- B enz , ▁and ▁Miller ▁built ▁successful ▁racing ▁cars ▁with ▁high - per formance ▁dual ▁overhead ▁cam sh aft ▁straight - e ight ▁engines ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 3 0 s . ▁ ▁The ▁D ues enberg ▁brothers ▁introduced ▁the ▁first ▁successful ▁straight - e ight ▁racing ▁engine ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 0 , ▁when ▁their ▁ 3   L ▁engine ▁placed ▁third , ▁fourth , ▁and ▁sixth ▁at ▁the ▁Indian apolis ▁ 5 0 0 . ▁The ▁following ▁year ▁one ▁of ▁their ▁cars ▁won ▁the ▁French ▁Grand ▁Prix , ▁while ▁two ▁others ▁placed ▁fourth ▁and ▁sixth ▁in ▁the ▁race . ▁Based ▁on ▁work ▁the ▁company ▁had ▁done ▁on ▁ 1 6 - cy l inder ▁aircraft ▁engines ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁the ▁overhead ▁cam sh aft , ▁three - val ve - per - cy l inder ▁engine ▁produced ▁ ▁at ▁ 4 , 2 5 0   r pm , ▁and ▁was ▁capable ▁of ▁rev ving ▁to ▁an ▁aston ishing ▁( at ▁the ▁time ) ▁ 5 , 0 0 0   r pm . ▁No ▁Grand ▁Prix ▁engine ▁before ▁the ▁war ▁had ▁pe aked ▁at ▁more ▁than ▁ 3 , 0 0 0   r pm . ▁ ▁Bug atti ▁experiment ed ▁with ▁straight - e ight ▁engines ▁from ▁ 1 9 2 2 , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 4 , ▁he ▁introduced ▁the ▁ 2   L ▁Bug atti ▁Type ▁ 3 5 , ▁one ▁of