Grandpa’s Chrysler Sedan Was Secretly Packing A 375-HP Big-Block
Imagine: You’re hanging out in front of your favorite bar when you watch two old Mopars line up at a stoplight. A familiar second-gen Charger that often cruises by revs its 318 V8. The driver of the plain-looking Chrysler sedan doesn’t take the bait. But when the light turns green, he disappears and leaves the Charger driver eating his dust. You just saw a Chrysler “Q-car” in action. They were among the most notorious sleepers of the muscle era. Today, they’re one of the last bargains in the used Mopar market.
A New Big Block To Replace The OG Hemi
Mopar fans all know the story of the first-gen Hemi V8. Chrysler Corporation dusted off a hemispherical combustion head design it had prototyped for a fighter plane in WWII and launched the “Firepower” V8 in 1951 Chrysler cars.
The biggest real-world upside of the hemispherical combustion chambers was room for larger intake and exhaust valves. But the engine was heavy and complex. So Chrysler Corporation engineered the B-Series engine for the 1958 model year.
The B-Series used wedge-shaped combustion chambers to make room for larger valves. The result was lighter and more powerful than the “Firepower” Hemi.
A later “raised block” series of this engine made even more room for more displacement. Displacement peaked with the 1966 introduction of the 440 cubic-inch V8.
The B-Series of big-block Mopar V8s is different than the later, second-gen Hemi. That would be the 426, which was designed for winning NASCAR in 1964. But the 440 “Magnum” was designed from the ground up to be the ultimate street engine, and is still a favorite of Mopar enthusiasts everywhere.
440 Cu-In V8 Mopars Cost A Ton
A numbers-matching Mopar with a 426 “Hemi” V8 might as well be muscle car royalty, with many worth six-figures or more. But as a result, 440-powered car values aren’t far behind. How much will you pay for a 440 V8 in a well-known Dodge or a Plymouth model? You might want to budget $100-per-cubic-inch.
The most recent 440-powered Plymouth Road Runner to sell on Bring a Trailer was a 1969 that went for $40,000 even. A 1969 with the 440+6 carb setup also sold in 2026. It went for $55,000.
A Charger will likely set you back even more. A 1969 Charger with the 440 Six-Pack engine went for $108,000 in early 2026. A regular 440-powered 1968 sold for $54,440.
“TNT”-powered Chryslers Ran 15-Second 1/4 Miles
Dodges and Plymouths were not the only Mopars available with the 440 cu-in V8. Mopar aficionados know that the top-trim Chrysler 300 often shipped with powerful performance engines, such as the 440. But even they may not know that lower-trim Chryslers, namely the Newport and New Yorker, were also available with the 440 cu-in V8.
Beginning in 1966, Chrysler offered a 350 horsepower tune of the all-new 440 V8. It also offered its own version of the 440 Magnum/Super Commando, branded as the 440 TNT. It debuted with a 365 gross horsepower rating, improving to 375 hp for the 1967–69 model year. A revised tune dropped the 1970-71 cars to 370 hp. The engine was available through the 1978 model year, though it was continually detuned to meet increasingly strict emissions regulations. Because the industry swapped from SAE gross to SAE net output ratings, it’s tough to tell exactly how much power the engine lost. The 1977-1978 factory claim was 195 hp (net).
The 1966 TNT upgrade was essentially just intake upgrades (namely the twin-snorkel silenced air cleaner and a tune for the Carter 4-barrel carb) and a dual exhaust. From 1967 onward, the package added a hotter hydraulic cam, larger exhaust valves, free-flowing exhaust manifolds, revised tuning, and even a factory windage tray.
All 440-powered Chryslers came with a Carter 4-barrel carb. They were all backed by the legendary 727 TorqueFlite automatic transmission. The Sure Grip limited-slip rear differential was an optional add-on, available with either tune of the 440.
Grandpa’s Chrysler Could Go!
Car Life immediately nabbed a Chrysler 300 with the new 440 cubic-inch “TNT” V8. In April 1966, the magazine announced that the car could rocket to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds. It finished the 1/4-mile in 16.1 seconds at 88 mph. Its tested top speed was 120 mph.
Note that these are the times for the TNT package before it got a hotter cam, larger valves, and windage tray. These numbers would have only improved as the years went on. A 1970 Chrysler 300-Hurst with the 440 TNT V8 claimed a 15.3-second 1/4-mile time at 94.4 mph.
The Chrysler Q-Car Hid In Plain Sight
During WWI and WWII, the British Navy developed an ingenious technique to fight German U-boats. British “Q-Boats” were disguised as merchant vessels, but armed to the teeth. They sailed the Atlantic, waiting for the inevitable moment a submarine surfaced to sink them.
After the war, “Q-Car” became British slang for sleeper cars. Mopar fans eventually adopted the term for big block Chrysler sedans.
C-body Chryslers came with the proprietary “QuietTuned” insulation package, which included enough sound deadening and deep-pile carpeting to hide their V8 rumble from even the driver. Power steering, power brakes, highway-oriented suspension tuning, and the smooth ride of a full-sized 124-inch wheelbase also conspired to hide its rowdy performance capabilities behind an easy-driving luxury façade.
Other standard features included large bench seats with built-in armrests both front and rear. These cars came with padded instrument panels, electric clocks, deluxe exterior trim, full wheel covers, and generous trunks.
Many “Q-cars” were ordered by executives or commuters who rarely drag raced or abused them. As 440-powered Mopars go, Chrysler sedans are among the cleanest ones available.
A 440 TNT-Powered Chrysler Is An Overlooked Bargain
A Chrysler may be the cheapest way to get into a Mopar with a 440 V8, making it an overlooked muscle-era bargain. A 1978 New Yorker Brougham project car with a 440 appeared on Bring a Trailer and was bid up to $3,200, but didn’t sell. A running 440-powered 1974 Chrysler Newport appeared at Mecum’s Auctions in 2017 and sold for $6,600. A non-running 1966 Chrysler 300 project equipped with both a 440 V8 and SureGrip differential sold on Bring a Trailer in 2026 for $9,400. A running 1973 New Yorker with a 440 sold on Mecum in 2019 for $6,000. A unique 1972 Newport, with a 440 and still wearing fire department fleet paint sold on Mecum in 2021 for $9,900. A highly original running and driving 1976 New Yorker, equipped with a 440, sold at Mecum in 2024 for $11,000.
A well-sorted 1978 New Yorker Brougham coupe with a 440 that benefits from fresh upholstery and paint sold on Bring a Trailer in 2024 for $13,000. A 1976 New Yorker Brougham sedan with a 440 sold through Mecum in 2025 for $16,500. A 1977 New Yorker Brougham sedan with a 440 also sold on Mecum, also in 2025, for $19,000. A black 440-powered 1969 New Yorker sedan (VIN CH43K9C244617, pictured) sold at Mecum Chicago in 2022 for $20,350. A 1967 Chrysler coupe with a 440 and fetching copper paint color sold on Bring a Trailer in 2022 for $21,000.
Sources: Mecum, Bring a Trailer, Chrysler
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