HEMI SPIRIT

Never mind the Torana GTR XU-1’s legacy, because as far as over-muscled Aussie sixes go, there can only be one king — the E49 Charger’s 265ci Hemi. While it isn’t a true hemi in nature, in terms of its combustion chamber design, the engine’s performance potential meant it lived up to the reputation of its formidable V8 cousin. The Hemi six was the result of Chrysler Australia’s completion of a prototype straight six engine developed by Chrysler USA. Its pushrod design with two valves per cylinder kept it simple, and while the intake and exhaust ports were all positioned on the same side, the valves were angled to open toward each other in a principle loosely like that of the Hemi V8, but limited by the use of individually studmounted rockers, rather than Hemi V8’s separate intake and exhaust rocker shafts. Despite these obvious fundamental differences in design, the Hemi six proved its performance potential when tweaked for the Valiant E49 Charger — its 10:1 compression, high-performance camshaft, heavy-duty valve springs, triple Weber 45 DCOE carbs, and tubular extractors managing to produce a scarcely believable 302hp from the big 265. Even today, over 40 years later, the E49-spec 265 Hemi is still regarded by most at this end of the globe as the toughest sixcylinder ever.