Meaning and Defination from Chevrolet

Target of Chevrolet
Celebrating a historic achievement in its journey in the country, General Motors India crossed
the 100,000 unit mark on November 27, 2010, meeting its yearly target with over a month still to
go. This is the first time the company has crossed 1 lakh unit mark in a calendar year since it’s
inception in India.

The company has registered a growth of over 63% from January to November 2010, compared to
the corresponding period last year. It has crossed the 100,000-unit mark in this period, as against
61,321 units sold in the same period last year.

This historic feat has been achieved due to the growing popularity and the overwhelming
response to Chevrolet Beat and Cruze. Both these cars have become the industry benchmarks in
their respective segments and a winner among consumers in India, with their best-in-class
design, performance and unique product attributes.  Spark also continues to register impressive
sales, clearly validating it as the one of the most sought after car in its segment in terms of
styling, performance and fuel efficiency offering a value for money proposition. Other car lines
have also registered impressive growth in this period.

Commenting on the performance, Mr. P. Balendran, Vice President, GM India said, “This is a

momentous occasion and a historic milestone for all of us at GM India. We are very excited by
the tremendous response that we have received from our valued customers. Introduction of best-
in-segment cars from the 300 series, rapid network expansion for increased customer outreach,
our unique value proposition like Chevrolet Cashless Ownership offer, innovative marketing
initiatives and our promise to deliver quality and performance are the factors that have led to this
achievement. The economic growth that in turn propelled the growth in the automobile sector
has resulted in sustaining this momentum.”
Chevrolet recently completed seven years of its successful journey after its foray into the Indian
market. It has commissioned the power train facility in Talegaon making this the first flexi-
engine plant for General Motors globally wherein both petrol and diesel engines are going to be
manufactured together. The company has also inaugurated the LNG facility at its factory
premises at Halol for supply of gas to its car manufacturing plant and has also ramped up
production by adding the second shifts at Halol and Talegaon plants to meet the increased
demand of its products. It is also rapidly expanding its sales and service network to support the
increasing market demand of its cars.

Chevrolet will completed 100 years of its successful operations globally. With a wide array of
products and services, Chevrolet has brought unmatched product quality and unparalleled
performance to the customers around the world. Inspirational designs, superior technology and
innovative programs have made Chevrolet one of the most-loved and sought after brand
worldwide. Continuing its journey, Chevrolet plans to launch several new products and services
for the global audience, relevant to the respective markets and customer preferences.

General Motors India has set a target to sell 90,000 units in 2008, a top official of the company
said. Launching Chevrolet Captiva premium sport utility vehicle in Bangalore, Karl Slym,
president and managing director of GM India said the company’s vehicle sales increased by 68%
to around 60, 000 units in 2007 from 35,000 units in 2006.
GM has achieved this robust growth when the auto industry witnessed a growth of only 14%.
The company has set a target to sell 1, 000 units of Capitva in the current year. The Captiva
would be imported as Completely Build Units (CBUs) from the GM’s manufacturing unit in
Korea.

GM, had 5% market share in the Indian passenger car market, would capture 10% share by 2010,
when the passenger car market expanded to two million units from the current 1.4 million
vehicles

Economic environment affecting Chevrolet

General Explanation:
ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT
Markets require purchasing power as well as people. The available purchasing power
in an economy depends on current income, prices, savings, debt, and credit availability.
Marketers must pay close attention to major trends in income and consumerspending
patterns.
Income Distribution
Nations vary greatly in level and distribution of income and industrial structure. There
are four types of industrial structures?
1. Subsistence economies: In a subsistence economy, the vast majority of people
engage in simple agriculture, consume most of their output, and barter the
rest for simple goods and services. These economies offer few opportunities
for marketers.
2. Raw-material-exporting economies: These economies are rich in one or more
natural resources but poor in other respects. Much of their revenue comes
from exporting these resources. Examples are Zaire (copper) and Saudi Arabia
(oil). These countries are good markets for extractive equipment, tools and
Scanning the
Marketing
Environment 145
supplies, materials-handling equipment, and trucks. Depending on the number
of foreign residents and wealthy native rulers and landholders, they are
also a market for Western-style commodities and luxury goods.
3. Industrializing economies: In an industrializing economy, manufacturing begins
to account for 10 percent to 20 percent of gross domestic product. Examples
include India, Egypt, and the Philippines. As manufacturing increases, the
country relies more on imports of raw materials, steel, and heavy machinery
and less on imports of finished textiles, paper products, and processed foods.
Industrialization creates a new rich class and a small but growing middle
class, both demanding new types of goods.
4. Industrial economies: Industrial economies are major exporters of manufactured
goods and investment funds. They buy manufactured goods from one
another and also export them to other types of economies in exchange for
raw materials and semifinished goods. The large and varied manufacturing
activities of these nations and their sizable middle class make them rich markets
for all sorts of goods.

How it affects Chevrolet

POLITICAL-LEGAL ENVIRONMENT
General Explanation:
Marketing decisions are strongly affected by developments in the political and legal
environment. This environment is composed of laws, government agencies, and pressure groups
that influence and limit various organizations and individuals. Sometimes
these laws also create new opportunities for business. For example, mandatory recycling
laws have given the recycling industry a major boost and spurred the creation
of dozens of new companies making new products from recycled materials.

