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The engine most often associated with the “rarest Ford big block” story is the 427-cubic-inch SOHC V8, better known as the Cammer. Ford developed it as a high-rpm competition answer to Chrysler’s 426 Hemi, but the available sources do not establish that it was definitively Ford’s rarest big block—or say how many were built.
Which Ford big block is the title referring to?
The likely answer is Ford’s 427 SOHC, or Cammer: an overhead-cam version of the 427 FE V8. Shelby American describes it as based on the 427 side-oiler block, while its name refers to the single overhead camshaft fitted to each cylinder bank. That made it fundamentally different from the conventional pushrod, wedge-head 427 FE.
Calling the Cammer “the rarest” requires more evidence than the consulted sources provide. They establish its specialized purpose and unusual design, but do not supply an authoritative production total or compare its numbers with every other Ford big-block variant. Rarity can also mean different things: few engines built, few surviving engines, or few cars delivered with a particular engine. Those measures should not be treated as interchangeable.
Why Ford developed the 427 SOHC
Shelby American says Ford intended the Cammer as a high-rpm response to Chrysler’s 426 Hemi in NASCAR in 1964. The point was not simply to make another 427: the engine’s overhead-cam layout was a radical departure from the pushrod arrangement of the FE V8 on which it was based.
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The distinction between intended use and documented competition history matters. The account describes a NASCAR purpose, but that alone does not establish that the SOHC engine actually started a NASCAR race. Hot Rod’s retrospective says the Cammer did not enter factory-built production cars and found use in drag racing. That is a narrower, better-supported description than saying it became a regular NASCAR or showroom engine.
What made the Cammer different?
Overhead cams instead of pushrods
The Cammer placed one overhead camshaft above each bank of cylinders. Shelby American Vice President of Operations Vince LaViolette described it as “essentially a single-overhead-cam conversion of Ford’s 427ci FE V8.” The revised valvetrain is the defining feature behind the Cammer name and the clearest reason not to confuse it with an ordinary 427 FE wedge-head engine.
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Cam drive, oiling and bottom-end details
Shelby American’s account also identifies a roller-chain cam drive, revised oiling, and cross-bolted main-bearing caps. These details show that the conversion involved more than adding overhead cams to an otherwise unchanged engine. The account says the heads were predominantly cast iron, with aluminum versions available later.
What power did the 427 SOHC make?
Shelby American reports the following horsepower figures, attributing them to LaViolette:
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| Configuration | Reported output | Attribution and qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Single four-barrel carburetor | 616 hp | Shelby American figure attributed to Vince LaViolette; not an independent test result or a production-car rating. |
| Dual four-barrel carburetors | 657 hp | Shelby American figure attributed to Vince LaViolette; not an independent test result or a production-car rating. |
These are reported specifications for the stated carburetor configurations. They should not be presented as independently measured results or as a standard rating for a factory production car.
The Shelby Daytona Coupe plan that fell through
The Cammer’s history includes a striking unrealized plan. Shelby American recounts that Carroll Shelby wanted to install an aluminum-headed SOHC engine in a Daytona Coupe for Le Mans. The engine could not be obtained in time, so the team used a NASCAR 427 wedge engine instead.
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According to Shelby’s account, that Coupe did not make the race and never completed a lap with the 427; it returned to a small-block configuration. The episode is part of the Cammer’s story, but it should not be confused with a successful Le Mans appearance by the SOHC engine.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why is the Cammer considered rare—and what remains uncertain?
The best-supported explanation is that the Cammer was a specialized competition engine rather than a regular option in factory-built production cars. Its unusual overhead-cam design, intended racing role and drag-racing use help explain why it occupies a distinctive place in Ford history. They do not, by themselves, prove that it was the rarest Ford big block ever made.
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No named primary-source production statistic in the consulted material establishes how many Cammer engines Ford built. The Henry Ford notes that a 1970 fire destroyed many Ford production records and that its holdings do not include Ford V8 production records. That is an archival limitation, not proof that no relevant records survive elsewhere—and it is not a production count.
For a sound comparison with another Ford big block, ask what “rare” means and look for evidence on the same basis: engine production totals, surviving engines, or factory-car availability. Without comparable documentation, an absolute ranking is more confident than the evidence allows.
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