1963 Corvette Grand Sport
The last example of the legendary 'Big Block' V8 has left GM's factory in Tonawanda, New York. The workers of the plant, 150 of whom are being laid off as part of the restructuring program, all signed the last engine before it went off to be a museum piece at the GM Heritage Centre.
Chevrolet first rolled out the 'Rat motor' across its range back in 1958. It had a capacity of 348 cubic-inches, and was designed to deal with heavier car designs being developed at the time. It was nicknamed the 'Rat' to contrast with the small-block V8, which had earned the moniker 'Mouse'.
More than ten different-sized versions of the big block have existed at one time or other, with countless minor variations of each and a vast range of applications in passenger and commercial vehicles - not to mention powerboats.
To note just a few of the cars that hosted a Big Block over its five decades, think about the Corvette, Camaro, Impala, Caprice, Monte Carlo, Nova and a variety of trucks. It was also a hot-rodders favourite, of course.
The last version of the engine, named the L18, has been in production since 1999. The factory will now concentrate on new more efficient engines, including the 2.2-litre four-cylinder L850 that becomes the main line at the Tonawanda plant.