Legislation Regulating Business

Business legislation has three main purposes: to protect companies from unfair competition,
to protect consumers from unfair business practices, and to protect the interests
of society from unbridled business behavior. A major purpose of business
legislation and enforcement is to charge businesses with the social costs created by
their products or production processes. Legislation affecting business has steadily increased
over the years. The European Commission has been active in establishing a
new framework of laws covering competitive behavior, product standards, product liability,
and commercial transactions for the 15 member nations of the European
Union. Ex-Soviet nations are rapidly passing laws to promote and regulate an open
market economy. The United States has many laws on its books covering such issues
as competition, product safety and liability, fair trade and credit practices, and packaging
and labeling.30 Several countries have gone further than the United States in
passing strong consumer-protection legislation. Norway bans several forms of sales
promotion—trading stamps, contests, premiums—as inappropriate or “unfair” instruments
for promoting products. Thailand requires food processors selling national
brands to market low-price brands also so that low-income consumers can find economy
brands. In India, food companies need special approval to launch brands that
duplicate what already exists on the market, such as another cola drink or brand of
rice. A central concern about business legislation is: At what point do the costs of regulation
exceed the benefits? The laws are not always administered fairly; regulators
and enforcers may be lax or overzealous. Although each new law may have a legitimate
rationale, it may have the unintended effect of sapping initiative and retarding
economic growth.
Marketers must have a good working knowledge of the major laws protecting competition,
consumers, and society. Companies generally establish legal review procedures
and promulgate ethical standards to guide their marketing managers. As more and more business
takes place in cyberspace, marketers must establish new parameters
for doing business ethically.

Growth of Special-Interest Groups

The number and power of special-interest groups have increased over the past three
decades. Political-action committees (PACs) lobby government officials and pressure
business executives to pay more attention to consumer rights, women’s rights,
senior citizen rights, minority rights, and gay rights. Many companies have established
public-affairs departments to deal with these groups and issues. An important
force affecting business is the consumerist movement—an organized movement of citizens
and government to strengthen the rights and powers of buyers in relation to sellers.
Consumerists have advocated and won the right to know the true interest cost
of a loan, the true cost per standard unit of competing brands (unit pricing), the basic
ingredients in a product, the nutritional quality of food, the freshness of products,
and the true benefits of a product. In response to consumerism, several companies
have established consumer-affairs departments to help formulate policies and respond
to consumer complaints. Whirlpool Corporation is just one of the companies that
have installed toll-free phone numbers for consumers. Whirlpool even expanded the
coverage of its product warranties and rewrote them in basic English.
Clearly, new laws and growing numbers of pressure groups have put more restraints
on marketers. Marketers have to clear their plans with the company’s legal, public relations,
public-affairs, and consumer-affairs departments. Insurance companies directly
or indirectly affect the design of smoke detectors; scientific groups affect the
design of spray products by condemning aerosols. In essence, many private marketing
transactions have moved into the public domain.

How it affects Chevrolet

SOCIAL-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT

General Explanation:
Society shapes our beliefs, values, and norms. People absorb, almost unconsciously, a
worldview that defines their relationship to themselves, to others, to organizations,
to society, to nature, and to the universe.
■ Views of them: People vary in the relative emphasis they place on self-gratification.
In the United States during the 1960s and 1970s, “pleasure seekers”
sought fun, change, and escape. Others sought “self-realization.” People bought
products, brands, and services as a means of self-expression. They bought dream
cars and dream vacations and spent more time in health activities (jogging, tennis),
in introspection, and in arts and crafts. Today, in contrast, people are
adopting more conservative behaviors and ambitions. They have witnessed
harder times and cannot rely on continuous employment and rising real income.
They are more cautious in their spending pattern and more value-driven in their
purchases.
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Marketing
152 Opportunities
■ Views of others: Some observers have pointed to a countermovement from a “me
society” to a “we society.” People are concerned about the homeless, crime and
victims and other social problems. They would like to live in a more humane
society. At the same time, people are seeking out their “own kind” and avoiding
strangers. People hunger for serious and long-lasting relationships with a few
others. These trends portend a growing market for social-support products and
services that promote direct relations between human beings, such as health
clubs, cruises, and religious activity. They also suggest a growing market for “social
surrogates,” things that allow people who are alone to feel that they are not,
such as television, home video games, and chat rooms on the Internet.
■ Views of organizations: People vary in their attitudes toward corporations, government
agencies, trade unions, and other organizations. Most people are willing to
work for these organizations, although they may be critical of particular ones.
But there has been an overall decline in organizational loyalty. The massive wave
of company downsizings has bred cynicism and distrust. Many people today see
work not as a source of satisfaction but as a required chore to earn money to enjoy
their nonwork hours.
This outlook has several marketing implications. Companies need to find
new ways to win back consumer and employee confidence. They need to make
sure that they are good corporate citizens and that their consumer messages are
honest. More companies are turning to social audits and public relations to improve
their image with their publics.
■ Views of society: People vary in their attitudes toward their society. Some defend it
(preservers), some run it (makers), some take what they can from it (takers), some
want to change it (changers); some are looking for something deeper (seekers),
and some want to leave it (escapers).32 Often consumption patterns reflect social
attitude. Makers tend to be high achievers who eat, dress, and live well. Changers
usually live more frugally, driving smaller cars and wearing simpler clothes. Escapers
and seekers are a major market for movies, music, surfing, and camping.
■ Views of nature: People vary in their attitude toward nature. Some feel subjugated
by it, others feel harmony with it, and still others seek mastery over it. A long-term
trend has been humankind’s growing mastery of nature through technology.
More recently, however, people have awakened to nature’s fragility and finite resources.
They recognize that nature can be destroyed by human activities.
Love of nature is leading to more camping, hiking, boating, and fishing.
Business has responded with hiking boots, tenting equipment, and other gear.
Tour operators are packaging more tours to wilderness areas. Marketing communicators
are using more scenic backgrounds in advertising. Food producers have
found growing markets for “natural” products, such as natural cereal, natural ice
cream and health foods. Two natural-food grocery stores, Whole Foods Markets
and Fresh Fields, merged in 1997 with sales of $1.1 billion.
■ Views of the universe: People vary in their beliefs about the origin of the universe
and their place in it. Most Americans are monotheistic, although religious conviction
and practice has been waning through the years. Church attendance
has fallen steadily, with the exception of certain evangelical movements that
reach out to bring people back into organized religion. Some of the religious impulse
has been redirected into an interest in Eastern religions, mysticism, the occult,
and the human potential movement.
As people lose their religious orientation, they seek self-fulfillment and immediate
gratification. At the same time, every trend seems to breed a countertrend, as indicated
by a worldwide rise in religious fundamentalism. Here are some other cultural
characteristics of interest to marketers: the persistence of core cultural values, the existence
of subcultures, and shifts of values through time.

