version in 1963.

The 200 featured a redesigned bottom end with seven main bearings, a thicker block deck, and hydraulic lifters, delivering smoother and quieter operation than its predecessor. This engine powered a wide range of Ford and Mercury models, including the Comet, Fairmont, and the short-lived Granada in the early 1980s. Ford even revived the 200 for the Fox-body Mustang between 1979 and 1982 due to a shortage of imported Cologne V6 engines from Germany. The inline-six’s evolution didn’t stop there.

In 1968, Ford stretched the displacement to 250 cubic inches by raising the block deck height and lengthening the crank stroke to 3.91 inches. The larger engine produced roughly 155 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque, a significant upgrade over the 120-horsepower 200-cubic-inch version. The 250 became a popular choice for buyers seeking a smooth six-cylinder alternative to heavier V8s and was offered in the Mustang starting in 1969. It became the standard engine for the 1971 through 1973 model years, when the growing weight of the pony car demanded more power than the 200 could provide.

The Thriftpower inline-six’s reach extended beyond the Falcon and Mustang. Early Broncos also relied on the 170-cubic-inch and 200-cubic-inch versions of the engine. Enthusiasts have long praised the durability of Ford’s inline-six engines, with many examples still running strong after hundreds of thousands of miles on largely original internals. Performance builders have pushed the boundaries of these engines, proving their potential with modern upgrades like turbocharging and fuel injection.

Some have even coaxed outputs comparable to Ford’s Australian Barra inline-six engines. While Ford eventually moved on to more modern six-cylinder engines—including the infamous V6 in late-1980s and 1990s Taurus models—the Thriftpower inline-six and its variants set the standard for six-cylinder performance in Ford’s passenger cars for 24 years, from 1960 to 1983.