HEMIŽ Milestones
Updated through 2007 bottom of this page.
Auburn Hills, Nov 22, 2002
HEMIŽ Milestones

A journey through a remarkable engine's remarkable history ...
1939 Chrysler begins design work on first HEMIŽ, a V-16 for
fighter aircraft.
1951 Chrysler stuns automotive world with 180 hp HEMIŽ V-8
engine.
1951 Chrysler New Yorker convertible paces Indianapolis 500
race.
1951 Saratoga first in Stock Car Class; second overall in
Carrera Pan-Americana road race.
1951 Briggs Cunningham chooses HEMIŽ engines for his Le Mans
race cars.
1952 A special HEMIŽ is tested in a Kurtis Kraft Indy roadster;
it's banned by racing officials as too fast.
1953 Lee Petty's HEMIŽ Dodge wins five NASCAR races and
finishes second in championship points.
1953 Cunningham's C-4R HEMIŽ wins 12 Hours of Sebring and
finishes third at Le Mans.
1953 A Dodge HEMIŽ V-8 breaks 196 stock car records at
Bonneville Salt Flats.
1954 A Chrysler HEMIŽ with 4-barrel and dual exhausts makes 235
hp.
1954 Lee Petty wins Daytona Beach race in a Chrysler HEMI.
1954 Lee Petty wins NASCAR Grand National championship driving
Chrysler and Dodge HEMIŽs.
1954 Cunningham HEMIŽs win Sebring again, third and fifth at Le
Mans.
1954 Dodge Red Ram HEMIŽ convertible paces Indy 500.
1955 Chrysler introduces the legendary 300 as America's most
powerful stock car
1955 Chrysler "300" with dual 4-barrel 331 c.i.d. HEMIŽ is
first production car to make 300 hp.
1955 A Carl Keikhaefer-prepared Chrysler 300 wins at Daytona
Beach with Tim Flock driving.
1955 Chrysler bumps HEMIŽ to 250 hp in New Yorker and 280 hp in
Imperial.
1955 Frank Mundy wins AAA Championship in Kiekhaefer-prepared
Chrysler 300.
1956 DeSoto Fireflite HEMIŽ convertible paces Indianapolis 500.
1956 Chrysler 300-B HEMIŽ increased to 354 c.i.d. and 340 hp
with dual 4-barrels.
1956 Buck Baker wins NASCAR Grand National Championship in
Chrysler 300-B with 14 wins.
1956 Chrysler 300-B sets World Passenger Car speed record at
Daytona Beach - 133.9 mph.
1956 Don "Big Daddy" Garlits begins 46-year winning association
with Chrysler HEMIŽs.
1957 Chrysler 300-C HEMIŽ increased to 392 c.i.d. and 375 hp.
1958 Last year of HEMIŽ engine in Chrysler 300 models.
1958 Don "Big Daddy" Garlits breaks the 170 mph barrier in his
"Swamp Rat" HEMIŽ dragster.
1958 Chrysler 300-D HEMIŽ sets a Class E speed record at
Bonneville at 156.387 mph.
1959 Original Ramchargers debut "High & Mighty" HEMIŽ-powered
C/A (altered class) '49 Plymouth to win NHRA Nationals.
1964 A.J. Foyt wins Firecracker 400 at Daytona; Plymouths or
Dodges lead every lap.
1964 Chrysler introduces the 426 c.i.d. race HEMIŽ into
competition.
1964 Richard Petty debuts the 426 HEMIŽ and laps the field
while winning the Daytona 500.
1964 Three HEMIŽ -powered Plymouths and a HEMIŽ Dodge sweep
Daytona 1-2-3.
1964 HEMIŽ-powered stock cars win 26 of the 62 NASCAR Grand
National races.
1964 Richard Petty captures his first of seven driving
championships with eight wins, 37 top-five finishes.
1964 Don Garlits breaks 200 mph quarter mile barrier in HEMIŽ
dragster - 201.34 mph in 7.78 sec.
