▁overhead ▁val ve ▁design , ▁while ▁the ▁Old sm obile ▁straight - 8 ▁and ▁Pont iac ▁straight - 8 ▁straight - e ights ▁were ▁flat head ▁engines . ▁Che v ro let , ▁as ▁an ▁entry - level ▁marque , ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁a ▁straight - e ight . ▁Cad illa c , ▁the ▁lux ury ▁brand ▁of ▁General ▁Mot ors , ▁stayed ▁with ▁their ▁traditional ▁V 8 ▁engines . ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁have ▁engines ▁as ▁smooth ▁as ▁the ▁straight - e ights ▁of ▁its ▁compet itors , ▁Cad illa c ▁introduced ▁the ▁cross plane ▁c rank sh aft ▁for ▁its ▁V 8 , ▁and ▁added ▁V 1 2 ▁and ▁V 1 6 ▁engines ▁to ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁its ▁line up . ▁ ▁Ford ▁never ▁adopted ▁the ▁straight - e ight ; ▁their ▁entry - level ▁Ford ▁cars ▁used ▁flat head ▁V 8 ▁engines ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁while ▁their ▁Lincoln ▁lux ury ▁cars ▁used ▁V 8 ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁and ▁V 1 2 ▁engines ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 0 s . ▁Ch rys ler ▁used ▁ ▁flat head ▁straight - e ights ▁in ▁its ▁prem ium ▁Ch rys ler ▁cars , ▁including ▁the ▁Imperial ▁lux ury ▁model . ▁ ▁Air ships ▁The ▁British ▁R 1 0 1 ▁rig id ▁air ship ▁was ▁fitted ▁with ▁five ▁Be ard more ▁T orn ado ▁M k ▁I ▁inline ▁eight