High Persistence of Core Cultural Values

The people living in a particular society hold many core beliefs and values that tend
to persist. Most Americans still believe in work, in getting married, in giving to charity,
and in being honest. Core beliefs and values are passed on from parents to
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Marketing
Environment 153
children and are reinforced by major social institutions—schools, churches, business,
and government. Secondary beliefs and values are more open to change. Believing in
the institution of marriage is a core belief; believing that people ought to get married
early is a secondary belief. Thus family-planning marketers could make some headway
arguing that people should get married later rather than that they should not get
married at all. Marketers have some chance of changing secondary values but little
chance of changing core values. For instance, the nonprofit organization Mothers
Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) does not try to stop the sale of alcohol, but it do
promote the idea of appointing a designated driver who will not drink that evening.
The group also lobbies to raise the legal drinking age.
Existence of Subcultures
Each society contains subcultures, groups with shared values emerging from their special
life experiences or circumstances. Star Trek fans, Black Muslims, and Hell’s Angels
all represent subcultures whose members share common beliefs, preferences, and behaviors.
To the extent that subcultural groups exhibit different wants and consumption
behavior, marketers can choose particular subcultures as target markets.
Marketers sometimes reap unexpected rewards in targeting subcultures. For instance,
marketers have always loved teenagers because they’re society’s trendsetters in
fashion, music, entertainment, ideas, and attitudes. Marketers also know that if they
attract someone as a teen, there’s a good chance they’ll keep the person as a customer
in the years ahead. Frito-Lay, which draws 15 percent of its sales from teens, says it
has seen a rise in chip-snacking by grown-ups. “We think it’s because we brought
them in as teenagers,” says a Frito-Lay marketing director.33
Shifts of Secondary Cultural Values Through Time
Although core values are fairly persistent, cultural swings do take place. The advent
in the 1960s of hippies, the Beatles, Elvis Presley, and other cultural phenomena had
a major impact on young people’s hairstyles, clothing, sexual norms, and life goals.
Today’s young people are influenced by new heroes and fads: Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder,
Michael Jordan, and rollerblading.

Working of Chevrolet considering Social & Cultural factors

Marketing strategies of Chevrolet

BOLLYWOOD Calling
Chevrolet has long been associated with silver screen from times immemorial. Often
symbolizing brilliance in the scenes to leave a lasting impact, Chevrolet a standalone performer
has now become the connoisseur of perseverance and excellence of those who are always in the
spotlight. Recognizing and associating with the best in the industry, Chevrolet is
definitely Trekking with the Stars.

 APSARA Awards- Honouring the Geniuses of Cinema and Television.

On 8th January’2010, the grounds of Chitrakoot witnessed a star studded night at the
prestigious Chevrolet Apsara Producers’ Guild Awards. 
Acknowledging talent, perseverance, innovation and true artistry, there were 30 awards in
categories of films and television. The Chevrolet Apsara Film and Television Producers’
Guild Awards is the Guild's endeavor to honor excellence in cinema and television by the
stalwarts of the industry itself. 
Further to dazzle the night there were scintillating performances by  Shahrukh Khan, Saif
Ali Khan & Kareena Kapoor, Vidya Balan & Arshad Warsi, Vivek Oberoi to name a few.

 GIMA - Celebrating Musical Excellence!

At the forefront of technology, innovation and design, Chevrolet believes in bringing

together the finest elements in its creations and as an extension of this belief, Chevrolet
proudly collaborated with the Global Indian Music Awards (GIMA), setting a benchmark
for celebrating musical excellence in the country. 
First of its kind, Chevrolet GIMA is the platform of recognizing Indian Music Artists of
both Film and Non-Film genres. Celebrating our 100 year heritage with the first-ever
Global Indian Music Awards, we have been fortunate to celebrate the  equally rich time-
immemorial heritage of indigenous musical talent and lend global recognition to some of
the best Indian music and musicians across all genres.
We are confident that Chevrolet GIMA, much like our excellence in motoring, will be the
ultimate benchmark in music excellence for the Indian Music and Music artists - an
equivalent of the Grammys, albeit in India, in times to come!
 Here, the breakdown of the rich heroine's Chevrolet, 1958, produces the right opportunity
for the poor hero, Rajesh Khanna, raised with an elephant as his companion, to show that
Money and Machine aren't everything. When elephant might unites with elephantine
resolve, social barriers break down; both the Chevrolet and the romance can't help but
move forward. So 'Chal Chal Chal Mere Haathi, O Mere Sathi!' Both within the
camera frame and outside it, the Chevrolet car came to symbolize status, aura and
charisma. 

