Dubbed one of the 10 Best Engines of the 20th Century by Ward’s AutoWorld, the 350 Chevy Engine was produced by General Motors Chevrolet Division from 1955-2004. Known cumulatively as the Chevrolet small-block engine or Generation I small block, the very first one was built in 1955 with a displacement of 265cu in. This engine was placed in the Corvette and Bel Air and quickly became a favourite among stock car racers who nicknamed it the “Mighty Mouse” motor. Although Chevy’s sister brands, Buick, Cadillac, Oldsmobile and Pontiac, all had their own V8 engine designed, almost all of them used the small block which had become a corporate standard for the company.

The popularity of the 350 Chevy engine stemmed from its compact design, light weight, and aftermarket support. A number of variations of this engine were produced in it lifetime. Each of the engines had a different bore size ranging from 3.75 to 4.125. However, most of them arose from the 265 cu in and the later developed 283 cu in engines. The 283 cu in engine is most noted because a Ramjet mechanical fuel injection version of the engine was introduced which managed to produce 1 hp per cubic inch. Both of these engines had a 3.75 bore. The last one produced with this bore size was the 307 cu in manufactured from 1968-1973 which produced 200 hp at 4600 rpm and 300 pounds per foot of torque at 2400 rpms.

From 1962-1998, Chevrolet produced a series of engines that made with a 4.00 inch bore. These engines were supposed to be used as a performance block but eventually turned into all purpose engines that were used in everything from Corvettes to trucks. The 327 cu in engine in this family was produced in 1962 and could generate 250 hp to 375 hp depending on whether the car had a carburettor or fuel injection system installed. The Chevy Camaro was the first car to receive the 350 Chevy engine in the form of a high performance 295 hp L-48 option. Eventually, all of the cars in the Chevy line got this style engine albeit with some variations.

For the most part, the 350 Chevy engine remained unchanged during the time the company manufactured it. A few major changes included introducing a full flow oil filtration system in 1956, adding bosses to the block casting for side motor mounts in 1958, and changing the main rear seal to a 1 piece rubber design which was held in place by a mounting appliance in 1986 among other things. Although the engine has been retired and replaced by the Generation II LT and Generation III LS V8 engines, the Generation I is still produced in Mexico as an aftermarket replacement part. Since 1955, a total of 90 million of these engines were produced in both carburetted and fuel injected types. This includes a 305 version which was created to be an economy V8 engine that got better fuel economy than its 350 counterpart. Because if one thing is true about V8 engines, it's that they are gas guzzlers.