GM builds its 100 millionth small block engine

General Motors today built its 100 millionth small block engine – 56 years after the first production small block made its debut. The small-black engine was introduced by Chevrolet in 1955 and the milestone comes at the same month the brand marked its 100th anniversary.

“The small block is the engine that brought high-performance to the people,” said David Cole, founder and emeritus chairman of Center for Automotive Research – and whose father, the late Ed Cole, was the chief engineer at Chevrolet and oversaw development of the original small block engine. “There is an elegant simplicity in its design that made it instantly great when new and enables it to thrive almost six decades later.”

So what is the milestone small block? A 638-hp  supercharged LS9 small block that will power a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. The engine is hand-built at GM’s Performance Build Center, northwest of Detroit.

The Detroit automaker is investing more than $1 billion in production facilities associated with producing small-block units. The investment has retained or created in 1,711 jobs. The company is currently working on the Gen V engine, which is expected in the near future and is guaranteed to have 4.4-inch bore centers.

– By: Omar Rana