The Last GM Big-Block V-8 Rolls Off the Line

DesScorp writes "It's the end of an era in auto technology, as the very last big block V-8 engine from GM has rolled off the production line. The L18 engine was the last variant of an engine that had been in continuous production for over 50 years. The big blocks powered everything from the classic muscle cars of the '60s and '70s to heavy-duty trucks today. From the Buffalo News: 'When GM said last June the L18 would be eliminated by year's end, the announcement triggered another show of devotion to the product. Some customers ordered two years' worth of L18s, to put on the shelf for future use.' More than 5 million big blocks have been produced over the engine's history. The final big block engine to come off the line in Tonawanda, NY is headed for the GM Heritage Center in Sterling Heights, MI."

Comments

Re:Innovation!

[MichaelSmith]

When I was young my first car was a 1973 Holden Torana. It was this crap GM car from England. Then the torana blew up and I bought a 1972 Toyota Celica. I worked on both cars and the engineering in the toyota was vastly better.

As long as I live I will never buy another car from GM.

Where I live there are a lot of young guys who identify themselves either as a Ford Guy or a Holden Guy. Holden is GM here remember. But these people only identify with the big V6 and V8 cars from those makers. You can't sit outside your grandmothers house in East Brunswick tuning up your four cylinder Holden. That would be embarrassing. So if GM can't sell the Holden Commodore in this country they are screwed. Their small cars generally come from other car makers via badge engineering anyway.