The Leyland Eight or Straight Eight was a luxury car produced by Leyland Motors from 1920 to 1923.[1]
The car was designed by the chief engineer of Leyland Motors, J.G. Parry-Thomas and his assistant Reid Railton, and was intended to be the finest car available. It was the first British car with a straight-eight engine and Leyland managing director Henry Spurrier II (d.1942) told the company's board that it was better than a Rolls-Royce in every respect.[1] The Eight was introduced to the public at the 1920 International Motor Exhibition at Olympia, London, where it was referred to as the "Lion of Olympia".
Engine and transmission
The engine, with cylinder block and upper crankcase cast in one piece, had a single centrally mounted overhead camshaft, hemispherical combustion chambers, and an 89 mm bore. The engine was offered in one of two capacities: 6920 cc with a 140 mm stroke,[2]