Truck & Car Guides / Record-breakers & famous machines
Iconic engines that made history
The car and truck engines enthusiasts still talk about, from the Ford flathead V8 and Chevy small-block to the Volkswagen flat-four, Mazda rotary and legendary truck diesels.
What makes an engine iconic?
Some engines are remembered because they changed the industry, some because they were nearly indestructible, and some because they sounded and performed like nothing else. This list is a starting point, not a ranking, and covers engines that shaped how people drive and haul. For the basics of how they work, see how car engines work.
Car engines
| Engine | Introduced | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Ford flathead V8 | 1932 | Brought affordable V8 power to ordinary buyers and became a hot-rod favorite |
| Chevrolet small-block V8 | 1955 | Compact, light and adaptable; produced in huge numbers for decades |
| Volkswagen air-cooled flat-four | 1930s to 1940s | Powered the Beetle; simple and air-cooled with no radiator |
| Chrysler 426 Hemi | 1964 | Hemispherical combustion chambers; a racing and muscle-car legend |
| Mazda rotary (Wankel) | 1967 (Cosmo) | Rotors instead of pistons; Mazda's 787B won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1991 |
| Honda VTEC | 1989 | Variable valve timing and lift brought high-revving power to everyday cars |
| Toyota 2JZ inline six | 1990s | Famously strong; a favorite for tuning to very high power |
The Ford flathead V8
Before 1932, V8 engines were mostly found in expensive cars. Ford cast its V8 block in one piece, making it cheap enough for mass production. The "flathead" name comes from its flat cylinder heads, with the valves in the block beside the cylinders.
The Chevrolet small-block
Launched in 1955, Chevrolet's small-block V8 was light and compact for its power. Its basic layout lived on through many generations and has been used in everything from family sedans to race cars and boats. It is one of the most produced engine families in history.
The Mazda rotary
Instead of pistons moving up and down, a rotary engine uses triangular rotors spinning inside an oval-shaped housing. It is smooth, compact and loves to rev. Mazda developed it more than any other maker, and the 787B's Le Mans victory in 1991 made it the first Japanese car to win the race overall.
Truck and diesel engines
| Engine | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Detroit Diesel Series 60 (1987) | One of the first heavy-duty truck diesels with full electronic engine control, widely used in highway trucks |
| Cummins B-series six (5.9 liter) | Renowned for durability; used in delivery trucks, equipment and, from 1989, Dodge pickups |
| Caterpillar 3406 family | Long-running heavy truck and equipment diesel known for longevity |
| Cummins N14 and ISX | Workhorse engines of North American long-haul trucking |
Truck engines become iconic for a different reason: they earn the trust of drivers and fleets by running hundreds of thousands, sometimes over a million, miles between major overhauls when properly maintained. See diesel engine basics.
Engines and the future
Emissions rules, fuel economy standards and electrification have reshaped engines more in the last two decades than in the previous fifty. Turbocharged small engines, hybrids and electric motors are now common. Many enthusiasts still love the sound and history of classic engines, and many are kept running in restored vehicles.
Rudolf Diesel demonstrated his compression-ignition engine in Germany in the 1890s, and the same basic principle powers nearly every heavy truck on the road today.