The Ford 390 FE engine is the engine that the 1968 Bullitt Mustang made famous, and it deserves assessment on its own terms rather than through the movie's lens.

The 390 is not a high-revving engine. The FE family's design doesn't encourage rpm — the architecture rewards torque, not horsepower. The 325 horsepower factory rating was honest but the torque number — 427 lb-ft — is the number that defines the engine's driving character.

For a street car, the 390 is a pleasant, tractable engine that responds well to basic preparation: a four-barrel carburetor, a mild cam, and free-breathing exhaust. The power doesn't come at the top of the rpm range but it's always available from low rpm. This is a different character from the high-revving Z/28 302, and it suits different drivers.