The Ford FE engine is a Ford

Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

 V8 engine used in vehicles sold in the North American market between 1958 and 1976. A related engine, the Ford FT engine, was used in medium and heavy trucks from 1964 through 1978. The FE filled the need for a medium-displacement engine created by the discontinuation of the Lincoln Y-block V8 engine

Lincoln Y-block V8 engine

The Lincoln V8 engine, Ford's earliest OHV V8 engine, was introduced by Lincoln in 1952. Like the later Ford Y-block engine, its deep skirts made the block resemble the letter Y from the front. This development was arguably in response to the sales success of the competing Oldsmobile "Rocket" and...

. The FE joined Ford's other V8s which included a small Y-block

Ford Y-block engine

The Y-block engine is a family of overhead valve V8 automobile piston engines from Ford Motor Company. It was introduced in 1952 on Ford trucks and in 1954 on Ford cars to replace the side-valved Ford Flathead engine and was replaced by the Ford FE engine and the Ford Windsor engine in 1962, and...

 and the big block MEL

Ford MEL engine

Ford developed for use in their line of Mercury models from 1958 through 1967. The MEL also replaced Lincoln's unique Y-block design. These engines were produced in Lima, Ohio at Ford's Lima Engine plant...

 engines.

"FE" is an acronym for 'Ford-Edsel'.