Historically Interesting Engines from GM

Even though the area isn’t open to the public there is a part of the GM Heritage Center that is home to some of the engines that have been developed over the course of the history of this company. With over 100 years already in the books, you can only imagine the number of different engines that are on display in the back corner of the center. These engines are given their due respect by being displayed on stands in the center, and here are a few of the most interesting engines that have been built over the course of the history and are being shown off at this location.

Chevrolet Blue-Flame Six

This engine was the predecessor to the small block V8 engines that eventually were the stable of the Chevrolet brand. This inline six-cylinder engine was first introduced in 1929 and offered the power and operation that was modern at the time. Even the early Corvette models used a version of this engine to make the power desired.

Cadillac OHV V8

As one of the most dynamic engines of the time, this engine was introduced shortly after World War II in 1949. This started the era of more power from the engine and move the valves from the block up to the heads to improve the airflow and the dynamic power delivery offered. This was certainly an engine that would bring the horsepower and helped introduce the muscle car era.

Oldsmobile Limited Inline-Six

While it only has six cylinders, this massive engine ha an 11.6-liter displacement and appears large enough to power a tank. This was the engine used to power the Oldsmobile Limited, which was a car that rolled around on 42-inch wooden wheels. There is still one of these cars on display from 1911 at the Heritage Center.

Corvette LT5

This was an early example of an aluminum engine and offered dual overhead cams with four valves per cylinder. This was an engine that was developed with the aid of Lotus Engineering and could produce as much as 405 horsepower out of the 5.7-liter displacement. This engine powered the early 1990s Corvette ZR-1 and is an engine worthy of our respect.

Buick 8 Dynaflash

While the name Dynaflash might not mean much to anyone, this is an engine that offered an inline eight-cylinder layout that offered extreme torque numbers and a smooth operation in the 1940s and early 1950s. This is an engine that was part of the Buick market for more than 20 years and gave early drivers the power and ride quality they wanted.

Cadillac V16

Back in the 1930s the Cadillac brand offered extreme luxury power with this amazing V16 layout that was for the most discerning of customers. These engines were meant to take on the competition of some of the higher names to make sure the Cadillac brand would be the luxury choice that more would choose. This engine was made in two generations and certainly had the power you would have wanted at the time.

Chevrolet Copper Cooled

Engine experimentation was the name of the game in the early years and this car was called a copper cooled engine because it had copper fins attached to each of the iron cylinders in this 1920s engine. Unfortunately, GM had to recall all of these engines because they ran too hot to perform the way they were meant to.