Blogging From A to Z Day 8: H is for Hemi

Images courtesy Chrysler

For the month of April I will be participating in the Blogging From A to Z Challenge. Learn more about the challenge by clicking here. Each day (except Sundays) I will be posting a theme based on each letter of the alphabet. This blog is covering automotive topics for the month. To read my other blog posts for the challenge, click here.

Everyone has heard of a Hemi, but few people really know what they are. The context you usually hear about Hemis today is when someone is referring to certain engines used in various Chrysler vehicles, which include Dodges, Jeeps, and Rams. Some people mistakenly think that the Hemi engine was invented by Chrysler, but that would be like saying that Porsche invented the boxer engine.

The big difference between a Hemi and other engines has to do with the combustion chamber, which is set up to produce more power. The top of the combustion chamber is rounded off instead of flat. If that doesn't make sense, check out these useful illustrated explanations here.

Chrysler actually started toying around with Hemi engines back in the 1930s, but the octane rating in fuels back then was too low to accommodate the engine design. In fact, the first production car to use a Hemi engine was the 1948 Jaguar XJ6 and D-Type. Chrysler started using Hemis in various cars in the 1950s, which helped usher in the golden age of muscle cars in the 1960s. 

One interesting fact about Hemis. They not only have been used to power cars and trucks, but also have powered a number of other machines, including air raid sirens during the Cold War.