1964 Jim Thornton wins 1964
U.S. Nationals in Ramcharger's "Candymatic" 426 HEMIŽ Dodge.
1964 Jim Paschal wins NASCAR World 600 at Charlotte Motor
Speedway in HEMIŽ-powered Plymouth.
1965 NASCAR outlaws HEMIŽ by setting minimum production levels
for street use.
1965 Bob Summers sets present 409.227 mph Land Speed Record in
"Goldenrod" using 4 HEMIŽs in tandem.
1965 Shirley Shahan becomes first female to win major NHRA
event driving a HEMIŽ Plymouth.
1966 Chrysler builds the "Street HEMIŽ" and returns to NASCAR
racing.
1966 Richard Petty again wins Daytona 500 in his HEMIŽ Plymouth
Belvedere.
1966 HEMIŽ Dodge Charger wins the NASCAR Championship, Plymouth
is second.
1966 Norm Nelson wins USAC stock car championship with seven
wins in a HEMIŽ Plymouth.
1967 Richard Petty wins an incredible 27 Grand National races
in HEMIŽ Plymouth; 10 in a row.
1967 Richard Petty wins his second NASCAR championship in his
HEMIŽ Plymouth.
1967 Don White's Charger gives HEMI Ž cars second USAC
championship in a row.
1968 Sox and Martin win three major AHRA events; Ronnie Sox
named AHRA Driver of the Year.
1968 Dodge and Plymouth produce a limited number of 426 HEMIŽ
Super Stock Darts and Barracudas.
1968 Road Runner, first budget muscle car, is introduced by
Plymouth; available with 426 HEMIŽ option.
1969 Dodge introduces Charger 500 HEMIŽ, which wins 22 NASCAR
races.
1969 The "winged" 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona with HEMIŽ power
reigns over NASCAR superspeedways.
1970 Buddy Baker is the first to break 200 mph on a closed
course in a HEMIŽ Dodge Charger Daytona stock car.
1970 Bobby Isaac sets a closed course speed record - 201.104
mph - in a Dodge Charger Daytona after winning the NASCAR
championship.
1970 Sox and Martin HEMIŽ Plymouths win 17 major championships
and are runners-up in all other major events.
1971 Bobby Isaac breaks 28 records at Bonneville in a Dodge
Charger Daytona; top speed is 217.368 mph.
1971 Richard Petty wins his 3rd NASCAR Grand National
championship in a HEMIŽ Road Runner.
1971 Don Garlits introduces HEMI-powered rear engine dragster
at NHRA Winter Nationals.
1971 Sox and Martin win six of eight NHRA events; they
represent drag racing at a presidential reception.
1991 Al Teague sets 409.986 mph wheel-driven Land Speed Record
in the Supercharged class with single HEMIŽ.
2003 5.7-liter HEMIŽ "Magnum" develops up to 345 hp and 375
lb.-ft. of torque.
2003 5.7-liter HEMIŽ "Magnum" in Ram 2500/3500 series trucks
delivers best-in-class power, acceleration and towing capacity.
2003 5.7-liter HEMIŽ "Magnum" is 56 lbs. lighter, has 41% more
power and 12% more torque than the 5.9-liter Magnum wedge head engine
it replaces.
2003 5.7-liter HEMIŽ is the first Chrysler production gasoline
engine with electronic throttle control or "Drive-by-Wire".
2003 The 5.7-liter HEMIŽ meets all federal emissions standards,
delivers 8-10% better economy than the engine it replaces.
2003 5.7-liter HEMIŽ "Magnum" is the first Chrysler production
engine to use two spark plugs per cylinder.
2003 5.7-liter HEMIŽ features
"Leak Free" design with a cast-in drain through on the oil filter pad.
2003 HEMIŽ architecture produces power comparable to an
overhead cam engine, yet is less costly to build.
2003
The new HEMI is named one of Ward's Automotive 10 Best Engines.
