The ’55 Corvette: Birth of the Small-Block V8

An inauspicious start for the Corvette was saved by a would-be legend in the Chevy small-block V8.

How the Vette Got its V8

1954 Corvette "Blue Flame" Engine - barnfinds.com
1954 Corvette "Blue Flame" Engine - barnfinds.com

Here is a nugget of car trivia for you, the Chevrolet Corvette did not start out with eight cylinders. For its first two years of production, the Harley Earl-designed sports car ran a 235 cu in “Blue Flame” straight-six. This meant the Corvette was both stunning-looking and underpowered. It took the advocacy of one passionate engineer and some cross-town competition for GM to see the light and give the Corvette a proper V8.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the addition of the V8 was the most significant update to the Corvette ever, including the move to a mid-engine design with the current C8 generation. Likely, if the Corvette had not gotten its V8 when it did, the car would not have seen a second generation.

“Father of the Corvette”

Zora Arkus-Duntov with a '66 Corvette - media.chevrolet.com
Zora Arkus-Duntov with a '66 Corvette - media.chevrolet.com

While he had not participated in the development of the Corvette, one of GMs chief engineers, Zora Arkus-Duntov, recognized the potential in an American version of a European-style sports car and saw clearly the need for a bigger powerplant. Akrus-Duntov advocated for a V8 in the Corvette in his memo “Thoughts Pertaining to Youth, Hot Rodders and the Corvette.” The GM brass were unconvinced, and it looked like the Corvette would end up as a historical “what-if” story until Ford debuted their new “personal car of distinction” the Thunderbird. Which happened to have a V8 under the hood.

In response, the Corvette was given a 265 cu in V8 for the 1955 model year. The new small-block V8 was designed by Ed Cole and his staff at Chevrolet and would be the company’s first since the Series D back in 1918. The small block’s design followed that of Ford’s new Y-block V8 that had debuted in 1953, nicknamed the “Mighty Mouse.”

1955 Chevrolet Corvette - media.chevrolet.com
1955 Chevrolet Corvette - media.chevrolet.com

Notably, the Corvette’s V8 featured a new valve train design “borrowed” from Pontiac. The innovative independent ball rocker arm design would normally have been Pontiac’s to use exclusively for at least two years, but GM forced Pontiac to share the design with Chevy for use in the Corvette’s new V8.

Arkus-Duntov’s devotion for the Corvette earned him the new position as director of high performance in 1956. He would eventually gain the moniker of “Father of the Corvette,” not only for his hand in giving the Corvette a V8, but for major performance/racing improvements in the second-generation C2 Corvette.

Early Evolutions and the Small-Block Dynasty

1955 Corvette 265 cu. in. V8 - carsforsale.com
1955 Corvette 265 cu. in. V8 - carsforsale.com

The first version of the Chevy small block, debuting in 1955, began as a 265 cu in V8 making 195 horsepower. Despite selling exceptionally low numbers at just 700 units for the 1955 model year, GM saw new promise in the Corvette, adding three new versions of the same 265 for 1956. These came as a single four-barrel carburetor making 210 horsepower, twin four-barrel carbs worth 225 horsepower, and a twin four-barrel set up that added a high-lift cam for 240 horsepower. Akrus-Duntov and team took a pair of Corvettes to Daytona Speedweek in Florida that same year, hitting 137 mph and 145 mph, respectively.

In 1957, the Corvette’s small-block was bored out to 283 cubic inches and given an optional Rochester fuel-injection set up. This set up granted the Corvette an impressive 283 horsepower and made it one of the first cars to achieve equivalence (or greater) between displacement and horsepower. That same year, the small-block V8 was shared with the Chevy Bel-Air. Power jumped again in 1958 to 290 horsepower, and ranged up to 315 horsepower by 1961. In the C1 Corvette’s final year, 1962, the small block was bored out once more, this time to 327 cubic inches. Power in the highest output fuel-injected Corvettes now topped out at 360 horsepower.

C8 Corvette LT2 Engine - media.chevrolet.com
C8 Corvette LT2 Engine - media.chevrolet.com

This was far from the end for the Chevy small block. The Corvette’s diminutive V8 spawned numerous “families” of small blocks (clustered according to their bore). You could find small blocks derived from that original 265 across GM’s lineups for decades to come. The list of small-block sporting GM products is exhaustive and runs from Chevy Checkered Cabs and Camaros to Pontiac Firebirds, GMC Yukons, and Buick Cutlasses.

The second-generation LT1 small-block V8 debuted in the Corvette in 1992. The 5.7L saw duty in several applications, including the Chevy Caprice, Buick Roadmaster, and Cadillac Fleetwood. Most significantly, the third and fourth generations of the Chevy small block were the LS engines. Renowned for their robustness and eagerness to fit in even the most improbably small engine bays, the LS family of small blocks have become a favorite for customizers looking for a high-output engine swap. You can even find a fifth-gen small-block V8, the LT2, mounted midship in the C8 Corvette today. And the small block’s Corvette legacy is set to continue with the upcoming Z06’s new LT6 engine.

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Chris Kaiser

With two decades of writing experience and five years of creating advertising materials for car dealerships across the U.S., Chris Kaiser explores and documents the car world’s latest innovations, unique subcultures, and era-defining classics. Armed with a Master's Degree in English from the University of South Dakota, Chris left an academic career to return to writing full-time. He is passionate about covering all aspects of the continuing evolution of personal transportation, but he specializes in automotive history, industry news, and car buying advice.

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2 Comments

  1. edweirdness October 11, 2022

    I owned a 1970 Corvette new, from the factory with a 350 ci 370 hp LT1, and that same year, the Z28 Camaro had a detuned 360hp version of the LT1.

    Reply
  2. Anonymous October 13, 2022

    The Corvette V8 was not really in “response” to the T-bird. The T-bird and the Corvette V8 came out in the same year. Development had started even earlier. The roll up windows and removable hardtop might be argued as being a response to the more “sophisticated” features of the T-bird’s more advanced comfort features.

    Reply

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