Moreover, the theme of life as a special journey is echoed a countless times in film after
film; what makes the safar so suhana is the presence always, of a kindred soul, a fellow-
traveler, or a humsafar. In the 1967 Jewel Thief, this time it’s the bubbly Tanuja driving a
Chevrolet, with Dev Anand on a bullock cart.

 A Chevrolet Bel Air 1955, of the Tri-Year series, bobbing along with its animal
counterpart does not seem incongruous, when you hear Kishore Kumar’s golden voice
sing, 'Yeh Dil Na Hota Bechara, Kadam Na Hote Aavara, Jo Khubsurat Koi Apna
Humsafar Hota.' (I wouldn’t feel abandoned, nor my feet stray from their path, were I to
have a beautiful soul-mate on my life’s voyage.)

The most sought-after Chevrolet body styles in Bollywood were the convertibles, the
two-door Bel Air, the four-door pillarless Bel Air, and the Bel Air station-wagon, called
the Nomad. We also see other Chevrolets in Bollywood such as the Biscayne, 1962, upon
which ‘hot’ star, garam Dharam, is caught chilling, on a movie set around 1973. Other
instances include the 1948 Chevrolet cab that played a stellar role with Dev Anand in
Taxi Driver, released in 1954. In the 1962 China Town, Shammi Kapoor romances
 Shakila in a Chevrolet convertible. Cut to 2003, the Impala SS was driven by Abhishek
Bacchhan in Shararat.

Technological Environment
General Information
How Chevrolet is upgrading Technology along with surrounding
environment
Chevy 427-cid V-8 Engine
For 1966, the 396 was superseded by the 427, which had the same stroke but was bored out to
4.251 inches. It became more widely available for theCorvette and full-size Chevrolet in 1967.
There were 390- and 425-bhp versions, the latter having enlarged valves, 11.01:1 compression
and solid lifters.
During 1967, Chevrolet brought out its L-88 option for the 427. This included aluminum
cylinder heads with enlarged ports, hotter crankshaft, and bigger carburetor. The aluminum
heads reduced engine weight from 687 pounds to near the 327's 575 pounds. Equipped with a big
four-barrel Holley, solid lifters, and 11.25:1 compression ratio, the L-88 was rated at a mighty
450 bhp. In theChevelle SS, it could deliver standing-start quarter-mile times of under 15
seconds at terminal velocities of around 100 mph. That was too close to run the Ram-Air 400
GTO for Pontiac's comfort, and its performance fiends soon began stuffing a 455 V-8 into that
car. Chevrolet would also go the route of adding extra inches in short order.

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For 1967, the big-block Mark IV was bored out to 427 cid. Thus is the 390 horse version;
452 bhp was also available.
Not that the technical brains weren't trying to pump more power out of the smaller engines. As
early as 1961, Corvette wizard Zora Arkus-Duntov had tested a 327 with overhead cams and
three valves per cylinder. And that wasn't all: there was a 427 V-8 on test in 1967 with one
overhead camshaft per bank and electronic fuel injection. Duntov told Hot Rod magazine in
1967: "We've seen well over 600horsepower out of some of our big-block experimentation."

Chevy 265-cid V-8 Engine

Shortly after Ed Cole took over as Chevrolet chief engineer, GM board chairman Alfred P. Sloan
asked him about his plans for the department. Although they included tripling the engineering
staff, Sloan just waved him on. Quipped then-GM president Charles Wilson to Cole, "I'll bet
that's the first time you ever had your plans approved without submitting them."
To alter Chevrolet's time-honored image from builder of mundane people-movers to
performance-car specialist, Cole knew he would need a V-8 engine. His predecessor, Ed Kelley,
had toyed with the V-6 and a 231 cubic-inch V-8, both of which Cole rejected. But, he didn't
have much time to consider alternatives. When all the development phases were accounted for,
there would be just 15 weeks in which to design a new powerplant for the 1955 model line. With
the help of Kelley and motor engineer Harry Barr, Cole made it.

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Considered a benchmark engine design even in its day, Chevy's lightweight and efficient
265 V-8 has been a performance favorite for two generations.
"I had worked on V-8 engines all my professional life," Cole said later. "I had lived and breathed
engines. Barr and I were always saying how we would do it if we ever design a new engine. You
just know you want five main bearings - there's no decision to make. We knew that a certain
bore/stroke relationship was the most the most compact. We knew we'd like a displacement of
265 cubic inches and the automatically established the bore and stroke. And we never changed
any of this. We released our engine for tooling direct from the drawing boards - that's how crazy
and confident we were."
Of course, even a ground-up engine has to be designed within certain parameters. Since it was
intended for Chevrolet, the new V-8 had to be relatively inexpensive to build and efficient in
operation. It need not be a poor engine - and it was anything but - yet it had to be a model of
simplicity and production economics, which it was.
Chevy 283-cid V-8 Engine

The great small-block Chevy V-8 reached its second important development plateau in 1957.
While the265 was retained as the "base" engine this model year, the big news was the new 283-
cid enlargement, achieved by punching out bore to 3.88 inches. In its mildest tune it produced
185 bhp at 4600 rpm; a four-barrel card brought this up to 220 bhp; two fours resulted in either
245 or 270; and Chevy's new "Ramjet"fuel injection system boosted output to no less than 250 or
283. The last was the ultimate, achieving the magic goal of one horsepower per cubic inch, and
was offered with close-ratio three-speed manual transmission only.

