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Turns out there are lot of great engine names out there! You, a member of the Hagerty Community, helped fill my list with engine names that stood the test of time. Or at least been memorable enough to never forget. And some were just nicknames that caught on! No matter the name’s popularity or where it came from, here is your list of favorite engine names!

Blue Flame

You just gotta keep the flame for Chevy’s famous inline six cylinder engine. It powered so many vehicles, ranging from the work-ready to the weekend fun generated by the original Corvette. It’s almost a shame we only got two upvotes for it!

  • Peter: The “Blue Flame Six” baby!!
  • DUB6: Yeah, I always thought Blue Flame Six was a catchy name for an engine.

HEMI

I was a little surprised to see that only one person (@JBD) mentioned Chrysler’s famous Hemi V-8. Or maybe this comes as no surprise, as the name is so common that the Hagerty Community wanted to dig up other names that we might have forgotten?

AMC Torque Command & Typhoon

Be it the V-8 or the straight-6, AMC’s Typhoon name was so catchy and so perfect for the era. There was even a special edition AMC Rambler called the Typhoon in 1964, but the name lived on in their engines.

  • Gregory: AMC’s “Typhoon” is my favorite.
  • Adam: 343 Typhoon by American Motors.

Mopar Grab Bag

Thanks to Commando, Super Commando, Magnum, Wedge motors, and likely many more, the Chrysler brands likely had the coolest engine names of any manufacturer. Be it Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth, and DeSoto, there are so many names to love:

  • Safetyguy: My ’63 Plymouth says “Golden Commando POWER” on the fender badge but has a 318 poly head, the “Semi Hemi” small big-block.
  • Tom: Super Commando is another one I remember from high school days.
  • JBD: Magnum, Super Commando.
  • Grant: Sonoramic Commando Power.
  • Stephen: Plymouth “Golden Commando Power” and Dodge “Super Red Ram” are two of my favorites.
  • TA: Super Commando, Magnum.
  • Clare: Dodge’s baby hemi, the “Red Ram.” A fantastic little engine at 241 cubes (basically 4.0 liter), but what a HEAVY SLUG. Just about pulled the chicken barn down pulling the engine and trans out of my ’53 Coronet!!
  • Paul:  Chryslers Golden Lion 361 four-barrel.
  • WLB: The Chrysler Firepower and DeSoto Firedome Hemis.

Buick: Nailhead and Wildcat

While giving catchy names to engines in more premium luxury cars wasn’t commonplace, Buick had the Nailhead and the later Wildcat V-8s.

  • Robert: Nailhead by Buick!
  • DUB6: Not sure if Nailhead was actually a name that Buick coined, but it sure is descriptive enough if one knows what it means (most of the general public doesn’t, I think).
  • KJ: I’m still ol’ school: 6 – 2s on a 425 Nailhead!
  • Mark:  Nobody mentioned the Buick Wildcat engines? (Sad but true, luckily you resolved that! – Ed.) 

Iron Duke

The famous Iron Duke was as tough as the name suggested, if tragically short on power and refinement for many automotive applications where it saw frequent use. Luckily I am not the only person who loves this little motor and its fantastic name.

  • DUB6: Iron Duke sticks in my mind as memorable.
  • Mark: My favorite name is Iron Duke.

Willys Tornado & Go Devil

Did the Willy’s Go Devil (L134) engine win World War II for the good guys? Not singlehandedly, but it was a big part of getting people in the right place at the right time. But it wasn’t the only name from Willys:

  • Dean: Go Devil Willys L134.
  • JohnfromSC: Tornado by Willys.
  • Reggie: The Jeep Willys “Go Devil.” That’s quite a name; I would drive that into war.
  • Ren: Willys “Go Devil” flathead four used in WWII jeeps and early CJ

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