The engine block and cylinder heads were cast at Saginaw Metal Casting Operations in Saginaw, Michigan. Engineer Ed Cole is credited with leading the design for this engine. Referred to as a 'small-block' for its size relative to the physically much larger Chevrolet big-block engines, the small block family spanned from 262 cu in (4.3 L) to 400 cu in (6.6 L) in displacement. The Chevrolet small-block engine is a series of gasoline-powered, V-8 automobile engines, produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors between 19, using the same basic engine block.