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The Turbo-Fire V-8 was bored out to 283 cid for 1957, would be a Chevy performance
mainstay into the '70s.
The "fuelie" was carefully developed for good reliability. Mechanical valve lifters substituted
for hydraulics when FI was specified. Longer-reach spark plugs with the metal deflection shields
were used to protect wiring and plug caps from manifold heat. The top block was a thicker
casting to prevent cylinder wall distortion though over-tight hold-down bolts. Fuel passages were
tapered, increasing in cross-sectional area toward the inlet ports and in the "ram's horn" exhaust
manifold to provide better scavenging and increased volumetric efficiency. There was new
distributor, with the breaker points directly above the shaft bearing to help reduce fluctuations in
the gap setting. And the front and intermediate main bearings were 0.063-inch thicker.
Though made by GM's Rochester carburetor division, the Ramjet fuel injection system was
designed almost entirely by the Engineering Staff, simplified for production by Harry Barr and
Zora Arkus-Duntov. It consisted of three main components: fuel meter, manifold assembly, and
air meter, replacing intake manifold carburetor. The unit took in air first, then injected fuel
directly into each intake port for mixing. The amount of fuel used was very precisely controlled,
again for better volumetric effiency and mileage. Cold-weather starting and warm-up were
improved, and the unit by itself boosted output by about 5 bhp compared to the twin four-barrel
carburetedengine. Chevrolet claimed that FI eliminated manifold icing, and reduced the tendency
to stall when cornering hard.

Chevy 348-cid V-8 Engine

The first big-block Chevy V-8 was introduced in 1958 as an optional alternative to the small-
block engine. It was not related in any way to its classic predecessor, being new from the ground
up. Neither has it been regarded as one of the highlights in Chevy engine history. Although good
in its way, it was simply outclassed by the "fuelie" 283 before it and by the 409 which took over
at the head of the line for 1962. But the 348 was the largest and most powerfulChevrolet engine
you could buy in 1958-61, and deserves at least a brief mention.
As the 265/283 was first known as "Turbo-Fire," the 348 was dubbed "Turbo-Thrust," but the
factory knew it better as the "type W." This designation stemmed from the characteristic shape
on the outside edge of the rocker covers, something that was much less unique as we moved into
the 60s. The "W" was intended for the new generation of a much larger and heavier Chevrolets
born in 1958 that blossomed into the full-blown 119-inch-wheelbase cruisers of 1959.

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 The 1958 version of the Turbo-Thrust 348 V-8. Though it started as a truck engine, it
formed the basis of the legendary 409, introduced in mid-1961.
With a bore and a stroke of 4.125 x 3.25 inches and 9.5:1 compression ratio, the 348 developed
250 bhp at 4000 rpm and 355 pounds-feet of torque at 2800 rpm. Combustion chambers were
cylindrical wedges formed by flat-bottom heads that rested against the block faces at a 16 degree
angle. The cast-aluminum pistons were machined with 16-degree dual-sloping upper
surfaces. Hydraulic valve lifters were used, as they were in the small-block V-8s (except fuel
injected units). "Because of the lack of restrictions to passage of the fuel/air mixture in the heads
and because half of the piston is closer to the head than the other half, turbulence is tremendous
and volumetric efficiency should be excellent," observed Motor Trend. The "W" came standard
with dual exhausts and four-barrel carburetor, but was not offered with fuel injection - something
Chevy had had problems with, and was generally encouraging only for Corvettes.
The 348's highest stage of development appeared for 1960 - two four-barrel carburetors good for
a rated 355 horsepower. It continued in this form for the 1961 model year before disappearing in
favor of the 409.
The 348 should be remembered not as a mighty powerhouse, but as a smooth and reliable big-
block for the new, larger Impala. Its 10-second 0-60 mph capability was about the norm for 1958
- hardly the kick-in-the-back acceleration provided by the FI or dual-quad 283s. Significantly,
Chevrolet offered very little hop-up equipment for the "W" for the simple reason that it never
was really intended as a high-performance mill. In 1958, of course, Chevrolet was outwardly
abiding by the Automobile Manufacturers Association (AMA) decision to "discourage" (or at
least not advertise) racing, and the 348 fit right in with the Division's public posture.
Performance enthusiasts would have to be content with the hotter versions of the 283 through
1961. Happily, these powered some of the most memorable of the "performance" Chevys.

