Chrysler started offering Hemis in their production cars in 1951, but it was the 426 Street Hemi that made the Hemi a legend. A “HEMI” badge on the fender of a Dodge or Plymouth muscle car instantly raised your respect level on the street scene. No matter what hood the Hemi was under, it nearly completely filled the engine compartment.

At it’s height of popularity, the Hemi was only rated at 425 horsepower, but this was a grossly under-rated figure posted my Chrysler in an attempt to not attract too much attention from nasty insurance companies. The only down-side to living with a Hemi-powered Mopar on the street was that the torque of the engine eventually broke everything from the flywheel back to the rear tires. A small price to pay for being the baddest dog on the block!