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The sign near the A-7 engine.

It reads

A-6 Engine

This is a Mercury-Redstone engine built by Chrysler Corporation in Warren, Michigan. The Mercury-Redstone was a single stage rocket 70 inches in diameter and 59 feet height (83 feet high with capsule and escape tower). The A-6 engine burned alcohol and liquid oxygen to produce 78,000 pounds of thrust.

A Mercury-Redstone rocket like the one standing in front of the Space Center was used to launch Allen [sic] B. Shepard, our first astronaut, into space on May 5, 1961. It was a suborbital flight of 130 miles lasting 15 minutes 45 seconds and reaching a speed of 4,909 mph.

Note that the sign incorrectly identifies this engine as an A-6 engine; it's actually an A-7. See my Redstone rocket engines page for additional details on the A-6 and A-7.

Also, the A-7 engine is a product of North American Aviation's Propulsion Section (later renamed to the Rocketdyne Division), rather than Chrysler, although the Chrysler Corporation Space Division was the contractor for the Redstone proper.