Mopars 1968 '383 Engines'

IIRC, de-rating of A body 383 was due to more restrictive exhaust necessary for clearance.

This is supposedly the reason for the HP derating. Just look at the 383 "A Body" exhaust manifolds compared to a Road Runners exhaust manifolds. My 68 Barracuda had the Super Commando Tin. Remember that it was the bigger of the two available Formula S engines in 1968. Not that it was the hottest engine for that year, as shown in the original ad posted earlier.