Chrysler Hemi
The Chrysler Hemi - even those with no particular interest in the automotive world are familiar with the name. The exact origins of the hemispherical combustion chamber design are unclear. Hemispherical head design was used in European cars decades before the 331 Firepower was introduced in 1951 by Chrysler. Original designers or not, Chrysler trademarked the name "Hemi" more than a half century ago and the Chrysler Hemi is still going strong.
According to Chrysler, it was the testing that began on an inline 6 cylinder engine in 1948 that led to the design of the V8 Firepower. Interestingly enough, the first Chrysler Hemi engine was a V-16 aircraft engine. This incredibly powerful engine tested in a 1943 P-47 fighter plane at more than 3,000 horsepower and achieved over 500 mph in the heavy plane. However, it never went into production. This engine can be found on display in Auburn Hills, Michigan at the Water Chrysler Museum.
By 1952 the hemispherical head engines were setting the race world on fire for Chrysler, Plymouth, and Ford. Races were won and land speed records were broken. The Hemi pushed the reliable flathead into an early demise. During the 50s Chrysler had the Firepower, the Firedome and the Fireflite. Each year brought tweaks and changes to the engines, increasing horsepower. The 241 c.i..Red Ram hit the scene in 1953, pushing 140 horses. The engine size was increased nearly every year and had a displacement of 315 c.i. by 1956. The addition of a four barrel carb brought the horses over 300 in the 1957 Super D500.
A Chrysler New Yorker was to be the first Chrysler Hemi to take first place at the Motor City 250 in 1951. Racing legend Tim Flock set a NASCAR record driving Hemi-powered cars in 1955 with 18 wins. The record stood until 1967 when another racing legend, Richard Petty, took 27 victories with Hemi power. The Chrysler 300 joined the stable in 1955. The 1957 300C carried the largest of the early Hemi engines with a 392 c.i. The next year would mark the last production year for the Hemi for street vehicles until 1964.
Of all Chrysler's Hemi engines, the most notable one may well be the 426. The 426 Hemi was designed to win the 1964 Daytona 500 and win it did! First, second, third, and fourth place were all Hemi powered cars. After the complete domination of the 1964 racing season by Hemi engines, NASCAR initiated rule changes for the '65 season and all non-production engines were banned, effectively shutting down the Hemi race machine. NASCAR later allowed limited participation by the Hemi powerplantson the short track circuit. The NASCAR ruling stopped research on a dual-overhead cam 426 in its tracks.
The street Hemi was released in 1966 for the Dodge and Plymouth intermediate class. The street Hemi had cast iron heads instead of aluminum, a lower compression ratio, and different timing than the race version. In the heyday of muscle cars the Hemi was a standalone. The year 1968 brought one of the most well known Hemi powered street vehicles; the Roadrunner. The base engine for the Roadrunner was a 383 that was clocking 100 mph in the quarter mile, with the 425 h.p 426 Hemi available as an option. Man, what a car!
By the early 1970s, emissions, gas prices, and insurance regulations took a mighty toll on all muscle cars and the superb Hemi was no exception. Chrysler estimates 11,000 street vehicles came out of the factory with Hemi power from the start of production in 1966, to the end of production in 1971. The rock solid, power producing Hemi was used in racing engines, dragsters, speedboats, funny cars. Forty years later Hemi power is still a dominating power in dragster classes and is often the engine of choice in monster trucks.
The year 2002 saw the production of Chrysler's born again Hemi. The 5.7 L V8 began in the 2003 Dodge Ram heavy duty truck line. The 2003 5.7 L "Magnum" produced up to 345 horses and was the first Chrysler production engine to use two spark plugs per cylinder. By 2005, the Hemi was available in the Chrysler 300, the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Dodge Magnum. Welcome back, Chrysler Hemi!
For more information on the Chrysler Hemi's distinguished history visit theOfficial Chrysler website, orallpar.com.
