Straight-8
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A Straight-8 is a straight engine with eight cylinders.
Unfortunately, a straight-8 is a very long engine and requires more main bearings to support the crankshaft adequately. In addition, the change in design of cars from a long engine compartment between separate fenders to the modern configuration beginning with the Chrysler Airflow and its shorter engine compartment led to straight-8 engines being phased out of automobile design.
Most straight-8 engines were used pre-World War II in expensive luxury and performance vehicles. Bugattis commonly used a straight-8 engine. Postwar, the main users of the straight-8 were American luxury cars belonging to Chrysler and General Motors owned marques, but the straight-8 lost favor by the 1950s, almost universally replaced by the V8. Ford never adopted the straight-8, using V8 or V12 engines from the 1930s on.