Chrysler 330 V8 Engine

The Chrysler 330 Engine was introduced in 1956 for the DeSoto line of vehicles made that year. The DeSotos were so named because the front hood ornament bore the image of Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto, the first explorer to cross the Mississippi River.
This and other 1950s series Chrysler HEMI engines such as the Chrysler 361 V8 were known as FirePower engines. The 330 was used primarily in the DeSoto FireDome and FireFlite models. These 1956 models were quite popular that a DeSoto was featured as the pace car for that year’s Indianapolis 500 race. After 1956, Chrysler used the 341 and 345 engines for the DeSotos.