l inder ▁ 7 1 ▁series ▁engine ▁was ▁introduced ▁as ▁the ▁initial ▁flags hip ▁product ▁of ▁the ▁Detroit ▁Dies el ▁Engine ▁Division ▁of ▁General ▁Mot ors ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 8 . ▁The ▁V - type ▁first ▁appeared ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 7 . ▁▁ ▁Sales ▁of ▁The ▁ 7 1 ▁Series ▁ceased ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁with ▁the ▁four ▁stroke ▁Detroit ▁Dies el ▁engine ▁introduced ▁as ▁a ▁replacement . ▁ ▁Design ▁B ore ▁and ▁stroke ▁are ▁the ▁same ▁across ▁all ▁units , ▁at ▁. ▁In line ▁models ▁were ▁fam ously ▁" sym met rical ", ▁meaning ▁that ▁blow er , ▁exhaust , ▁water ▁manifold , ▁st arter , ▁and ▁other ▁components ▁could ▁be ▁mounted ▁on ▁either ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁basic ▁block ▁to ▁fit ▁a ▁particular ▁application . ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁models ▁could ▁also ▁run ▁with ▁the ▁c rank sh aft ▁turning ▁either ▁clock wise ▁or ▁counter - clock wise , ▁called ▁" Right ▁Hand " ▁or ▁" Left ▁Hand " ▁rotation ▁engines ▁( as ▁viewed ▁from ▁the ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁engine ). ▁The ▁less - common ▁Left ▁Hand ▁engines ▁were ▁typically ▁used ▁in ▁bus es , ▁because ▁the ▁rotation ▁matched ▁rear - eng ined ▁trans verse ▁install ations . ▁Bo ats ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁two ▁engines ▁would ▁typically ▁use ▁one ▁Left ▁Hand ▁and ▁one ▁Right ▁Hand , ▁so ▁that ▁the ▁tor que ▁from ▁the ▁prop ellers ▁would ▁cancel ▁each ▁other ▁out , ▁without ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁a ▁complex ▁revers ing ▁g ear ▁on ▁one