1952-1957

180 HP V-8

3 TONS

12 FEET

Stop Cursor Over Siren Image For Part Descriptions

138 dB C

30,000 Watts

6 FEET

4 MILE RANGE

A few hundred of these monstrous Cold War sirens were produced and sold during the 1950's.  Many remained in service for twenty plus years, sounding only for routine tests.  Most people who lived in major metropolitan areas during the 1950's and 60's will remember the siren tests.   Those particularly, who lived in or near Los Angeles, Seattle, Kansas City, Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, New York and even Miami could hear the haunting siren wail of a Chrysler Air Raid Siren. 

[ Hear a Chrysler Air Raid Siren ]

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These were air raid sirens.  In the 1940's they warned communities of enemy aircraft.  In the 1950's and 60's they stood ready to warn of incoming enemy missiles.  It's unlikely that were ever used for any other purpose. The air raid sirens Chrysler built were invented by Bell Telephone Laboratories during World War II.  Three different production models of this siren design were made by Chrysler between 1942 and 1957.  The Cold War model was the loudest and was built only in the six years ending in 1957.   

The  Chrysler Air Raid Siren is so powerful that it can reportedly start fires with just the sound vibrations it produces.  It can turn fog into rain, clearing the sky.  It can produce an effective 70 dB air raid signal for a distance of two miles, and under proper conditions can be heard 30 to 50 miles away. Its advertised effective range was four miles in every direction.  That's a long way! 

[ More Specifications ]
 

[ More History of the Siren ]

Because of the extreme sound power emitted by these sirens and the desire that their coverage area be extended as far as possible, they were usually mounted high on a steel tower or on top of multi-story building.  As a result these sirens were always heard, but rarely seen.  For most of the visitors to this website, this will be the first opportunity they have ever had to see the siren that prompted "Duck and Cover" drills.
 

The engine used in the Cold War model Chrysler Air Raid Siren is the same Hemi FirePower Engine Chrysler introduced in 1951 as their first V-8 engine.  It represented an impressive improvement in engine design that produced 180 horsepower and a then high compression ratio.  When Chrysler Air Raid Sirens were being retired during the 1970's they became a popular source of hot rod engines.   According to a leading supplier of aftermarket parts for early Hemis, the engine can easily attain 330 horsepower and considerably higher than factory torque.  Boring and blowing this engine can produce respectable performance statistics for any hot rod enthusiast. 
 

[ FirePower Engine ]

[ Photographs ]

In 1988 Mr. Harry Barry of Pennsylvania expressed interest in purchasing a retired Chrysler Air Raid Siren from the top of a Pittsburgh grade school he once attended.  Three years later that siren was still atop the building when he acquired another Chrysler Air Raid Siren from Detroit, Michigan. That siren was returned to working condition and painted bright red (pictured at left).  A few years later Mr. Barry had both sirens in his possession. 
 

This website was created on March 8, 2003, to collect and share information about one of the most interesting sirens ever produced.  The driving force behind this website was the purchase of a Chrysler Air Raid Siren by David Stall of Texas.  Mr. Stall intended to see that his siren, dubbed the VictorySiren™, was fully and faithfully restored for a traveling public display. 
 

[ The VictorySiren™ Story ]

In the time that this website, VictorySiren.com™, has been online, the public response has been tremendous.  During the first two months the site has attracted an average of 100 visitors a day and the pace has continuee.  It appears that Mr. Stall is not alone in his fascination with the world's most powerful siren. 
 

After only a month Mr. Stall acquired his second Chrysler Air Raid Siren.  This second siren arrived in somewhat working condition from Burbank, California on April 16, 2003.  It was promptly dubbed BigRed™.  Mr. Stall planed to paint the siren to match it's name and factory color, restore this siren to good working condition and send it out to air shows where it can participate in WWII reenactments. 

 
[ The BigRed™ Siren Story ]

[ Certificate of Incorporation ]
 

[ More Photographs ]