page_title: Pontiac V8 engine
section_title: 389
hierarchical_section_title: Pontiac V8 engine / Small-journal engines:1955-1981 / 389
caption_attribution_description: 1960 Pontiac Venture engine - 389 cid V8
context_page_description: The Pontiac V8 engine is a family of overhead valve V8 engines manufactured by the Pontiac Division of General Motors Corporation that made its debut in 1955. Pontiac began as a "companion" to the Oakland division of the General Motors line of automobiles in 1926. Pontiac successfully competed against more-expensive inline four-cylinder models with their inline flathead six-cylinder engines. After outselling Oakland, Pontiac became the sole survivor of the two by 1932. In addition to the inline 6, Pontiac used the Oakland V8 for one year, 1932, debuting an inline 8 in 1933. The two inline engines were used through 1954, when Pontiac unveiled its OHV V8 in 1955. The development of this V8 dates back to 1946, when engineers began considering new engine designs for postwar cars. They came up with a 269-cubic-inch L-head design. Pontiac engineers tested their 269 cu in V8 in 1949 or 1950 against a downsized Olds rocket V8 overhead engine. The Olds engine was a 303 cu in, Pontiac reduced the size to 270 cu in in for testing against the 269 engine. The test results showed Pontiac that an L-head engine simply couldn't compete with overhead valve V8 engine designs.
context_section_description: For 1959 the V8's stroke was increased to 3 ³⁄₄ in (95.3 mm), raising displacement to 389 cu in (6.4 L). This was the beginning of factory supplied performance items such as 4 bolt main bearings and windage trays to reduce friction from crankcase oil. The 389 would remain the standard Pontiac V8 engine through 1966, offered in a bewildering variety of outputs ranging from 215 to 368 hp (160 to 274 kW). The 389 was the standard engine for the Pontiac GTO through 1966. Beginning in 1961 the Pontiac V-8 (389 and 421) was dubbed the Trophy V-8, due to its many victories in racing.
caption: 389 cu in (6.4 L) engine in a 1960 Pontiac Ventura
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