Several popular vehicles used the big block 400-cubic-inch V8. The engine was standard equipment as late as 1978 for larger cars like the Chrysler New Yorker and Newport. The engine also served as an option for Dodge D100 and D200 pickup trucks.
While earlier Newport and New Yorker models came with Chrysler’s 440-cubic-inch big block V8 engines, consistent detuning and emissions controls finally led to it falling out of favor. By 1979, Chrysler’s 400-cubic-inch big block engine was gone from the lineup, as the automaker adopted government-dictated Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards and emissions mandates.
The most common engines found in 1970s Dodge D-series pickup trucks are six-cylinder or small V8 varieties ranging from 170 to 360 cubic inches, producing up to 180 horsepower. While sufficient for various pickup truck-related chores, truck buyers with serious towing needs frequently opted for big-block power. The 400-cubic-inch V8 provided a middle ground compared to the big 440. Like its passenger car contemporaries, D-series truck engine options continued to shrink as smaller engines proved more efficient.
