100 MILLION SMALL BLOCKS
The small block was not the first V8, but it revolutionized the industry. Whether you were/are a Chevy, Mopar or Ford guy or gal, the small block opened the doors to Hot Rodders and car enthusiast’s to tweak and play with their engines like never before. Performance and aftermarket parts evolved and with the extra power that the small blocks presented the muscle era developed.
The year was 1952 when Chevrolet hired Ed Cole. He was the lead engineer on the small block project. It was his job to develop a small lightweight engine that would out-perform anything that Ford had on the table. In 1955 Chevrolet introduced their new 265 cubic inch small block engine in the Corvette and Belair. It was strongly believed that the small block saved the Corvette from the scrap table.
The small block was adopted by Mopar, Ford and others and the rest is history. After several generations of Chevy small blocks, in 2012 Chevy produced their 100 millionth small block which was installed in a 2012 Corvette. Who knows what’s next?
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