Hemispherical (‘hemi’) engines have been around since the early years of the 20th Century, although they didn’t become common in the auto industry until Chrysler started dropping its 331 cubic inch ‘FirePower’ V8 in cars in 1951 (which is also when Chrysler began using the HEMI brand name). Hemi engines really took off when a 426-inch version appeared in the Plymouth Belvedere in 1964, helping Plymouth take all three podium spots at that year’s Daytona 500. The street version of the 426 was
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