Chevy 396-cid V-8 Engine

Early in 1963, a mysterious new Chevrolet 427 V-8 appeared at Daytona International

Speedway. After being shocked by its acceleration and speed, rivals who were able to look at it
with the rocker covers off noticed its odd valve angles, and nicknamed it the "Porcupine" engine.
In the 500-mile race, the Chevy simply sped away, leaving all other cars behind, and lapped at
average speeds up to 166 mph before dropping out-due to unspecified engine failure. Shortly
after that, GM's top management put a ban on racing activities by its car divisions, and no more
was heard of the "Porcupine." However, development work on it continued unabated at the GM
Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. It resurfaced in the spring of 1965 as a high-performance
option for the Chevelle, the full-size Chevrolet, and the Corvette, with capacity to cut 396 cid.
Design and development work on the "Porcupine" is credited to a team consisting of Richard L.
Keinath, assistant staff engineer; Herbert G. Sood, project engineer; and William J.
Polkinghorne. Keinath had helped Don McPherson design the four-and six-cylinder ChevyII
engines in 1960-1961, and had been working on V-8 projects since then. He had joined General
Motors in 1950, arriving at Chevrolet in 1956. However, the idea for the "Porcupine" valvetrain
and overall engine design came from Robert P. Benzinger, who had laid out and detailed the all-
aluminum Corvair flat six, and was gaining recognition among Chevrolet's technical staff as
Division's top engine man.
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Chevy's 396-cid V-8 "Porcupine" Engine
What was new and unusual about the valve gear was that it resulted from working "backwards."
Normally, an engine designer starts with the combustion chambers, and arranges the valves so
they can be operated by simple, straightforward mechanisms. Benzinger felt that better results
could be obtained by giving attention to breathing rather than just locating mechanical parts.
Accordingly, he started with the ports and manifolds, giving the ideal dimensions and gas flow
paths, and left the valves till later. Valves are happy enough working at almost any angle, but
what about the pushrods? They can't be bent, but must go straight from the lifter to the rocker
arm. With very few compromises, Benzinger poked the pushrods through little openings to the
oddest places-and the whole thing worked superbly well.
Intake valves were set at an angle of 26 degrees to the cylinder axis, and exhaust valves were
tilted 17 degrees from the same axis. That wasn't all, for both intake and exhaust valve stems
were also tilted in side view, one forwards and the other backwards, by 9 degrees. This lined
them up with the pushrods to avoid setting up any rotation in the rocker arms. This basic
cylinder-head configuration was then tested, fiddled with, honed, and polished until it provided
optimal breathing. That part of the design was then frozen, and all other components were
designed around it.

Chevy 409-cid V-8 Engine

Four-Oh-Nine! from its burbling throb at idle to it high-rpm scream, Chevy's 409 cubic-inch V-8
was a sensation. What was the magic in this new engine? Was it just cubic inches? Well, it was
that, plus something else - that indefinable quality an engine has when everything in it is
designed to match everything else.
The 409's magical power was evident almost from the day it appeared in 1961. For example, Dan
Gurney tore around Riverside in a stock 409 Impala to beat Dave McDonald's lap record, which
had been set with the hottest, fuel-injected 283 Corvette. Gurney raced his car in England that
same year - but only once. He led the race, outpacing a pack of tuned 3.8-liter (232 cubic-inch)
twin-cam Jaguar sedans, until his Chevy lost its wheel. But the 409 has been fast enough to make
its mark on the European scene. It went on to a career in NASCAR oval-track events, and was a
surprise winner at the 1961 NHRA Winternationals, where Don Nicholson's Impala was timed
over the standing-start quarter mile at 13.19 seconds at nearly 110 mph. Thus began what would
become a legend in Chevy performance history.

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Legendary 409 V-8 was the heart of the Impala SS package.
Actually, there had been a big-block V-8 before the 409. It was the type W, the most unlikely starting point
for a big-inch powerhouse imaginable. To understand how the 409 came to be, you have to go back to
1958.

Chevy's 283-cid V-8 was hardly a year old when engineers discovered-to their great dismay-that it
wouldn't be able to provide competitive performance for the larger, heavier models planned for 1958 and
beyond. Chevy was going to need a lot more cubes in a hurry, way beyond the 302 that was the limit for
that block and the-current crankshaft. Almost in desperation, they looked to the only bigger V-8 they had,
a new 348-cid mill-wincing a little, because it was primarily intended for trucks. But there was nothing else
to use as a starting point for a high-performance car engine, so the type W it was.

With its 4.125-inch bore and 3.25-inch stroke in a block having cylinder center-to-center spacing 4.84
inches, the 348 had plenty of room for enlargement. For car applications it was given the name "Turbo-
Thrust" to distinguish it from the small-block V-8s, which were named "Turbo-Fire." It was designed by
John T. Rausch as project leader, with Howard Kehrl and Donald McPherson working as his principle
assistants.

Hotting up the 348 began in mid-1958. There were new and wilder camming, multi-carburetor setups,
compression ratios that would have made Kettering proud, and many other little tricks to gain efficiency
without losing reliability. This work was handled by Maurice Rosenberger, an ex-Cadillac engine man,
assisted by Fred Frincke and Dennis Davis. After developing satisfactory 348s for both racing and street
use, this team turned to developing an enlargement, which became the 409.
Chevy 427-cid V-8 Engine

For 1966, the 396 was superseded by the 427, which had the same stroke but was bored out to 4.251
inches. It became more widely available for theCorvette and full-size Chevrolet in 1967. There were 390-
and 425-bhp versions, the latter having enlarged valves, 11.01:1 compression and solid lifters.
During 1967, Chevrolet brought out its L-88 option for the 427. This included aluminum cylinder heads
with enlarged ports, hotter crankshaft, and bigger carburetor. The aluminum heads reduced engine weight
from 687 pounds to near the 327's 575 pounds. Equipped with a big four-barrel Holley, solid lifters, and
11.25:1 compression ratio, the L-88 was rated at a mighty 450 bhp. In theChevelle SS, it could deliver
standing-start quarter-mile times of under 15 seconds at terminal velocities of around 100 mph. That was
too close to run the Ram-Air 400 GTO for Pontiac's comfort, and its performance fiends soon began
stuffing a 455 V-8 into that car. Chevrolet would also go the route of adding extra inches in short order.

