The straight-8 is a bygone engine configuration that was once common for automakers seeking enhanced performance and refinement. Buicks were powered by straight-8s for more than two decades, in varying displacements.
Sometimes referred to as the Fireball Eight, Buick rolled out the engine across its entire lineup beginning with the 1931 model year, and the straight-8 continued powering all Buicks until it was replaced by the 322-cubic-inch “Nailhead” V8 beginning in 1953.
(description text adapted from https://journal.classiccars.com/2020/09/25/pick-of-the-day-1951-buick-special/)
