▁the ▁US , ▁and ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁rest ▁had ▁six - cy l inder ▁engines . ▁ ▁In ▁Europe , ▁many ▁autom obile ▁fact ories ▁had ▁been ▁destroyed ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁and ▁it ▁took ▁many ▁years ▁before ▁war - dev ast ated ▁econom ies ▁recovered ▁enough ▁to ▁make ▁large ▁cars ▁popular ▁again . ▁The ▁change ▁in ▁the ▁design ▁of ▁cars ▁from ▁a ▁long ▁engine ▁compart ment ▁between ▁separate ▁f enders ▁to ▁the ▁modern ▁configuration ▁with ▁its ▁shorter ▁engine ▁compart ment ▁quickly ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁dem ise ▁of ▁the ▁straight - 8 ▁engine . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁this , ▁and ▁of ▁gas oline ▁prices ▁several ▁times ▁as ▁expensive ▁as ▁in ▁the ▁U . S ., ▁four - ▁and ▁six - cy l inder ▁engines ▁power ed ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁cars ▁in ▁Europe , ▁and ▁the ▁few ▁eight - cy l inder ▁cars ▁produced ▁were ▁in ▁the ▁V 8 ▁configuration . ▁ ▁Military ▁use ▁The ▁British ▁Army ▁selected ▁Roll s - Ro y ce ▁B 8 0 ▁series ▁of ▁straight - e ight ▁engines ▁in ▁the ▁Al vis ▁F V ▁ 6 0 0 ▁arm oured ▁vehicle ▁family . ▁ ▁The ▁Al vis ▁Sal adin ▁arm oured ▁car ▁was ▁a ▁ 6 x 6 ▁design ▁with ▁the ▁engine ▁compart ment ▁in ▁the ▁rear , ▁a ▁ 7 6 . 2 mm ▁low ▁pressure ▁gun ▁tur ret ▁in ▁the ▁centre ▁and ▁the ▁driver ▁in ▁front . ▁ ▁The ▁Sar ac en ▁arm oured ▁personnel ▁car rier ▁had ▁the ▁engine ▁in ▁front ▁with ▁the