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For 1967, the big-block Mark IV was bored out to 427 cid. Thus is the 390 horse version; 452 bhp
was also available.
Not that the technical brains weren't trying to pump more power out of the smaller engines. As early as
1961, Corvette wizard Zora Arkus-Duntov had tested a 327 with overhead cams and three valves per
cylinder. And that wasn't all: there was a 427 V-8 on test in 1967 with one overhead camshaft per bank
and electronic fuel injection. Duntov told Hot Rod magazine in 1967: "We've seen well over
600horsepower out of some of our big-block experimentation."
Chevy 454-cid V-8 Engine

For the 1970 model year, Chevrolet announced a 454-cid expansion of the Mark IV, available for Monte
Carlo, Chevelle, the big Chevrolet, and Corvette. At the same time, two 400-cid engines appeared on the
specs charts, but they were totally different. One was actually a slightly larger 402 derivative of the big-
block 396. The other that was a small-block unit based on the thick-web 350 that was a direct descendant
of the fabled 327.
Chevy engineers had to bend some of their rules to get as much as 400 cubes from the small-block with
its 4.40-inch bore spacing and short deck height. That configuration imposed a definite limit on how far
stroke could be stretched without pulling the pistons too far out of their holes. Boring out to 4.125 inches
left less than a quarter-inch between the bores, and that had to be solid metal, with no water jacketing to
separate the cylinders. The 350's 3.48-inch stroke was extended to 3.75 inches, which necessitated
larger diameter (2.65 inches instead of 2.45) main bearings to assure adequate overlap between the
mains and the crankpin journals. That, in turn, required a new, heftier, and heavier crankshaft. The longer
stroke caused an increase in piston speed that aggravated the greater heat-sensitivity of the siamesed
cylinders. As a result, the small-block Turbo-Fire 400 had no potential as a performance engine. It did
have advantages for emissions control, however, because of its more favorable surface-to-volume ratio.
The most Chevy ever got from it was a rated 265 bhp.

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The first 454-cid Mark IV enlargement arrived for 1970. Shown is the 460-bhp LS-7 unit with 3x2
carbs.
By contrast, the Turbo-Jet 400 belonged to the big-block Mark IV family. It had almost the same cylinder
dimensions as the small-block unit (4.126 x 3.76 inches), but delivered a hefty 330 bhp on 10.25:1
compression for 1970. The 454 launched that same year was basically the Mark IV design, with stroke
extended to a full 4.00 inches. It came in two forms: the 390-bhp LS-5, with hydraulic lifters, 10.25:1
compression, and a four-barrel Rochester carb; and the 460-bhp LS-7, with solid lifters, 11.25:1
compression, and four-barrel Holley, plus a special higher-left camshaft and transistorized ignition.
The big-blocks were the culmination of Chevrolet's performance engine development. But these potent
powerplants wouldn't take kindly to the anti-smog devices needed to meet stiffening emission standards
beginning in 1973. That year, America would get its first "fuel shock," which ultimately would sentence
big-inch high-performance cars to oblivion. Up to that time, Tonawanda was turning out 300,000 Mark IV
V-8s annually. By the end of the 1976 model year, the big-block engine family would be gone.

Classic Chevy Engines

Once a builder of staid family cars, Chevrolet burst on the performance scene almost overnight. Since
then, a dazzling array of fast, roadable, stylish machines have worn the famous bow-tie emblem as Chevy
offered performance to suit any taste, every pocketbook. Take a look at the powerful engines that made
the Corvette, Impala, and Chevelle hi-performance machines. Learn about the history and specifications
behind these memorable engines that were popular when new, and even more popular today among
"hot-car" fans and collectors.

Publications International, Ltd.

Chevy 283-cid V-8 Engine
(Macro Economics Further content unfiltered)