2004
The Ram 1500 and all-new Dodge Durango are available with 5.7-liter
HEMI.
2004
The 5.7-liter HEMI is named one of Ward's 10 Best Engines for the
second year in a row.
2005
After nearly 50 years, the HEMI engine returns to a Chrysler brand
passenger vehicle in the new Chrysler 300C and, after nearly 30
years, to a Dodge brand passenger vehicle in the Dodge Magnum R/T,
fitted with the 5.7- liter HEMI V8.
2005
HEMI-powered Chrysler 300C and Dodge Magnum R/T produce 340 hp (254
kW) at 5,000 rpm and 390 lb.-ft. (525 N*m) at 4,000 rpm.
2005
Chrysler 300C and Dodge Magnum R/T are the first modern, production
North American vehicles to feature cylinder deactivationthe
Chrysler Group Multi-Displacement System (MDS) turns off four
cylinders in the 5.7-liter HEMI engine when V8 power is not needed
for up to a 20% fuel savings.
2005
The Street and Racing Technology (SRT) team develops a 6.1-liter
version of the HEMI to power future Chrysler Group SRT8 modelsthe
425 hp engine is the highest-rated specific-output
naturally-aspirated V-8 ever offered by the Chrysler Group. Its 69.8
horsepower-per-liter rating exceeds even that of the legendary 1966
"Street HEMI." Torque is rated at 425 hp (317kW) at 6,000 rpm 420
lb.-ft. (596 N*m) at 4,800 rpm.
2005
The 6.lL HEMI engine has more displacement with larger cylinder
bores compared to the 5.7-liter.
2005
The compression ratio was boosted from 9.6:1 to 10.3:1 for more
energy in the combustion process.
2005
Engine breathing in the 6.1-liter was increased with new high-flow
cylinder heads, a specially designed intake manifold and exhaust
"headers" with individual tubes encased in a stainless-steel shell.
Exhaust is routed through a 2.75-inch exhaust system.
2005
A unique camshaft profile maximizes power in the 6.1-liter HEMI.
2005
The Chrysler 300C SRT8 is the first two SRT8 products announcedboth
packing the new 6.1-liter HEMI engine.
2005
For the first time ever, a HEMI is available in a JeepŽthe all-new
Jeep Grand Cherokee is available with 5.7-liter HEMI.
2005
MDS is standard equipment with the HEMI in Jeep Grand Cherokeethe
first time cylinder deactivation is offered in a sport utility
vehicle.
2005
The 5.7-liter HEMI is named one of Ward's 10 Best Engines for the
third year in a row.
2005
The one-millionth
modern HEMI engine roars off the assembly line.
2006
The all-new Dodge Charger R/T powers its way back to the streets and
racetracks across America with 5.7-liter HEMI, paying homage to the
musclecars of the '60s, and adding 21st century performance and
functionality.
2006
The Dodge Charger Daytona includes a unique high-performance exhaust
and induction system to allow the 5.7-liter HEMI to produce 350 hp
(261 kW) with a distinctive throaty exhaust tone.
2006
Chrysler Group is the first to offer cylinder deactivation in a
pickup truckMDS made standard equipment with the HEMI 5.7-liter
engine.
2006
MDS is added to HEMI-powered Dodge Durango.
2006
Chrysler Group MDS is standard equipment on Chrysler 300C and Dodge
Magnum R/T, Charger R/T, and it is standard on 5.7-liter
HEMI-powered Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Commander, Dodge Durango and
Ram 1500.
2006
The SRT lineup is expanded to now include the Dodge Magnum SRT8,
Dodge Charger SRT8 and Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8all powered by the
6.1-liter HEMI.
2007
There will be nearly one million vehicles on the road equipped with
Chrysler Group's MDS.
2007
With the addition of MDS to HEMI-equipped Dodge Durango and Ram,
MDS-equipped vehicles through the end of the 2007 model year will
save more than 60 million gallons of fuel each year.
Source: The
Chrysler Group/
www.WardsAuto.com
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