Rare Chrysler Marine FirePower HEMI® V8 Fetches $8K on BringATrailer

Removed From A 1954 Century Coronado, This Dual-Carb HEMI V8 Is A Piece of Marine Muscle

Robert S. Miller June 15, 2025

5.4-liter (331 cubic-inch) Firepower HEMI® V8 Chrysler Marine Engine. (BringATrailer).

It’s not every day you see a vintage Chrysler Marine engine pop up at auction—especially a FirePower HEMI® V8. But on June 10th, 2025, one of those rare beasts crossed the virtual block over at BringATrailer.com, and it turned some heads. Pulled from a classic 1954 Century Coronado boat back in 2019, this 5.4-liter (331 cubic-inch) V8 had been sitting proudly on display in the seller’s shop in Rancho Santa Fe, California. When the auction wrapped, it sold at no reserve for a cool $8,000.

This isn’t just any V8. Chrysler’s 331 cubic-inch FirePower HEMI® was the brand’s first overhead-valve V8 with hemispherical combustion chambers, first introduced in 1951 for passenger cars. But this particular version came from Chrysler’s Marine and Industrial Division and was built specifically for boats. In the early ’50s, this engine helped power some of the most premium watercraft of the time.

Rated at approximately 180 horsepower, this marine-spec HEMI® V8 came equipped with dual carburetors, a distributor, brass exhaust components, and a factory starter. The vintage valve covers wore raised Chrysler Marine lettering in green, true to the era. One of the valve covers did have a dent, but that didn’t stop bidders from recognizing its historical value.

What makes this engine even more special is that so few remain intact today. Chrysler Marine was once a powerhouse in the industry, known for their advanced engineering, stylish boat designs, and innovations like foam-filled hulls. But like many niche divisions from the Detroit Big-3 automakers, the marine division faded into history, making any surviving components like this one highly collectible.

While it’s unclear what the winning bidder plans to do with it—drop it into a restored Coronado or keep it as shop art—one thing’s for sure: the soul of American horsepower isn’t limited to dry land.

5.4-liter (331 cubic-inch) Firepower HEMI® V8 Chrysler Marine Engine:

5.4-liter (331 cubic-inch) Firepower HEMI® V8 Chrysler Marine Engine. (BringATrailer).

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bill burke Jan 28, 2022 #1

This is good news and it should be followed with more factory dollars to bring more Dodge teams to the field. Don is to be commended for his support for Drag Pak Challengers over the years, but the competition has numbers and NHRA has a history of keeping Mopars in check, so this must be a major effort and there might be more teams that can use the backing. Back in the ‘60s there were dozens of teams receiving financial and technical support, so let’s do it again. Lots of independent racers might jump on board with some support and then things will really get interesting. It’s the Dodge thing to do, again.

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redriderbob Jan 28, 2022 #2

Agreed. Hopefully the Challenger will be more competitive this year without being restricted by the NHRA.

bill burke Jan 29, 2022 #3

Near the end of the season Drag Paks were qualifying well. Traction and frontal mass top end air flow work against Dodge. The wing cars come to my mind where the Drag Pak could incorporate some less restrictive front end grill work from the factory that meets the rules. Imagine how these so equipped production stock Challengers would appreciate over time or attract attention right now. Bet the NHRA would sink that or Ford and GM would follow suit. Just my mind running wild. Challenger Dayton rings true in the shadows of my mind.