The Hemi engine was pioneered in Belgium

Well...no, a Belgian company's hemi engine was pioneered by a Belgian company. Chrysler's Hemi engine families -- all four of them -- were pioneered by various branches and subsidiaries of Chrysler Corporation. The present "HEMI", which hasn't got a hemispherical combustion chamber at all, was pioneered by DaimlerChrysler.

Glad to be able to clear that up for you.

The new HEMI design has some additional casting material on each side of the chamber to help create a more efficient combustion. Otherwise, they absolutely hold true to the heritage of their name. Chrysler did not invent the HEMI, they just perfected it. :)

Thanks, Scott

The HEMI engine for automobiles was born in 1948 -- Harry Westlake and several others developed a Hemi 6-cylinder engine for Jaguar. A few years later, in 1951, Chrysler introduced a 180-'horsepower'

HEMI V-8 engine onseveral models. The Chrysler HEMI engine had a displacement of 331cubic inches (5.4 liters), so it is known as the "331 HEMI." These days, 180 horsepower sounds like nothing. For example, you canget a 2003 Dodge Neon with a stock 2.0 liter, 4-cylinder engine thatproduces 150 horsepower. The 5.7 liter LS6 V-8 in the 2003 ChevyCorvette produces over 400 horsepower. But in 1951, 180 horsepower wasunheard of. It was an amazing amount of power for the day, and itfueled the "HEMI legend." [image: courtesy DaimlerChrysler*Dual Ghia powered by a 392 HEMI* Chrysler continued improving the HEMI design, releasing a

354-cubic-inch design in 1956, a 392 cubic-inch design in 1957, and ultimately a 426-cubic-inch (7-liter) version in 1964. The 426 engine set the HEMI legend in stone when it won first, second and third place in the 1964 Daytona 500 'NASCAR' race. The 426 street HEMIcame out in 1965, producing 425 horsepower. The 426 block and heads arestill available today from Dodge. The 426 HEMI is a popular power plantfor drag racing, funny cars and muscle cars

And a happy Passover to you, too.

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

It's too bad they never made a Hemi head for the slant 6 as they did with the Australian 6.

Some folks will beg to differ when the 'hemi' came into its own. For many, it is when Don Garlits cranked one up. Chrysler was making him run one in the drag races, but he didn't really want to run the new 'hemi' engine. In an effort to be rid of the engine, he advanced the timing far ahead of other engines of the day, hoping to blow the motor and make Chrysler think it was no good for drag racing. To Don's surprise, rather than blowing up, the engine ran like a scalded dog and beat all the other cars at the drags. That made Don a believer and thus led to the beginning of a long and lustrious racing career for the 'hemi'.

Interesting note. About when was that?

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

Don't remember exactly... sometime around 1956-57, I believe...