Probably the same reason there was no large port version, and no solid lifter version.
Yeah I agree. They didn't do it because they didn't need to and/or they didn't want to. Mopar could've turned the wick way up in the horsepower wars but they didn't. Most likely because that wasn't the business they were in. It would've been very easy for them to put a 4.250 stroke crank in the 440 and make it a 505. They could've added the MW heads and a dual quad intake and buried the competition. Those parts all existed in the early 70's and hot rodders had built similiar combinations so they knew it was possible. They didn't need to do it and nobody really wanted to do it so it didn't happen.
I suppose they might have regretted killing the big block since GM was able to keep their big block around in the truck division. Mopar probably could've done a truck version of the big block and kept it around a bit longer. GM is still selling big block crate engines but Mopar exited the business. I just got a new 632 from GM last week. GM is selling these 632 inch big block complete with EFI and coil near plug ignition. Makes 1000 hp on pump gas with a hyd roller cam so it will work great in a street car. Mopar could make something similar if they wanted but obviously they don't since they haven't.
The thread starts "why didn't mopar offer"................but does the original poster mean Mopar service parts, or Chrysler corporate, know or care about the difference?
If it really means corporate/selling vehicles and not parts, a person has to ask......
What was the original purpose of the 440? A race engine? No.
To sell as an over the counter high performance item? No...such ideas were in their infancy when the 440 was introduced
The first couple years of use showed the real purpose. To make huge heavy full size cars perform reasonably well, and to make the musclecar market vehicles respectable.
The average musclecar customer of the time wanted to buy something with a race car appearance, and drive it in 27 degree temperatures in a snowstorm, and expected it to perform perfectly with minimum maintenance.
We know that is not happening with a race engine with mid 60s fuel/air/spark technology, cold intake manifolds and so on. So, they got a barely warmed up version that felt fast, could do awesome burnouts
but really ran 14s and 15s and could be driven any day, anytime, in any weather.
In the time of the 440, the 426 Hemi was the corporate race engine and was bestowed with the racy stuff.
In modern times we assume the 440 platform to be all things to all people….it does an admirable job but wasn’t really intended for that.
