The Most Mass-Produced Automobile Engine Of All Time

Much like how there have been a litany of famous cars built throughout automotive history, there have also been a slew of famous engines which have graced the undersides of hoods. The good thing about being famous is, usually, whatever it is that's deemed popular sees quite a lot of demand. So, engines like the bulletproof Buick 3800 V6 and the Porsche Flat-Six were installed in millions of cars, making the search for and ownership of a car with one of those engines an easy task.

When it comes to the issue of mass production, one engine in particular blows all others out of the water regarding the sheer number produced. Of course, we're referring to the Chevrolet Small Block V8, an engine whose lifetime spans roughly seven decades. Not to mention, well over 100 million examples of the Chevy Small-Block have been produced, making it the most mass-produced automobile engine the world has ever seen.

The Chevy Small Block Is Older Than Most Of You Reading This

Quick Facts About The Chevrolet Small Block V8

• First produced in late 1954
• First installed within the 1955 Chevrolet Corvette C1
• Credited with rescuing the early Corvette from the brink of extinction
• Since its inception, over 108 million have been produced

The idea for the Chevy Small Block was born out of muted desperation. It was 1954, and the brand-new Chevrolet Corvette was not setting the motoring world alight, much to the dismay of Chevrolet executives and the small team headed up by the father of the Corvette, Zora Arkus-Duntov. The issue lay in the early 'Vette's wheezy, 235-CID straight-six motor, also known as the "Blue Flame". It only made 115 horsepower at its peak, leaving early Corvette owners with much to be desired regarding power.

Things were so grim for the Corvette that General Motors was toying with the idea of canceling it completely. However, a man called Ed Cole was tasked with getting the Corvette to make more power. So, he turned to Pontiac for a valvetrain design, and set about creating the new engine.

It would end up being a V8, and would go from the drawing board to production in just 15 weeks, something completely unheard of in today's age of red tape and paperwork.

Once ready for production, the new V8 was promptly offered for use in both the 1955 Corvette and Chevrolet Bel Air. From the outset, the new small-block made 180 horsepower when equipped with a four-barrel Rochester carburetor, 65 more than the Blue Flame could muster. Suddenly, demand for the Corvette skyrocketed, and its success since then can be traced directly back to Ed Cole and his team's quick thinking. But, in between those hurried 15 weeks in 1954 and the present, the Chevy small-block has made its mark on the automotive industry in more ways than one.

The Chevy Small-Block's Life

Most of us know the 350-CID iteration of the Chevy Small Block V8 best, but there were several other variations of the iconic mill produced between the mid-1950s and 2003, when the first-gen small-block was discontinued. It even grew as large as 400 CID, or 6.6 liters, in displacement, edging it right up near big-block territory. Below, we'll lay out each and every small-block iteration by bore size, or how large their respective cylinder bores were, along with their years produced:

Basically, there was a Chevy Small Block for everybody. Of course, its most prominent role was within Chevrolet's muscle cars and the Corvette during the 1960s and 1970s, but it also saw tons of use in other vehicle segments, as well. A large majority of Chevrolet and GMC pickup trucks were powered by the 350 CID small-block specifically, along with the 400 between the years of 1970 and 1980.

A wide-reaching swath of passenger cars utilized the Chevy Small Block, too. Beginning in 1955 with the 265's use in the Chevy Bel Air, the small block saw widespread passenger car use up until the introduction of the new LS-based GM small-block design, which debuted in 1997. We also can't forget about the small block's usage in SUVs, with the timeless Chevrolet/GMC Suburban and Chevrolet Tahoe taking the most advantage. The Chevrolet S-10 Blazer and S-10 pickup produced between 1994 and 1996 utilized the small-block's only V6 iteration, the Gen II 4.3-liter V6.

A Lot Of Its Fame Comes From Its Modification Potential

One of the largest benefits of an engine that's been produced over 100 million times is the gigantic catalog of parts you can take advantage of. Not to mention, because the Chevy Small-Block is virtually only a V8, it's been used in motorsport since its introduction. This means there's also a myriad of performance upgrades available, and millions of owners have taken full advantage of this fact.

For example, let's say you've got a 1971 Chevrolet Malibu two-door with an L65 350-CID small-block with a two-barrel carburetor. You've been wanting to throw some power at it, but you don't have tens of thousands of dollars. If we pop over to a popular performance parts dealer, you can buy a mild cam, a 600 CFM carburetor, and upgraded AFR cylinder heads for just under $2,000. These upgrades would allow you to get significantly more than the stock 240 horsepower your '71 Malibu 350-CID made from the factory.

The LS: The Chevy Small-Block's Successor

Upon the first-gen Chevy Small-Block's discontinuation in 2003, General Motors had already replaced it with the new LS-based small-block engine some six years prior. Its first application was seen in the 1997 Chevrolet Corvette C5, where it made 345 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. Since then, the LS has been the staple building block for all of General Motors' small-block engines. So far, there have been over 40 different versions of the LS engine, all of which have been produced between 1997 and the present.

The newest version of the LS V8 to be released is the LT7 V8. It's slated to appear in the 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, and packs a gigantic punch, the likes of which no Chevrolet V8 has ever seen from the factory. According to Chevrolet, the LT7 produces 1,064 horsepower with the help of two turbochargers. It also creates 828 lb-ft of torque, and packs enough of a punch to get the Corvette up to 233 mph, making it the fastest 'Vette ever created.

While the world awaits the arrival of the newest General Motors-bred small-block, it's important to look back and see where it came from. Once a 180-horsepower, 265-CID V8 created out of sheer necessity, the small-block has carved one of the deepest impressions ever seen in the automotive industry as a whole, and it did it all by being small, cheap, reliable, and by possessing a penchant for affordable power.

Sources: Chevrolet, GMAuthority, General Motors