Museum of Hemi History

Words and photos by Jeff Burk
3/7/03

If there is one engine in drag racing that could be considered the spore that spawned the sport the venerable Chrysler Hemi justifiably deserves that title.

From the earliest beginning of the sport in the late 1940's the Chrysler Hemi was the engine of choice for the quickest and fastest cars in drag racing. Oh sure, Chevy, Ford and even Pontiac engines have had their day in the sun but when all is said and done the Chrysler Hemi and its spawn still dominate most of the professional classes in drag racing. Top Fuel, Fuel Coupe, Pro Stock, Pro Mod, Alky Dragster and Funny Car classes are all filled with some version or the other of the Chrysler Hemi.

It is equally unusual for a first tier museum to devote its entire space to just one engine and the cars that used it -- except if the name of the museum happens to be the Walter P. Chrysler Museum and it is located on the grounds of the Daimler/Chrysler Technical Center.

DRO magazine recently had the opportunity to visit the museum while the Hemi exhibit was still in place. We figured it was a must since many of the cars and engines on display were drag racing only vehicles.

It really is astounding when you think of it that the first Hemi engine was introduced by Chrysler in 1951 at 241 cubic inches with a single barrel carb. That little engine developed just 140 hp. Today, supercharged, nitro-burning, all-billet versions of that original design power fuel cars at speeds above 330 mph down the quarter-mile in less than 4.5 seconds. Pro Stockers are running in the 6.50's at over 210 mph and Pro Modified-style cars run the quarter-mile in under six-seconds at speeds over 230. Not a bad legacy for an engine design that is over a half century old.

A visit to the Chrysler Museum, though, is much more than just a chance to look at Hemi-powered racing cars. It is a chance to see how engineers and designers have used racing to improve and develop the cars we buy today over the last 80 years or so. If you have the time and six bucks to spare take a trip over to Auburn Hills Michigan and spend a day at the museum. The guides are all gearheads and former racers and they will bench race with you as long as you want. Many of these guys have been directly involved with the development of Mopar's high performance program and talking to them is a rare opportunity you Mopar fans won't want to miss. For location, hours and other info go to www.chryslerheritage.com.

One of our favorite cars in the display was Wally Park's salt flats Chrysler 300C. What else could a baby boomer/drag racer want. Tail fins, huge interior, and a fuel injected Hemi under the hood. I'll bet Wally still gets a big grin when he thinks about driving this bad ride around the streets of L.A.

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