ELEMENTAL ELEPHANT

AT THE BURGER JOINTS, gas stations, and hangouts of Main Street America, Chrysler’s 1966-’71 426 Street Hemi captivated gearheads each time a raised hood revealed a pair of Carter AFBs and the giant black-crackle-finish rocker covers of the orange “Elephant.” On dragways, abandoned airstrips, highways, and backroads, its exhibitions of speed secured its performance legacy.

The hemispherical combustion chamber had existed for a long time prior, however. It had been employed by others, including Chrysler (the 426 was its second-generation Hemi). After developing the design for the military during WWII, the Corporation refined it for use on its new V-8 for 1951. The 331-cu.in. FirePower (hemi) debuted with an impressive-for-its-day 180 hp, and for 1955, the Chrysler 300 was named for its 331’s 300 hp. It grew to 354-cu.in. for 1956