"CE" stamped engines - what does "CE" really mean?

[hubleyman]

I finally decided to ask what may be a silly question... Perhaps you can provide a link to an old discussion if this has been hashed over in the past (couldn't find one in my previous search attempts).

Can you guys please set me straight on what the "CE" engine stamp truly stands for?

Every day I see some car advertised using the term "Counter Exchange" engine. I always thought it was more like the "C" stood for "Chevrolet" and the "E" stood for the "Engine" department.

I've had many original cars with warranty "CE" blocks and they all have followed the same pattern: CE followed by the year of manufature of the car it was installed in followed by several numbers that I believe were sequential based on perhaps a work order sequence.

I'm always interested in learning so please educate me!...... Thanks, Charlie