The B Series engine was Chrysler's first true "corporate" engine and was the first result of the combination of all of the Division's engine development teams. It was a very modern design and was one of the first to move the distributor to the front of the engine to make service easier. The excellent design allowed Chrysler Corp. to utilize this engine for the life of their large engine production.

The B series engine was first produced in 1958 and stayed in continuous production through 1978. It came in 350, 361 383, and 400 cu. in. sizes and was considered the "low deck" V8. (The RB series would be called the "high deck" and was produced from 1959 through 1979). The B series all had an engine stroke of 3.375", with the bore increased to increase engine size.

The sequence of production was:

• B-350: (1958 only) 4.0625" bore. Called the "Golden Commando" by Plymouth marketers, it could be had in any 1958 Plymouth model (also available in the 1958 DeSoto Firesweep) Max HP: 1958 Plymouth Golden Commando: 2-4 barrels 305 @ 5000 rpm.
  
  
• B-361: (1959-1962) 4.125" bore. The Plymouth version was called the Commando, variants of which included the Golden Commando and SonoRamic Commando. Max HP: 1960 Plymouth Golden Commando: 2-4 barrels 310 @ 4800 rpm.
  
  
• B-383: (1960-1978) 4.250" bore. Plymouth versions were produced for the entire life of the engine, though it was only a performance engine for periods of time culminating in the famous Road Runner. Max HP: 1960-61 Plymouth Golden Commando Ram Manifold: 330 @ 4800 rpm. (A single four barrel version with 440 CID heads was rated at 330 HP in the 1968-70 Road Runner).
  
  
• B-400: (1972-1975) 4.340" bore. Lowered compression resulted in a larger displacement to achieve similar "grunt" as the 383 Series - the 400 was the result. Max HP: 1973 Plymouth 4 barrel 260 SAE Net HP @ 4800 rpm.