Friday 6th December 1963

The first 426 Hemi engine was successfully tested by the Chrysler Corporation. In February 1964 at the Daytona 500, Chrysler unleashedt the new engine for teams running Dodge and Plymouth cars in NASCAR’s Grand National series. Though the Chrysler-powered racers had previously been uncompetitive on superspeedways, the new 426-cu.in. Hemi V-8 was a game-changer, and the 1964 Daytona 500 saw 426 Hemi-powered cars cross the finish line in first, second and third position, as well as claim two more spots in the top 10. Though few spectators realized it at the time, they witnessed the birth of an engine that would become a performance legend on racetracks, drag strips and back streets across America, and would inspire a year-long celebration of the engine half a century later.