Understandably overshadowed by the Hemi, the 440 (top, in 6-bbl form) and 383 big blocks were also great performers.

Not all of Chrysler’s factory hot rods were Hemi-powered, however. Ordering the 426 added a substantial amount to the price of a vehicle. Enter the 440. Developed from the 426 Wedge, the 440 was an answer to the ever-increasing car sizes of the day. As cars got bigger through the ‘60s, performance with the workhorse 383 or 413/426 suffered. And, as mentioned earlier, the solution was to simply increase the size of the engines. Debuting at a rather stout 365 horsepower, the 440 was no doubt overshadowed by the 426 Street Hemi, both of which entered production in 1966. The 440 was further refined in 1967, and power increased to a healthy 375.

The 440 really made a name for itself, however, with the release of the 440 6-bbl engine in 1969. With a healthy 10.5:1 compression ratio, free-breathing heads with 2.08” and 1.74” valves, and a camshaft with .450” intake, .458” exhaust lift and 268° intake, 284° exhaust duration, the engine had all the proper hardware for performance. But the true star was the three Holley 2-bbl carbs sitting on the Edelbrock aluminum intake manifold. With a total rating of 1200 cfm, the Six-Pack (as it was known) shot the big engine straight to the top of the desirability charts. Pumping out 390 horsepower and a generous 480 lb.-ft. of torque, the 440 6-bbl filled the void between the standard 440 and the expensive Hemi. It’s been reported, in fact, that out in the real world with street tires and less than perfect roads, the 440 6-bbl had the measure of a similarly chassised Hemi. That’s high praise for any engine. Again, like the Street Hemi, the 440 6-bbl stayed alive through 1971.

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