What year did Chevy 5.7 come out?
The Chevy 5.7-liter V8, widely known as the 350 small-block, first arrived in 1967. This engine would go on to power Chevrolets across a wide range of vehicles for decades.
Chevrolet’s 5.7-liter family became a backbone of American performance and reliability, evolving from a classic muscle-car staple into a modern powerplant used in cars, trucks, and high-performance applications. The question of its origin ties to Chevrolet’s broader V8 history, dating back to the mid-1950s, but the 5.7-liter displacement itself debuted in 1967 as the 350 cubic inch small-block.
Milestones in the 5.7L lineage
The following bullets highlight key moments in the 5.7-liter engine’s development and notable introductions over the years.
- 1967: Introduction of the 350 cubic inch (5.7 L) small-block V8, becoming Chevrolet’s standard high-performance V8 across multiple model lines (including Chevelle, Camaro, Corvette, and more).
- Early 1990s: The LT1 5.7L V8 debuts, bringing modern fuel-injection and a performance-oriented design to Corvette and other models (notably around the 1992 model year).
- 1997: The LS1 5.7L (Gen III) small-block is introduced, beginning a new architecture that would power Corvette, Camaro, and other GM performance cars for years to come.
- 2000s–2010s: The 5.7L remains a staple in GM’s lineup through various performance variants and model updates, gradually transitioning to newer LS-based designs in some applications while preserving the 5.7L footprint in others.
In summary, Chevrolet’s 5.7-liter V8 first hit the market in 1967 and subsequently evolved through notable generations—LT1 in the 1990s and LS1 in 1997—before giving way to newer architectures in some models, yet maintaining a lasting legacy as a cornerstone of Chevrolet performance.
Summary
The 5.7-liter (350 cu in) small-block began in 1967 and became one of Chevrolet’s most enduring V8 families. Its evolution through LT1 and LS1 variants in the 1990s and 1997 respectively helped shape GM’s performance trajectory for decades, leaving a lasting imprint on cars and trucks alike.
