The Max Wedge, formally the Maximum Performance Wedge, was an engine option produced by the

Chrysler Corporation Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...

from 1962 to 1964, that was available exclusively in B Platform (intermediate)

Dodge Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...

s and Plymouths. The Max Wedge motor used the Chrysler RB Block, and was produced in 413 and 426 cubic-inch iterations. By the strict definition of a

muscle car Muscle car is a description according to ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary'' that came to use in 1966 for "a group of American-made two-door sports coupes with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving." The '' Britannica Dictionary'' ...

as an intermediate-bodied vehicle equipped with a big-block engine, the 1962 Max Wedge Dodges and Plymouths were among the first so-called muscle cars.

History

Beginning in 1951, Chrysler's primary V8 engine was its 331 c.i.

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. In 1958, Chrysler introduced its new wedge-head B Block, which was implemented in the Dodge and Desoto lines. The following year saw the introduction of the RB Block in Chryslers and

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; this was a modified B Block with a raised deck resulting in an increase of stroke from 3.18 inches to 3.75 inches. In 1960 and 1961, Chrysler began offering RB-engine vehicles with its new "cross ram" induction system that had been developed by the Ramchargers Club - a group of Chrysler engineers - on their 1949 Plymouth drag race car "High and Mighty." This iteration of the cross-ram system was designated as "long ram," as the carburetors were placed flanking the motor. In 1962, Chrysler introduced its new high-performance version of the 413 RB Block motor: the Maximum Performance Wedge. This engine had been in development since 1959 and employed "short ram" induction, wherein the carburetors were fitted diagonally on the intake manifold. The "Max Wedge" option was available exclusively in Chrysler's new-for-1962 intermediate B Platform in Dodges and Plymouths only. Chrysler had developed the option in part to capitalize on the rising popularity in

NHRA The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is a drag racing governing body, which sets rules in drag racing and hosts events all over the United States and Canada. With over 40,000 drivers in its rosters, the NHRA claims to be the largest motorspo ...

super stock racing. Although Max Wedge cars were street legal, they were intended for racing purposes. First-year Max Wedge engines were 413 cubic inches and came in 410 and 420 horsepower versions. Dodge called its engine the "Ramcharger 413" while Plymouth called it the "Super Stock 413." In 1963, the engine's displacement increased to 426 cubic inches as the bore was increased from 4.19 to 4.25 inches. In May of that year, an improved version of the 426 was released, named the "Stage II." No motors were ever named "Stage 1." 1963-engines were available in 415 and 425 horsepower versions. 1964 was the final year of the Max Wedge option. The engine for the third year was named the "Stage III." Max Wedge cars equipped with four-speed transmissions were only produced in the final year, as prior to that point Chrysler did not have a manual transmission that could handle the power of the engine. In 1964, only 61 Dodges and 65 Plymouths were equipped with Chrysler's A-833 manual transmission. Max Wedge cars are an essential part of automotive history as they are among the first vehicles that can be classified as "muscle cars" by the strict definition as an intermediate-bodied car with a big-block motor.

Oldsmobile Oldsmobile or formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it pro ...

had put its industry-leading

Rocket V8 The Oldsmobile V8, also referred to as the Rocket, is series of engines that was produced by Oldsmobile from 1949 until 1990. The Rocket, along with the 1949 Cadillac V8, were the first post-war OHV crossflow cylinder head V8 engines produced by ...

from its luxury 98 series into the smaller 88 already in 1949, and

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had put its largest V8 into its intermediate sized

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in 1957. General Motors and

Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

introduced intermediate platforms with large V8 in 1958. The 1962 413 Max Wedge Dodges and Plymouths slightly preceded the growing wave of proto-Muscle Cars that gained momentum with the 427

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(1964) and 390/427 Ford Fairlane (1966), 389

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(1964), 396

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(1965), 400

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(1965), 400

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(1965), and 427

Mercury Comet Cyclone The Mercury Cyclone is an automobile that was marketed by the Mercury division of Ford from 1964 to 1971. Introduced in 1964 as the Mercury Comet Cyclone, the Cyclone replaced the S-22 as the performance-oriented version of the Mercury Comet mode ...

(1964) and 390

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(1966), and various Chrysler products, including the

Plymouth Road Runner The Plymouth Road Runner is a mid-size car with a focus on performance built by Plymouth in the United States between 1968 and 1980. By 1968, some of the original muscle cars were moving away from their roots as relatively cheap, fast cars as ...

and

Dodge Super Bee The Dodge Super Bee is a mid-sized muscle car marketed by Dodge, that was produced for the 1968 through 1971 model years. In Mexico, the Super Bee was based on a compact-sized Chrysler platform and marketed from 1970 until 1980. The Super Bee ...

. Even Rambler rejoined the fray with its

Rambler Marlin The Rambler Marlin (later AMC Marlin) is a two-door fastback automobile produced in the United States by American Motors Corporation from 1965 to 1967. A halo car for the company, it was marketed as a personal luxury car. In 1965, the car was ...

and Hurst-modified

SC/Rambler The Rambler American is a compact car that was manufactured by the American Motors Corporation (AMC) between 1958 and 1969. The American was the second incarnation of AMC forerunner Nash Motors' compact Nash Rambler, Rambler that was introdu ...

. Despite their historical significance and low production numbers, Max Wedge cars have not reached the same level of collectible desirability as other comparable muscle cars. This is, in part, due to their race specificity.

Specifications

Following are the specifications for 1962 to 1964 Max Wedge engines:

Production numbers

Following are the production numbers for 1962 to 1964 Max Wedge Dodges and Plymouths: {, class="wikitable" , , Dodge , Plymouth , - , 1962 , 214 , 298 , - , 1963 , , , - , 1964 , ,

References

* Bell, David A. ''Max Wedge-Race Hemi Online.'' http://maxwedge.com/. * Davis, Darrell L. ''The Max Wedge Serial Number Book''. Self-published, 2013. Chrysler engines