There was a time when Mallory Ignition stood as the standard of ignition products, a name that resonated with American performance enthusiasts. Its ‘Double Life’ distributor, boldly proclaimed in magazine ads of the early 1970s, was a testament to its unrivaled status. From the 1930s to the 1990s, Mallory was a household name in the hot rod, drag racing, and muscle car communities, a testament to its historical significance.
Above: Mallory was not shy about letting everyone know they were number one in the ignition business. The company had outstanding engineers and was known for its quality ignition components.
In 1925, Marion Mallory Sr., a visionary inventor and engineer, founded the company that bore his name. Initially based in Ohio, it later found its home out west. Mallory’s high-performance ignition systems, famous for their dependability and tunability, found their way into the racing and OEM sectors. From early Indy cars to NASCAR, drag racing, classic muscle cars, street rods, and even boats, Mallory’s technology was a mark of trust and confidence.
Mallory’s development of the Double Life distributor, which utilized dual points for greater consistency and higher performance, helped establish Mallory Ignition as a frontrunner in the industry. The dual-point distributors afforded longer dwell time at high RPMs. Dual-point ignitions were a standard upgrade in the 1960s-70s high-performance street cars and drag vehicles.
Above Left: The Unilite was introduced in the 1970s. For those looking for a period-correct appearance, Mallory reintroduced it within the last decade. The distributor is available for the small block Chryslers. Above Right: The Unilite is also available for the B-engines (350, 361, 383, 400) and the RB-engines (413, 426, 440).
Introduced in the 1970s, Mallory’s Unilite Distributor used a solid-state, optical trigger instead of points. The distributor was compact and had a tunable advance curve. Due to its sensitivity to voltage spikes, many users added a voltage regulator or surge protector module.
The Unilite distributor was a game-changer. The solid-state design and no contact between internal components (no wear parts unlike points) made it more trustworthy and straightforward to maintain. The wiring connection was a simple three-wire hookup, and the distributor was compact and had a tunable advance curve. These benefits made it a popular choice among automotive enthusiasts.
Above: The HyFire is a capacitive discharge ignition that supplies multiple sparks at low RPMs for a clean idle and quick throttle response. The HyFire box has been a solid seller for Mallory for decades.
To improve cold starting, throttle response, and top-end performance, Mallory introduced the HyFire Ignition Box. The box was a Capacitor Discharge (CD) ignition system (comparable to MSD’s 6AL boxes), which delivered multiple sparks at low RPM. Additionally, Mallory sold matching high-output ignition coils, as well as 8mm and 8.5mm plug wire sets for race and street use.
MSD purchased Mallory, and Holley acquired MSD and subsequently Mallory (and several other companies). Since its acquisition by Holley, Mallory’s product catalog has dramatically reduced over the years. Its products have been distributed over the Holley companies, specifically MSD. However, if you are restoring a vintage drag car, desire nostalgic or period-correct parts, or have a lot of working units and spares, Mallory Ignition is an option.
Above Left: For those looking for a vintage coil with modern technology, Mallory has a canister-type coil. It has a beautiful chrome luster, so everyone can see the performance part when the hood is raised. Above Right: For greater output, the Promaster coil is available. While not period-correct, it operates with all ignition types, including points to high-performance electronic and CD ignitions.
Under Holley’s ownership, Mallory Ignition still offers an ignition and performance electrical product line. While its product catalog has been reduced, Mallory still sells its popular HyFire ignition box, the Unilite distributor, ignition coils, and plug wires. These products continue to sustain Mallory’s legacy of high performance and reliability.
The CD HyFire ignition boxes not only have a multi-spark capability for crisp idle and throttle response, but they also have an adjustable rev limiter (up to approximately 15 k RPM) and plug-and-play compatibility with points, electronic distributors, or magnetic pickups.
Above: If you are still running points, Mallory has several electronic conversion kits to upgrade your distributor to an electronic style. Shown is a Unilite conversion kit.
A Unilite distributor is a self-contained optical electronic unit that requires no maintenance. It includes a cap and rotor, adjustable mechanical advance, and is available in versions for Mopar engines (small and big blocks). The Unilite distributors work well with Mallory’s Promaster classic street strip coils and Pro Wire “Sidewinder” spiral-core spark plug cables.
Mallory has conversion kits to update older distributors to an electronic Unilite setup. The ignition can be designed with ballast modules and circuit protection for racing use. Mallory has caps, rotors, gears, and condensers for OEM and performance applications. Lastly, a lesser-known fact is that Mallory (Holley) offers fuel pumps, regulators, filters, and other ignition accessories.
Above: A lesser-known fact is that Mallory sells fuel system parts. It has fuel pumps, filters, and parts and accessories for rebuilding pumps.
For more information about ignition products, check out Mallory or Holley‘s other ignition company, MSD. Between the two companies, your Mopar ignition needs should be met.
