It wasn’t the optional 7.5-liter Rocket V-8 with a Hurst-shifted four-speed that made this car so cool. Or the forward-facing third-row seat waaaaaaay in the back.

Unlike the better balanced straight-six or even the ultra-smooth V-12 engine, the humble four-cylinder generates an up and down vibration with a frequency of twice the crankshaft's rotational speed.

That is why luxury cars have invariably used much smoother inline-six engines or v-8s-and why most of the new breed of four-cylinder motors rarely exceed two litres.