▁into ▁three , ▁Special , ▁De ▁Lux e , ▁and ▁Super ▁De ▁Lux e . ▁Ford ▁vehicles ▁had ▁been ▁V 8 - only ▁since ▁ 1 9 3 5 , ▁but ▁deal er ▁requests ▁for ▁an ▁" e conom y " ▁engine ▁option ▁prompt ed ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁a ▁six ▁cyl inder ▁unit . ▁The ▁entry - level ▁ 1 3 6   C ID ▁( 2 . 2   L ) ▁V 8 ▁was ▁switched ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁ 2 2 6   C ID ▁( 3 . 7   L ) ▁L - head ▁straight - 6 , ▁the ▁first ▁Ford ▁six ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 0 6 ▁Model ▁K . ▁ ▁The ▁popular ▁ 2 2 1   C ID ▁( 3 . 6   L ) ▁V 8 ▁remained ▁as ▁the ▁top - line ▁engine ▁and ▁was ▁standard ▁in ▁De ▁Lux e ▁models . ▁ ▁Both ▁engines ▁were ▁r ated ▁at ▁ 9 0   hp . ▁The ▁ 2 3 9 ▁C ID ▁engine , ▁introduced ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁for ▁Mercur y ▁and ▁tr uck s , ▁was ▁continued ▁in ▁the ▁Mercur y ▁models . ▁ ▁The ▁ch ass is ▁was ▁longer , ▁with ▁a ▁ 1 1 4 - in ▁( 2 . 9 - m ) ▁wheel base . ▁ ▁The ▁" ign ition ▁key " ▁for ▁these ▁cars ▁was ▁actually ▁used ▁to ▁operate ▁a ▁b olt ▁lock ▁which , ▁on ▁one ▁end , ▁un locked ▁the ▁ste ering ▁column