This is a rare surviving example of the Chrysler 331 V8 Marine Engine. It’s a version of the famous Chrysler FirePower V8 from the 1950s that was redeveloped by Chrysler engineers for the rigors of marine use.
The 331 cubic inch version of the Chrysler FirePower V8 was the first member of this engine family. Its hemispherical combustion chambers would give rise to the famous “Hemi” trademark in later years – interestingly the first Chrysler hemi engine was the XIV-2220 V16 engine fitted to the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter aircraft during WWII – this engine was good for 2,500 bhp.
The Chrysler FirePower V8 was one of the most important engines in the company’s history. It was their first “Hemi” engine as well, though it wasn’t marketed as such at the time. Image courtesy of Chrysler.
The Chrysler FirePower V8 made its debut in 1950 (for the 1951 model year), it would be one of the most important Chrysler engines ever made, and it would power a wide range of vehicles including:
The Chrysler New Yorker, Dodge C Series trucks, the Facel Vega FV2B French luxury car, the Hongqi CA72 (the first sedan built in China), Chrysler Saratoga, Chrysler Imperial, Chrysler C-300, and perhaps most interestingly, the Chrysler Air-Raid Siren – the loudest production air-raid siren ever made and capable of 138 decibels.
What Does “Hemi” Mean Anyway?
A hemispherical combustion chamber, most commonly known as a “hemi,” is a cylinder head design where the combustion chamber resembles the top section of a sphere. This geometry allows the intake and exhaust valves to be set opposite each other at an angle, creating a more direct airflow path, and allowing for slightly larger valves.
The result of all this is improved breathing at high RPM, more efficient combustion, and increased power potential.
Because of the central spark plug location and reduced surface area relative to volume, a hemi chamber also limits heat loss and promotes more uniform flame travel. These traits contribute to better thermal efficiency and higher compression tolerance without detonation.
This is the Chrysler 426 Hemi V8, beloved of NASCAR teams and professional drag racers, it’s one of the high-water marks of the original muscle car golden age. Image courtesy of Chrysler.
Chrysler made the design famous with its series of Hemi V8 engines, the most famous of which was the 426 Hemi introduced in the 1960s for NASCAR use and drag racing. It was used extensively by street racers also, and today it’s become one of a handful of legendary big block V8s from the golden age of the American muscle car.
The Chrysler V8 Marine Engine Shown Here
The engine you see here is the first of its kind we’ve come across here on Silodrome. As noted higher up, it’s the Chrysler V8 Marine Engine which was based directly on the 331 cubic inch (5.4 liter) production car engine.
This V8 was modified for marine use, or marinized, by Chrysler engineers, and it’s said to still produce the same amount of horsepower as the original car engine – 180 bhp.
This is a rare Chrysler 331 V8 Marine Engine, it was marinized by Chrysler engineers in-period, and it’s the first one of its kind we’ve seen come up for sale.
The engine is fitted with dual carburetors and it has an unusual brass exhaust system still fitted – from when it was in use in a 1954 Century Coronado boat.
It has now been removed from the boat and it’s being offered for sale out of Rancho Santa Fe, California at no reserve. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Image courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.