Did Chrysler Ever Make A V6 Hemi Engine?
The HEMI engine has been in the news a lot, with RAM announcing that, in response to popular demand, it’s bringing back the 5.7 liter HEMI V8 to the RAM 1500 pickup. This comes following a short, but highly publicized V8 hiatus that came in the wake of electrification and an attempted shift to smaller displacement turbocharged engines.
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This decision marks another shift in Stellantis’ on-and-off-again relationship with V8 engines that have hemispherical combustion chambers. It began with the first-generation HEMI V8s of the 1950s. Then came the legendary 426 HEMI of the ’60s and ’70s, followed by the 2003 debut of modern third-generation HEMI V8 – the same one which will be returning to RAM for the 2026 model year.
In America, where we love our V8s, the HEMI name has always been associated with big V8 engines. That begs the question, did Chrysler ever made a V6 HEMI engine? No, there’s never been a Chrysler V6 HEMI. But, there was an inline-six Chrysler HEMI that has become a bit of a legend in its own right. The reason you may not have heard about the HEMI-6 is because the engine is actually more Australian than it is American.
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The Hemi from down under
In America, when we think of a Chrysler inline-six, we probably picture the Slant-Six, a rugged workhorse of an engine that’s often ranked as one of the most reliable six-cylinder engines of all time. Beginning in 1970, Chrysler started offering a completely different inline-six engine in Australia.
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This inline-six was initially designed for pickup truck use, before being abandoned by Chrysler in America. Chrysler Australia then took over the development, looking for a new engine option for their Chrysler Valiant. Compared to the existing Slant Six, this new engine was lighter, more powerful, and most notably, used a cylinder head with semi-hemispherical combustion chambers.
That was more than enough for Chrysler Australia’s marketing department to take off running with the HEMI-6 branding, with the goal being to inherit some of the HEMI V8’s street cred. But the HEMI-6 was a lot more than just a marketing trick.
Offered initially in the Chrysler Valiant, and later the Valiant Charger, the HEMI-6 was a legitimate performance engine. In its most potent Six Pack configuration, the 265 cubic-inch HEMI-6 was fed by triple Weber carburetors and made as much as 302 horsepower — more than enough to rival the small block V8s of the day.
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The six-cylinder vs V8 battle continues today
The HEMI-6 engine remained in production until 1980, the same year that Chrysler Australia itself ceased operations after being bought out by Mitsubishi. Though the HEMI-6 engine was only around for a decade, and never developed much of a following outside of Australia, it’s become an important part of Chrysler’s global history.
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In an era before things like overhead cams or turbocharging were commonplace, the HEMI-6 showed that a muscle car didn’t necessarily need a V8 engine to be fast or desirable. Additionally, the HEMI-6 also remains one of the beloved symbols of a once-powerful, Australian domestic automotive industry that is now all but gone.
Nowadays, with the recent debut of the new twin-turbocharged Hurricane inline-six, Stellantis has now come full circle in a way, carrying on the legacy of the straight-six engine into the modern era. With both the more traditional HEMI V8 and the new Hurricane inline-six available in RAM pickups at the same time, it will be interesting to see which of these two power units becomes the preferred choice.
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