Most enthusiasts know that Chevrolet first produced a V8 back in 1917, but there’s quite a bit more to know about this unusual engine. 

Introduced to the automotive trade press in September of 1917, the Model D V8 was a remarkable departure for the Chevrolet Motor Company. While the automaker’s popular Chevrolet 490 weighed 1820 lbs, rode on a 102-inch wheelbase, and cost $660, this new V8-powered car weighed 3200 lbs, sported a 120-inch wheelbase, and cost $1550. The two products were almost diametric opposites, you might say. Indeed, the Chevy V8 was a departure on a number of levels. A few of the noteworthy items:

+   While the Cadillac and other popular V8s of the period were built on a cast-aluminum crankcase with a pair of bolt-on, cast-iron cylinder blocks, one for each bank, the Chevrolet employed an entirely different form of construction. Here, the iron crankcase and block castings were combined, more like a modern V8, but split in half right down the middle. The two block halves bolted together at the crankshaft’s vertical centerline. Monobloc V8s were some years in the future.

+   Though the Cadillac and others were typically side-valve (aka L-head) designs with or without detachable heads, the Chevrolet V8 employed an overhead valve design,  known as “valve-in-head” in those days. Another noteworthy difference: The Chevy’s induction system was between the two cylinder banks, while the exhaust ports were outboard—technically, a cross-flow layout. The detachable heads were secured to the block with only six fasteners per bank.

+   The stamped-steel rocker covers were in fact only splash shields. They weren’t oil-tight and the pushrods were left exposed to the great outdoors. The covers were held in place with thumb screws to allow quick access for adjustment and lubrication of the overhead valvetrain, and a handy oilcan was fixed to a bracket on the firewall. Owners often dispensed with the covers (which held felt pads inside to retain oil) in daily use.

+   There was no bell housing as such; rather, the three-speed transmission was supported by a heavy bracket that bolted to the rear of the engine (above). No doubt this setup was designed to provide ample air circulation for the leather-faced, cone-type clutch built into the massive flywheel.

The carburetor was a Zenith updraft two-barrel, while the breaker-point ignition was by Remy. There were three babbitt main bearings each for the crankshaft and camshaft, while the cylinder banks were staggered to allow paired, offset connecting rods instead of the more common fork-and-blade arrangement. Like all V8s of its time, the Chevy used a single-plane, 180-degree crankshaft. With a bore and stroke of 3.375 by 4.00 inches, the eight cylinders displaced exactly 286.28 cubic inches, commonly rounded up to 288. Rated output was 60 horsepower at 2400 rpm—comfortably competitive with the 77-hp Cadillac and 60-hp Oldsmobile V8s of the period.

There were just two factory body styles, both finished in Chevrolet Green: a five-passenger Touring (Model D-4) and a four-passenger Chummy Roadster (Model D-5). The production total includes 511 cars in 1917, 2,199 in 1918, and just 71 cars in 1919. As much as anything, the discontinuation of the first Chevy V8 can be attributed to a change of direction. When the Model D was conceived, Chevrolet was an independent car company, but by mid-1918 it was joining the General Motors family of cars, alongside Buick, Oldsmobile, and Cadillac. There was no longer any need in the Chevrolet lineup for a powerful premium car.