1939 Chrysler begins design work on first HEMI®, a V-16 for fighter aircraft.
1951 Chrysler stuns automotive world with 180 hp HEMI® V-8 engine.
1951 Chrysler New Yorker convertible paces Indianapolis 500 race.
1951 Saratoga first in Stock Car Class; second overall in Carrera Pan-Americana road race.
1951 Briggs Cunningham chooses HEMI® engines for his Le Mans race cars.
1952 A special HEMI® is tested in a Kurtis Kraft Indy roadster; it's banned by racing officials as too fast.
1953 Lee Petty's HEMI® Dodge wins five NASCAR races and finishes second in championship points.
1953 Cunningham's C-4R HEMI® wins 12 Hours of Sebring and finishes third at Le Mans.
1953 A Dodge HEMI® V-8 breaks 196 stock car records at Bonneville Salt Flats.
1954 A Chrysler HEMI® with 4-barrel and dual exhausts makes 235 hp.
1954 Lee Petty wins Daytona Beach race in a Chrysler HEMI.
1954 Lee Petty wins NASCAR Grand National championship driving Chrysler and Dodge HEMI®s.
1954 Cunningham HEMI®s win Sebring again, third and fifth at Le Mans.
1954 Dodge Red Ram HEMI® convertible paces Indy 500.
1955 Chrysler introduces the legendary 300 as America's most powerful stock car
1955 Chrysler "300" with dual 4-barrel 331 c.i.d. HEMI® is first production car to make 300 hp.
1955 A Carl Keikhaefer-prepared Chrysler 300 wins at Daytona Beach with Tim Flock driving.
1955 Chrysler bumps HEMI® to 250 hp in New Yorker and 280 hp in Imperial.
1955 Frank Mundy wins AAA Championship in Kiekhaefer-prepared Chrysler 300.
1956 DeSoto Fireflite HEMI® convertible paces Indianapolis 500.
1956 Chrysler 300-B HEMI® increased to 354 c.i.d. and 340 hp with dual 4-barrels.
1956 Buck Baker wins NASCAR Grand National Championship in Chrysler 300-B with 14 wins.
1956 Chrysler 300-B sets World Passenger Car speed record at Daytona Beach - 133.9 mph.
1956 Don "Big Daddy" Garlits begins 46-year winning association with Chrysler HEMI®s.
1957 Chrysler 300-C HEMI® increased to 392 c.i.d. and 375 hp.
1958 Last year of HEMI® engine in Chrysler 300 models.
1958 Don "Big Daddy" Garlits breaks the 170 mph barrier in his "Swamp Rat" HEMI® dragster.
1958 Chrysler 300-D HEMI® sets a Class E speed record at Bonneville at 156.387 mph.
1959 Original Ramchargers debut "High & Mighty" HEMI®-powered C/A (altered class) '49 Plymouth to win NHRA Nationals.
1964 A.J. Foyt wins Firecracker 400 at Daytona; Plymouths or Dodges lead every lap.
1964 Chrysler introduces the 426 c.i.d. race HEMI® into competition.
1964 Richard Petty debuts the 426 HEMI® and laps the field while winning the Daytona 500.
1964 Three HEMI® -powered Plymouths and a HEMI® Dodge sweep Daytona 1-2-3.
1964 HEMI®-powered stock cars win 26 of the 62 NASCAR Grand National races.
1964 Richard Petty captures his first of seven driving championships with eight wins, 37 top-five finishes.
1964 Don Garlits breaks 200 mph quarter mile barrier in HEMI® dragster - 201.34 mph in 7.78 sec.
1964 Jim Thornton wins 1964 U.S. Nationals in Ramcharger's "Candymatic" 426 HEMI® Dodge.
1964 Jim Paschal wins NASCAR World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in HEMI®-powered Plymouth.
1965 NASCAR outlaws HEMI® by setting minimum production levels for street use.
1965 Bob Summers sets present 409.227 mph Land Speed Record in "Goldenrod" using 4 HEMI®s in tandem.
1965 Shirley Shahan becomes first female to win major NHRA event driving a HEMI® Plymouth.
1966 Chrysler builds the "Street HEMI®" and returns to NASCAR racing.
1966 Richard Petty again wins Daytona 500 in his HEMI® Plymouth Belvedere.
1966 HEMI® Dodge Charger wins the NASCAR Championship, Plymouth is second.
1966 Norm Nelson wins USAC stock car championship with seven wins in a HEMI® Plymouth.
1967 Richard Petty wins an incredible 27 Grand National races in HEMI® Plymouth; 10 in a row.
1967 Richard Petty wins his second NASCAR championship in his HEMI® Plymouth.
1967 Don White's Charger gives HEMI ® cars second USAC championship in a row.
1968 Sox and Martin win three major AHRA events; Ronnie Sox named AHRA Driver of the Year.
1968 Dodge and Plymouth produce a limited number of 426 HEMI® Super Stock Darts and Barracudas.
1968 Road Runner, first budget muscle car, is introduced by Plymouth; available with 426 HEMI® option.
1969 Dodge introduces Charger 500 HEMI®, which wins 22 NASCAR races.
1969 The "winged" 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona with HEMI® power reigns over NASCAR superspeedways.
1970 Buddy Baker is the first to break 200 mph on a closed course in a HEMI® Dodge Charger Daytona stock car.
1970 Bobby Isaac sets a closed course speed record - 201.104 mph - in a Dodge Charger Daytona after winning the NASCAR championship.
1970 Sox and Martin HEMI® Plymouths win 17 major championships and are runners-up in all other major events.
1971 Bobby Isaac breaks 28 records at Bonneville in a Dodge Charger Daytona; top speed is 217.368 mph.
1971 Richard Petty wins his 3rd NASCAR Grand National championship in a HEMI® Road Runner.
1971 Don Garlits introduces HEMI-powered rear engine dragster at NHRA Winter Nationals.
1971 Sox and Martin win six of eight NHRA events; they represent drag racing at a presidential reception.
1991 Al Teague sets 409.986 mph wheel-driven Land Speed Record in the Supercharged class with single HEMI®.
2003 5.7-liter HEMI® "Magnum" develops up to 345 hp and 375 lb.-ft. of torque.
2003 5.7-liter HEMI® "Magnum" in Ram 2500/3500 series trucks delivers best-in-class power, acceleration and towing capacity.
2003 5.7-liter HEMI® "Magnum" is 56 lbs. lighter, has 41% more power and 12% more torque than the 5.9-liter Magnum wedge head engine it replaces.
2003 5.7-liter HEMI® is the first Chrysler production gasoline engine with electronic throttle control or "Drive-by-Wire".
2003 The 5.7-liter HEMI® meets all federal emissions standards, delivers 8-10% better economy than the engine it replaces.
2003 5.7-liter HEMI® "Magnum" is the first Chrysler production engine to use two spark plugs per cylinder.
2003 5.7-liter HEMI® features "Leak Free" design with a cast-in drain through on the oil filter pad.
2003 HEMI® architecture produces power comparable to an overhead cam engine, yet is less costly to build.

Source: DaimlerChrysler

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