What was the first Edelbrock product sold commercially?

The first Edelbrock product sold commercially was the Slingshot manifold. Vic Edelbrock designed it for the flathead V8 in his 1932 Ford Roadster, and customer demand turned the one-off experiment into the foundation of his company.

Edelbrock initially worked with Tommy Thickstun on an intake-manifold design, but he was dissatisfied with its performance and created his own version. The Slingshot allowed the flathead engine to use two Stromberg 97 carburetors, addressing a restriction that limited power. Its name referred to the manifold’s distinctive design.

The part was tested at Muroc dry lake, a Southern California racing site later associated with Edwards Air Force Base. Edelbrock’s roadster achieved a 121.45-mph flying-quarter-mile record in 1941, drawing attention from fellow hot rodders. Although he had not originally planned mass production, requests for the manifold persuaded him to make more.

Edelbrock ultimately produced about 100 Slingshot manifolds. The product is sometimes confused with later Edelbrock carburetors or four-barrel manifolds, but those became important only after the Slingshot had established the company’s reputation.