The Chrysler Corporation stunned the
racing world on Feb. 23, 1964, when stock cars equipped with its
powerful 426 HEMI® engine swept the Daytona 500, taking first,
second and third places in stock car racing's most prestigious
event. The engine also set a new average speed record for the track
of 154.33 mph.
While the engine's life on the racing
circuit was brief - NASCAR quickly imposed stricter engine
specifications in an effort to level the playing field - that
February day was enough to set the public clamoring for HEMI-style
horsepower. In 1966, Chrysler began offering a slightly tuned-down
version of the 426 HEMI race engine (called the "street HEMI") as an
option in Plymouth Belvederes, Dodge Coronets and Chargers. The era
of the true muscle car had arrived.
The cylinder head configuration with a
nearly centrally located spark plug in a hemispherically shaped
combustion chamber gave the classic HEMI engine its name. This
unique architecture has an inherent airflow that translates into big
power. The street HEMI came with dual, four-barrel carburetors
mounted on an aluminum dual-plan intake manifold. The engine's
advertised horsepower and torque were 425 hp and 490 lb.-ft. of
torque. However, many drivers claim the output was closer to 500 hp.
"Prior to 1964, we were racing on the
NASCAR circuit using a 426 Max Wedge (which had a wedge-shaped head
design), but we weren't having much success," recalls Bill Weertman,
Chrysler's Manager of Engine Design at the time. "Senior management
wanted to change that. Our engineering team knew from previous
experience with the HEMI design that it could produce the necessary
power." Indeed, Chrysler engineers assisted in the development of a
HEMI engine that in 1965 set a new land speed record for a
wheel-driven vehicle. The car, with four HEMI engines mounted
in-line, set a two-way record of 409.277 mph on the Bonneville Salt
Flats of Utah.
While for many the HEMI legacy began
in the 1960s, Chrysler's experience with the design dates back to
the late 1930's, when engineers began experimenting with different
types of engine designs in an effort to improve performance. During
World War II, Chrysler also developed a military aircraft engine
equipped with a HEMI head. In 1951, Chrysler introduced the
HEMI V-8 engine to the public. The engine produces 180 hp, an
impressive output in those days. The first cars to carry the new
engine were the New Yorker and Saratoga lines. Between 1951 and
1953, HEMI engines were offered on the Chrysler and Imperial, DeSoto
and Dodge. Although the engines carried different names -
"Firepower," "Fire-dome" and "Red Ram" - and were manufactured in
separate facilities, they shared a similar design approach with each
engine having its own size range.
The 426 HEMI had little in common with
these earlier versions except for the basic valve train arrangement
and spark plug location, according to Weertman. An expensive option
at the time ($600-$800 on cars that had base prices of $2,300 to
$4,200), the street HEMI was popular among car enthusiasts and those
cruisers who wanted to have the biggest, baddest engine on the
street. "If you were idling at a stoplight and the car next to you
had 'HEMI' in its nameplate, there was no doubt who would be the
fastest off the line," said Weertman, who retired from Chrysler in
1987.
The street HEMI passed into history in
1971 as concerns about emissions and fuel consumption led to a major
detuning of all high performance engines. About 10,000 426 HEMIs
were manufactured for street use in the engine's five-year run.
Still, the love affair with the original muscle car engine continues
today through Web sites and enthusiast magazines devoted to the
HEMI. Today, restored true HEMI cars command very high price tags.
Source Of
Information: DaimlerChrysler Corporation
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