Was the Chevrolet 348 designed as a truck engine?

[Bob Gerometta]

As part of our monthly exploration of automotive history, we do a Upending of Urban Legends. Here's today's:

Was the Chevrolet 348 designed as a truck engine? The answer is NO. It was considered the 2nd generation of passenger car engine - designed in response to the anticipated growing size and weight of Chevrolet passenger cars (and rightly so as the ’58 car grew 9 inches and 500 lbs.), AND in response to the anticipated enlarged engines from Ford and Chrysler.  Enclosed is a link to the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) Paper presented in early 1959 by the key engineers on the 348 CID engine development program. I have highlighted the key points in the objectives that SHOW that the engine was designed for passenger car use (and could be used for trucks as that was a big part of Chevrolet's business). It CLEARLY STATES that the engine was designed AT THE OUTSET FOR PASSENGER CAR USE. And that the objective of the famous staggered valves was to shorten the engine to fit it in passenger cars. Here is the paper: https://over-drive-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/SAE-590014-Engeering-the-Chevrolet-348-CID-V-8-A.pdf