Even before Thomas Conoulty started modifying Austin engines, Harry Miller was building 3-litre, double overhead camshaft, hemi-head, straight eight engines for racing. The engine, ready for production in late 1921, first competed in the 1922 Indianapolis 500. In the late 1920's Miller would be building front wheel drive racing cars powered by his hemi engines. Miller helped engineer the Cord L-29, whose front end would influence the 1931-33 Chryslers. And the grille of the Miller FWD car influenced the grilles of the 1932-33 and 1937-38 DeSotos. But nine years before that, in 1913, a French-built Peugeot won the Indianapolis 500 with a 5.6-litre four with double overhead camshafts and hemispherical combustion chambers. I suspect someone could find an example of a hemi in existence even before that. Also interesting that these pre-Chrysler hemis, including the Duesenberg, had dual overhead camshafts. Bill Vancouver, BC ----- Original Message ----- From: brian To: L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Saturday, May 11, 2002 1:09 AM Subject: Re: [FWDLK] First Hemi Even before WWII an enterprising young man named Thomas William Conoulty in Australia was building a little car called the Austin Seven Comet. A successful racer with cycles in the early 1900s he eventually moved to building and racing cars. In the late 1920s he negotiated an agency for selling Austin automobiles in South Wales and soon after designed a new cylinder head for their engines to make them faster on the track. Conoulty combined this new head with a supercharger which proved to be very popular - and fast. By 1933 he needed more power and changed the head design to an OHV with a true hemispherical combustion chamber. It included a pressed steel rocker cover with deep tubes for the enclosed plugs providing access. He was granted a patent for the design on August 26, 1935. This is the earliest account of a true "hemi" engine that I am aware of, perhaps others know of an earlier one? (Conoulty's interesting story is told in AQ Vol. 42 #1) Brian D500s in MI Joseph Bouboulis wrote: Well the first hemi (not production!) was a prototype fighter engine built during WWII. They built 3 2200 ci/2500 hp V16 hemi engines and tested them but they never reached production. Wouldn't THAT be something in an FL car! Garrett <TheBulkster@COLUMB To: L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx US.RR.COM> cc: Sent by: Forward Subject: [FWDLK] First Hemi Look Mopar Discussion List <L-FORWARDLOOK@list s.psu.edu> 05/10/02 12:07 AM Please respond to Garrett When was the Hemi first introduced? I just saw this ad on eBay http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1826565875&r=0 &t=0 Supposedly its a 1951 331 hemi...I didn't think the hemi was introduced until a year or two later than that. Is it the eBay listing, or am I mixin' up my facts? Garrett in Central Ohio -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Need an answer fast? Search the 17,000+ pages of the Forward Look Mailing List archives at http://www.forwardlook.net/search.htm
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