Introduction

The automobile production industry in the United States is in a clear state of turmoil, particularly
in the case of domestically owned firms. Sharon Silke Carty attributed problems in the industry,
one example being the bankruptcy of parts supplier and former General Motors holding Delphi,
to “escalating raw material prices, reduced automaker production and soaring benefits and labor
costs.” According to Carty, this bankruptcy did not bode well for GM, itself in beleaguered
condition. The other remaining domestically owned automobile production firm at the time of
the collection of the data presented herein, the Ford Motor Company, is also in poor condition;
Dorinda Elliott attributed the companies’ weak positions to successful foreign competition. Ford
and GM have responded to their often-unprofitable conditions by employee and output cuts.
Ford, as an example, reduced output by 21% in the fourth quarter of 2006. At first glance, this
might appear to be the result of macroeconomic or industry conditions, but Toyota Motor’s
February 2007 announcement that the company will open an eighth North American factory with
a 150,000-unit production capacity in 2010 suggests that the automobile market as a whole is not
depressed. An August 2006 article in The Economist suggests that “with the high cost of petrol,
customers are moving down to smaller SUVs or even to cars” from pickup trucks and large sport
utility vehicles, to the detriment of firms that have enjoyed much of their success in sectors of the
automotive market associated with high gasoline consumption. These firms, then, could likely
ameliorate the woes facing them with wellplanned product decisions, and this study aims to
render a demand-side assessment of the product dimension. More specifically, this study will
focus on the full-size car segment, which offers a compromise in size and efficiency between
trucks and smaller cars. A reasonable starting point for a definition of a full-size car is what the
United States government defines as a “large sedan,” having 120 cubic feet or more of combined
passenger and cargo volume for model year (MY) 2007. Limousines and hearses will be
excluded, because they are not intended for personal transport, as will station wagons and
“crossover” vehicles regardless of platform, due to their greater similarity in form and use to
minivans, a distinct segment. Due to their irrelevance to current decisions, discontinued products
such as the 2007 Ford Taurus will also be excluded, as well as specialty ultra-luxury vehicles
such as the Bentley Arnage, Maserati Quattroporte, and Maybach 57, for which insufficient sales
and retained value data are available for analysis. This study will examine the effects of costs to
the consumer, both initial and continuing, and perceived quality on consumer behavior in this
market segment, with special attention to how a financially beleaguered firm such as General
Motors or Ford could better exploit it to improve revenues. Data Collection and Preprocessing
Methodology Data collected for this study are summarized in tabular form in Worksheets A and
B. Worksheet A (Adjusted Costs of Full-Size Automobiles) compares the costs of products in
the full-size automobile market. The model presented takes into consideration both purchase and
gasoline costs, as well as retained value. One may readily estimate initial costs with the
manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) for MY2007. Due to the unpredictability of
options and geographic variations in taxation, these will be disregarded for the sake of
simplicity. There are many continuing costs associated with automobile ownership – taxes,
maintenance, insurance, et cetera – but among them, this study will specifically examine the cost
of energy from gasoline. Approximations of annual fuel costs provided by the United States
Environmental Protection Agency and a reasonable five-year assumed duration of ownership,
consistent with the assumptions made by industry insiders, have been used to produce a fuel-
adjusted cost, calculated as MSRP plus the present value of lifetime gasoline costs under a
simplified model of static gas prices. A 6% discount rate was selected due to the availability of
savings accounts that yield interest at that rate. Finally, the predicted five-year retained value of
the vehicle, calculated in Worksheet B, was discounted to present value using the same discount
rate and subtracted from the fuel-adjusted cost to determine the final adjusted cost. This variable
differs from a true total cost of ownership due to the simplifying assumptions listed above, but
will provide a reasonable approximation for the purposes herein. For the purposes of this study,
quantity demanded has been assessed through sales delivery reports by the automakers for the
period between May 2006 and April 2007, roughly representing model year 2007. Sales data,
though, are not the only information needed for a well-reasoned analysis. A convenient way to
measure such qualitative factors as the market’s perception of the quality of manufacture of an
automobile is by predicting its value retention following a reasonable duration of ownership.
Ray Windecker describes a method for calculating retained value that will be utilized herein,
with the exception that rebates and transaction costs, of which Windecker makes use, will
continue to be disregarded as a simplifying assumption. Worksheet B (Retained Value of Full-
Size Automobiles) calculates the percentage of value of a MY2002 vehicle retained in May 2007
using the Kelley Blue Book estimate of the selling price of an excellent example with basic-level
equipment driven 68,000 miles. This differs from the better known “trade-in” Kelley figure in
that it estimates the fairmarket value of the automobile rather than what one might expect to
receive from a dealer in the trade-in process. This factor is then used to estimate the future
retained value and 5-year depreciation of the MY2007 vehicle.The non-existence of certain key
products, such as the Dodge Charger and Ford Five Hundred, in MY2002 posed a challenge to
the development of this model of retained value. When a firm had previously sold a product
under a different name, but it was otherwise substantially similar to that sold at the end of the
period (e.g. the Cadillac DTS, formerly DeVille), the model presumes that changes to
nomenclature did not affect value retention. When there was no direct continuity with a prior
model, however, the retained value rates of the closest equivalent MY2002 products within a
brand were averaged on Worksheet B to predict what a typical retained value rate for the brand
and size class might be. For example, the retained value rate for a Mercury Montego is
presumed to be the mean rate for full-size Mercury products as were available for MY2002,
namely Grand Marquis and Sable. In the case of Kia, no full-size car was available for MY2002;
therefore, the retained value rate for the company’s largest midsize offering, the Optima, was
substituted. This particular substitution is less than ideal, but superior to omitting the product
from the study, since the omission of a data point – indeed, an entire brand -- would jeopardize
significance of results in a segment with a reasonably small number of data points. In all other
cases, the brands’ MY2002 product lines included either one or two full-size products.

Statistical Analysis
Given the availability of cost and sales data, it is reasonable to explain the demand relationship
and consumer behavior in this market segment as well as possible through statistical analysis.
The correlation model is quite convenient for determining what factors among the data collected
might ultimately have an influence on sales. In addition to sales volume and the data displayed
in Worksheets A and B, the statistical analysis included a binary variable to determine any effect
that domestic ownership of the manufacturer (i.e., Ford or General Motors) might have on the
other variables. This line of inquiry did in fact bear fruit. Though causation is not clear in the
correlation model, the correlation coefficient between domestic ownership and the percentage of
value retained over five years is -.757, indicative of a markedly significant 14 inverse
relationship between the two. This shows the problem that Ford and GM face in manufacturing
products that hold their value well over time. As stated above, we may presume that value-
retention problems in the secondary market may be indicative of perceived goods quality and
durability issues that would also affect sales performance in the primary market. This is further
reinforced by the -.501 correlation coefficient between sales and depreciation; those vehicles
that are likely to lose value most rapidly are less popular.

(see link for refer from introduction)

http://ecedweb.unomaha.edu/neba/journal/v1n1p152.pdf

Micro Economics from kotler