V8 output versus capacity

[WLAcopilote]

Hello,
I was talking to my boss the other day, he collects US 1950's cars - subject came around to the 327 cubic inch V8 fitted to the Corvette (with mechanical fuel injection). I knew that Bosch and Lucas? were working on such systems but didn't know that the Americans were too... what caught my eye was the similarity of the hardware to the Rover V8 14CUX system - anyway I digress..

My boss said that the 327 CID V8 in the Corvette was the first (American?) V8 to have as many horses (BHP) as cubic inches displacement...I thought it was the Ford 289 as fitted into the Shelby-AC Cobra...then wondered whether it was the Oldsmobile 215 Fireball...

Anyone care to shed some light on this?

[gary_tholl]

The first was the '56 Chrysler 300B, with a 354 hemi. It made 355 HP.

For GM it was the 327's older bro, the 283 fuelie, which was put into '57 bel airs and vettes.

[Marquis_Rex]

Man- those were the days! Imagine working in the car industry back then rather than now?